5 Orioles prospects poised for a breakout in 2018.

[Luke-OH]

Currently working on my top 30 prospect list, here are 5 players who will be ranked outside the top 15 (a couple that might not even make the top 30) that I think could be much higher by the end of next year.  

 

Brenden Hanifee - A two sport athlete the O's drafted out of a VA HS in 2016, Hanifee has a natural, easy delivery and a heavy low 90s fastball that gives hitters fits and induces ground balls.  His breaking ball flashes above-average and there is a change-up but it needs a lot more development. Hanifee is very raw but still managed to have a lot of success as one of the younger players in the NY/Penn league.

Brallan Perez - Adrian Marin with a better batting eye, more speed, and more raw power.  Struggled in his first taste of A+ ball with the Rangers, got demoted and hit well in Low A ball. Upon trading for him the Orioles put him in Frederick where he thrived (SSS), walking 3x as much as he struck out. 

Nick Vespi - The O's drafted him out of CC in 2015. He is only 21, so the same age as all the college juniors drafted this year.  He has excellent strikeout numbers, on par with Lowther, and got significantly more swinging strikes the Lowther. He's a big lefty with a deceptive delivery, where he turns his back then almost drags is toe, before driving to the plate.  When I saw him early in the year, I saw a stereotypical deceptive windup with very little repeatablilty or command.  Later in the season it looked like he figured out how to repeat the complicated delivery, and his numbers improved.  I don't know if he has the delivery or repertoire to stay a starter but I think he could develop into a later inning reliever.

Jacob Brown - On the surface, Jacob Brown looks like an average late round HS draft pick who had an ok debut in the GCL.  There are a few tools here though. Above average speed, plus arm, solid power, ability to play all three OF positions well.  Brown's development is dependent on his hit tool, he has a poor batting eye currently and has too much swing and miss in his game. There is some bat speed though and the swing path looks geared for power. The pre-swing load is late and I think that may be causing some of the swing and miss problems.

Lamar Sparks - Sparks had a good debut and was a 5th round pick, so he's already got some prospect status, but like Hanifee he's someone I could see making a big jump next year. He's got an above average arm, plus speed, a good eye, and a loose athletic swing with a good plane.  There isn't much power now but his body is extremely projectable and the swing will allow for some power when he gets stronger.  He also has room to get more hip separation to generate more power (something the O's got Hays to do to unlock his power potential).  If the tools aren't enough, Sparks showed a fairly advanced approach for a young player.

Edit: Was mistaken on Sparks's arm, changed to above average.

 

[ChuckS]

Nice write-up.  Hanifee and Sparks are the two that stand out to me. 

Would be unlikely for the last two "to break out" considering they are unlikely to be on a full season club in 2018, no? 

[Luke-OH]

7 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

Nice write-up.  Hanifee and Sparks are the two that stand out to me. 

Would be unlikely for the last two "to break out" considering they are unlikely to be on a full season club in 2018, no? 

I think it's possible that Sparks could jump to Delmarva.  Brown will be in SS ball though.  Good power numbers as a 19 year old in Aberdeen playing some CF would definitely jump him onto the Orioles prospect map.

 

Edit: To clarify, breaking out is relative, Brown could jump into the top 30, Hanifee could jump into the top 10, etc.

[Frobby]

Vespi's 4.31 ERA masks the fact that his peripherals (1.08 WHIP, 12.9 K/9, 4.6 K/BB) were very impressive.    And as you suggested, he pitched better as the season progressed.    Over his final 9 games at Aberdeen: 2.57 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 13.4 K/9, 5.2 K/BB.   Definitely someone to keep an eye on.

[oceanicvoyage]

I like this list.

I would also add Yelin Rodriguez and the Camerons - Ming and Bishop. Ming might just be another Muckenhirn, but Bishop has the big body and velocity from the left side that could easily lead to a big jump up lists with good results. Rodriguez had good numbers, is left handed, and will play all of next year at 19. 

[panick]

Thanks. Since I never see any minor league games, I really appreciate information like this.

I see the position players have plus speed. How would those players ever fit in with the Orioles? It's like saying they have a high OBP. 

[Luke-OH]

3 hours ago, oceanicvoyage said:

I like this list.

I would also add Yelin Rodriguez and the Camerons - Ming and Bishop. Ming might just be another Muckenhirn, but Bishop has the big body and velocity from the left side that could easily lead to a big jump up lists with good results. Rodriguez had good numbers, is left handed, and will play all of next year at 19. 

Yelin Rodriguez is interesting to me statistically but I couldn't find any video of him pitching so that kept him off this list.

Ming had great K/BB numbers but hitters got a lot of good swings on his stuff, I wasn't overly impressed.

Bishop on the other hand, I agree, is someone who could easily be on this list. 

[Luke-OH]

24 minutes ago, birdwatcher55 said:

Where do you project Ryan McKenna?

He almost made this list, but he hurt himself at the end of the season so I left him off. He's around the 20ish in my prospect rankings. High A should be a real test for him next year, if he can continue where he left off the second half of this season he could make some noise.  I have him as a realistic future value of 40 which is 4th/5th outfielder, there are a lot of 40s, he'll be one of my higher ranked ones because it's fairly easy to see everyday player upside if the hit tool develops.

[weams]

2 hours ago, phillyOs119 said:

He almost made this list, but he hurt himself at the end of the season so I left him off. He's around the 20ish in my prospect rankings. High A should be a real test for him next year, if he can continue where he left off the second half of this season he could make some noise.  I have him as a realistic future value of 40 which is 4th/5th outfielder, there are a lot of 40s, he'll be one of my higher ranked ones because it's fairly easy to see everyday player upside if the hit tool develops.

He's still young.  20 until February. 

[Luke-OH]

13 minutes ago, weams said:

He's still young.  20 until February. 

Yeah, he has some upside. Him being ranked around 20 is more a product of our system being stronger than it has been in the recent years than anything else. The uptick of power is promising and he really made improvements throughout the year in his first year of full season ball.

[Frobby]

I'm very interested to see how our resident experts rank the various Aberdeen pitchers.   Lots of interesting pitchers there.

[Luke-OH]

52 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I'm very interested to see how our resident experts rank the various Aberdeen pitchers.   Lots of interesting pitchers there.

A number of interesting follows that won't make any prospect lists like Burke, Ming, Bonilla, and Johnson.  In addition to the likes of Vespi and Bishop who might find their way onto the backend of a deeper list.  That's not even mentioning Lowther, Hanifee, and Baumman who probably should make most people's top 20.

[weams]

Bonilla has some beastly peripherals.  He essentially strikes everyone out. 

 

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, weams said:

Bonilla has some beastly peripherals.  He essentially strikes everyone out. 

 

23 at Aberdeen.

[Luke-OH]

1 hour ago, weams said:

Bonilla has some beastly peripherals.  He essentially strikes everyone out. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

23 at Aberdeen.

He has a delivery that is so different than everyone else, plus having plus stuff, that it will play at higher levels if he can get his command and control near average.