Promising Starter Prospects Bring Hope for the Future

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Philip said:

Sadly the only two guys on that list with ERAs over six are the two headliners in Dan’s big trades last year.

I tellya, sometimes you gotta think it was sabotage.

Ortiz was part of the Schoop trade and Villar alone makes that one a win for the O's.

Tate, yea.  The Yankees had a bunch of guys that needed to be put on the 40 the next offseason and they didn't have room.  The Britton trade involved several of those players.  His trade value wasn't exactly high at the time of the trade.

[Cumberbundy]

1 hour ago, Philip said:

Sadly the only two guys on that list with ERAs over six are the two headliners in Dan’s big trades last year.

I tellya, sometimes you gotta think it was sabotage.

[Philip]

2 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Ortiz was part of the Schoop trade and Villar alone makes that one a win for the O's.

Tate, yea.  The Yankees had a bunch of guys that needed to be put on the 40 the next offseason and they didn't have room.  The Britton trade involved several of those players.  His trade value wasn't exactly high at the time of the trade.

Getting Villar made that trade a win for us, but Ortiz Was allegedly the headliner because he was a former top draft pick.

I can’t think why he was considered a worthwhile acquisition, given his history, and our history

[Moose Milligan]

Everyone's favorite, Keith Law has a writeup on ESPN about Royals/Orioles prospects.  Looks like he went to a series recently.

It's behind a paywall on ESPN+ so I'm going to post only the parts we care about.  Haven't seen these posted here anywhere else.

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I was supposed to lead this post with D.L. Hall, the Orioles' first-round pick in 2017 and my No. 63 prospect coming into the the 2018 season (first in the O's system), but the home plate ump for Hall's start on Thursday night had other plans.

Hall got through 2 2/3 innings in his outing at Wilmington before he was ejected for allegedly arguing balls and strikes, although any dispute -- and he had real reason to be upset, as the ump missed at least two called strikes on breaking balls in that inning -- was so fast that I missed it while writing a note on the hard-hit single Nick Pratto had just hit off Hall. Before the umpshow hit, I did at least get to see Hall working 93-96 with a plus curveball at 79-83 that had real two-plane break, although he was wild and didn't show average command of either pitch. There's nothing in the delivery to say he can't get to average command or control in the future, but for the moment it's just a power approach -- he's trying to blow guys away with velocity and then changes speeds with a curveball that's very tough for A-ball hitters to see. Here's hoping the next time I see him the umpire will let him get through the order a second time.

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* Dean Kremer came to the Orioles as part of the return for Manny Machadolast year in the midst of a season where he led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts. He's rehabbing now from an oblique strain that has kept him out all season, including spring training, and was solid in the Wednesday matinee against Lynch, working both sides of the plate with a 90-94 fastball, along with a mid-80s slider that he used in changeup counts and a bigger, 11/5 curveball at 73-76 mph that he'd backdoor to lefties. Everything seems to play up -- hitters clearly don't see the ball well from his hand, given how poorly they reacted (bearing in mind this Wilmington lineup strikes out a lot) -- but it's time for him to get to Double-A as well to see how better hitters will do against stuff that is mostly average to a tick above.

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* Cody Sedlock was the Orioles' first-round pick in 2016, but threw just 127 innings total over the past two years around injuries, probably the result of overuse at the University of Illinois and some changes wrought by player development after he signed. (I still don't understand why he made nine pro starts that first summer after such heavy use in the spring.) He does seem healthy again, working 90-93 in his start on Tuesday night with an above-average changeup at 80-84 and two breaking balls -- a slider and curveball -- that could end up average. I don't see a pitch to miss bats here, and his awkward, shotput-like arm action doesn't give me a ton of confidence he can be durable, but at least he's back with average velocity and throwing strikes again.

* Michael Baumann, the O's third-round pick from 2017, started the series opener for Frederick, coming into the start with a 42 percent strikeout rate on the season. He was 90-96 on Tuesday with a cutter that was mostly 88-90, but would drop below that and get a little more slider-like tilt, along with a curveball at 81-82. He had nothing truly plus to explain all the strikeouts, although I could see hitters getting thrown off by his high arm slot. It's a reliever look and repertoire, but as long as he's missing bats at this rate, I'd leave him in the rotation.

* Cameron Bishop signed with the Orioles in the 26th round in 2017 when their fourth-rounder that year, Jack Conlon, failed his post-draft physical, clearing some money for them to go after Bishop after he'd missed the entire spring with a knee injury. (Conlon appeared ready to sign with the Giants, but that fell through, and after a year at Texas A&M, he moved to San Jacinto College this spring, where he's walked over a man an inning and hasn't shown the same stuff as in high school.) Bishop is working out of the bullpen now for Frederick after making five starts to open the year -- perhaps a temporary shift while Kremer is rehabbing -- and was 91-93 in relief of Kremer with a fair slider at 83-84, throwing one changeup in the outing. It's a middle reliever profile, and a little surprising his fastball didn't tick back up in short relief work unless he's deliberately holding back because he's used to starting.

 

 

[Greg Pappas]

21 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Everyone's favorite, Keith Law has a writeup on ESPN about Royals/Orioles prospects.  Looks like he went to a series recently.

It's behind a paywall on ESPN+ so I'm going to post only the parts we care about.  Haven't seen these posted here anywhere else.

 

 

Seems he thinks Baumann and Bishop profile as relievers, though he did say he'd keep Baumann as a starter as long as he stays successful. I imagine more than a few of our starter prospects will find roles in the pen... I just hope 3 or more of them find success in the rotation.