MurphDogg

Is he? His k/bb ratio is right around 2:1, and his 21 percent strikeout rate is around league average among qualifiers. His OBP is 90 points higher than his batting average. I think the AAA balls should bring his batting average up, as his BABIP is .285, which is well off his career average and feels like a little bit of bad luck with his speed.

Triple and an HBP in his first two appearances today, hopefully he finishes strong. Regardless, his OPS is still higher than league average and as a 22-year-old plus defensive centerfielder with a very good walk rate who will have played 190+ AA games, that is good enough for me to get him the bump up to Norfolk next year. Hopefully the AAA happy fun balls will help him out next year.

He does not need to be added to the 40-man this December, so I don't expect to see him until next year.

Zimmermann in line to pick up his first AAA win tonight after 7 strong innings against a first place Gwinnett team. Zimmermann allowed one run on 4 hits, while striking out 5 and walking 1 over 88 pitches.

Hernaiz went 4-4 today with a triple, and also added a walk. He had been majorly scuffling, with an .086 batting average over his last 11 games (35 at-bats). He raised his OPS today from .623 to .725. 17 walks on 21 strikeouts over 91 plate appearances on the season. That is a lot of plate appearances without putting the ball in play, but that is the modern game I guess.

Baumann is tonight's scheduled starter, hope he keeps it going.

Hope he is able to pitch in Arizona. Very good season regardless.

Kremer got knocked around a bit in his AAA debut. Gave up 6 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6 over 4 and a third innings. No homers allowed but he did give up 3 doubles. Nice to see the strikeouts, hopefully he can bounce back in his next start.

Hall hasn't pitched since August 8th and isn't scheduled to start today or tomorrow. Anybody know what is up? is he piggybacking today or tomorrow?

After only 38 pitches. I wonder what happened. He has mostly been in the 80-90 pitch range.

To me it shows that he wants Kremer to get a cup of coffee in September. In the past you could do that straight from Bowie, but with AAA using the Major League balls now, it is crazy to promote anyone directly from Bowie. I don't think it has to do with 4 starts in AAA, I think it has to do with throwing 20-ish MLB innings in September, but with the new ball promoting a pitcher straight from Bowie is something we just aren't going to see anymore.

Why should Means be shut down? He has only thrown 105 innings after throwing 157 last year (and 138+ in each of the three years prior). He has 8-9 starts left, so it is doubtful he even tops his innings from last season, and if he does it won't be by much. He has given up more runs in has last 5 starts, but barring injury, he should still be out there every 5-6 games.

Should be back Friday.

Unlikely, as he won't be on the 40-man roster. Wouldn't be surprised to see him on the MLB club by this time next year though.

It is only surprising because Yusniel Diaz hasn't been promoted yet, having played 197 games at the AA level with better numbers. Both should be promoted. Hopefully Diaz will be once he comes off the DL.

Hopefully he pitches when the Shorebirds are in Hagerstown August 23-25. I would make the trek for that.

Cruz hit his 9th home run today, still one off the league lead. Of the other two players with 9 homers, one has already been promoted to the GCL and the other is a 23 year-old just over from Cuba. The league leader, Eduarqui Fernandez of the Brewers, was ranked 28th by Baseball America in last summer's J2 class.

Glad to hear he isn't hurt. Too bad the Orioles don't have the depth to do the same with Santander when he slacks off defensively.

Of the Bowie pitchers, he is the most likely to get a cup of coffee for two reasons: (1) He has to be added to the 40-man roster in the off-season anyway. (2) He threw 131 and a third innings last year and has only thrown 94 and a third innings this year, so he isn't up against an innings cap. I don't think we have enough information about Elias' philosophy on call-ups as this is his first September to know whether he might get a call, but I would imagine it is at least a possibility.

He has a bad body, so the expectation is that his defense and speed are bad, but the scouting doesn't really bear that out.

You are the one that brought up months. I just gave you numbers for other months. If you want to dismiss that, it is on you.

You probably catch grief for that because it isn't accurate. It was more like four months in 2018 between Frederick and Bowie, his OPS by month was .844, 1.056, .969 and .775. His second half of the season in 2017 at Delmarva was also solid. His OPS in July and August was .824 and .837. He also had the third highest OPS in the league last year in the Arizona Fall League.

Also, the offensive standards for a center-fielder are lower than those of a right-fielder. And Diaz was a year younger than McKenna will be next year. And Diaz was not yet on the 40-man roster, which McKenna will be next year.

He was promoted from Delmarva to Frederick with similar numbers. His OPS+ is actually higher than the league average, the Eastern League is a severe pitcher's league.