Who will be the "pleasant surprise" for the O's in 2020?

[Moose Milligan]

It can't be Hays or Harvey or Mountcastle or a prospect that we've had hopes for.  There's no real surprise there.  Santander already had his surprise season, so did Means and Alberto.

DJ Stewart is on the fringe of a prospect we've had hopes for.  Same with Sisco.  But I haven't had hopes for either one in the past so I'll go with either one of them.  

[eddie83]

18 hours ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Tanner Scott becomes a useful bullpen arm. 

 

 

 

I’ll go along with this. 

Bonus pick is Alex Cobb. Not sure what anyone’s expectation of him is at this point. He is due for some good luck.  

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

I’ll go along with this. 

Bonus pick is Alex Cobb. Not sure what anyone’s expectation of him is at this point. He is due for some good luck.  

I expect him to be on the IL.

[Enjoy Terror]

9 hours ago, survivedc said:

I don’t think any of the upper end prospects would be a “surprise.” 

Yeah, the Orioles have been real talented about turning upper end prospects into "sure things" over the last 25 years.

[Moose Milligan]

51 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

I’ll go along with this. 

Bonus pick is Alex Cobb. Not sure what anyone’s expectation of him is at this point. He is due for some good luck.  

A pleasant surprise would to see Cobb not be on the IL and pitch to a sub 5.00 ERA.  I feel like that's asking a lot though.

[eddie83]

50 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I expect him to be on the IL.

 

Just now, Moose Milligan said:

A pleasant surprise would to see Cobb not be on the IL and pitch to a sub 5.00 ERA.  I feel like that's asking a lot though.

Well.... it’s only a 60 game season. He can make about 12 starts and call it a year. 

[SteveA]

6 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

 

Well.... it’s only a 60 game season. He can make about 12 starts and call it a year. 

It's getting to that first start that's the big hurdle.  

[eddie83]

25 minutes ago, SteveA said:

It's getting to that first start that's the big hurdle.  

True. Has a 3 week mini spring training to get thru first. A lot can go wrong in that time.  

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, eddie83 said:

True. Has a 3 week mini spring training to get thru first. A lot can go wrong in that time.  

My money is on blisters.

[spiritof66]

Mostly because this thread needs some pessimism, I'll say Dwight Smith. Due to injuries and illness, Smith plays pretty much full time, hits some HRs, leads a sleepy offense, plays a passable LF, and generates excitement among the fans watching and listening at home. It's not enough to generate much trade interest, but is enough to create uncertainty about whether to give him a roster place and playing time in '21.

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, spiritof66 said:

Mostly because this thread needs some pessimism, I'll say Dwight Smith. Due to injuries and illness, Smith plays pretty much full time, hits some HRs, leads a sleepy offense, plays a passable LF, and generates excitement among the fans watching and listening at home. It's not enough to generate much trade interest, but is enough to create uncertainty about whether to give him a roster place and playing time in '21.

Playing a passable LF would be the biggest surprise of the decade and it’s only 2020. Nothing could top that. 

[survivedc]

1 hour ago, Enjoy Terror said:

Yeah, the Orioles have been real talented about turning upper end prospects into "sure things" over the last 25 years.

Would you be surprised to see Hays or Mountcastle play well? I wouldn’t. I would be disappointed if they didn’t play well. Same with a guy like Harvey.

 

[Enjoy Terror]

1 minute ago, survivedc said:

Would you be surprised to see Hays or Mountcastle play well? I wouldn’t. I would be disappointed if they didn’t play well. Same with a guy like Harvey.

I've been disappointed enough by players that shouldn't have surprised me.

[SteveA]

1 hour ago, eddie83 said:

True. Has a 3 week mini spring training to get thru first. A lot can go wrong in that time.  

In four weeks of spring training earlier this year, he managed to pitch one inning in actual preseason games:

 

17      Alex Cobb        R/R    6'3"    205lbs    10/7/87

Outlook at start of camp:  If healthy will be in the starting rotation after a lost year to injury
2/13 -- Threw a regular session with all of the other pitchers that didn't throw on the first day.
2/14 - Pitching Coach Dog Brocail said Cobb will use his curveball more in 2020 and is developing a 4-seamer to pair it with.
2/20 -- Will start the Orioles' 3rd game of the preseason on Monday 2/24.  Hyde says he is "in the mix" for Opening Day starter.
2/23 -- Feeling "under the weather" and will have a "flu test" today but still has not been scratched from tomorrow's start.  Yet.
2/24 - Went one inning before coming out after feeling dizzy due to his sickness. Was behind to most hitters but threw a couple good curveballs. Hard to judge him due to the illness.
2/29 - Cobb will throw a simulated game on a back field on Monday as he regains his strength after a bout with the flu. "He's feeling fine. I just want to work him up, get his pitch count up in a controlled environment."
3/1 -- Cobb pitched the bullpen session and simulated game Sunday, not Monday.   Austin Wynns caught him.   He says he felt so good, he ended up getting 3 innings in which was more than planned.
3/3 -- Cobb will take his next turn in another simulated game Friday while the Orioles travel to face the Yankees.   His next preseason action will be March 11 in Dunedin vs Toronto.
3/6 -- Threw 4 innings in a simulated game in Sarasota.
3/11 -- Cobb was scratched from tomorrow's start vs Minnesota due to a blister on his pitching hand.   Hyde says it is a "small, little one" and that Cobb would likely pitch with it in the regular season.   Zimmerman will go in his place.
3/12 -- Cobb threw a simulated game this morning to get his innings in so apparently the blister is truly no big deal.

[NCRaven]

A pleasant surprise for me would be if Elias realized that this ML season is meaningless and used it to develop nearly ready players that won't have a minor league season.  Put Mountcastle at 1B every day with Mancini out.  Put  Diaz, Hays, and Santander in the outifield regularly.  Let Richie Martin play 2B.  If you have to play a one-hit wonder like Alberto, let him platoon at 3B.  Surprise me by playing the kids.