State of the System: Corner Infield - Grade B+

[ScGO's]

Corner Infield

 

Current Roster: At the MLB level, 1B is packed with quality options with Trey Mancini, Ryan Mountcastle, Renato Nunez, and even Pat Valaika.  Mancini's health is obviously a question mark. 3rd base on the other hand hasn’t been as steady. Rio Ruiz shows flashes and perhaps gets the first shot out the gate in 2021 again, but he’s not the long term solution.  Valaika and Hanser Alberto can provide innings there as well if Ruiz struggles again.  Chris Davis may unfortunately be in the fold for another season.

 

Future Outlook: The trade for Tyler Nevin helped our corner depth a bit. Rylan Bannon could provide a 3B option as well.  If Trey is truly healthy, Nunez may become expendable, but with only 2 years left until becoming a free agent himself, Mancini may not be around for our next playoff season, so 1B could be Mountcastle’s by the end of next year.  The future at 3B could be a bright one with Gunnar Henderson and then Coby Mayo approaching. Toby Welk remains intriguing in the low minors too. With 3rd base, Elias has done a good job addressing a position needing depth at the minor league level.

 

Players of Note: Andrew Daschbach, JC Encarnacion, Dilson Herrera, Seamus Curran, Patrick Dorian, Ryan Ripken

 

System Grade: B+

 

The corner situation is bright, but the mix of depth and potential differs a bit between the two as 1B has solid MLB ready options but not a ton of minor league depth, while 3rd base isn’t very strong on the parent club, but has very promising prospects in the low minors with Henderson and Mayo.  By 2023, Henderson and Mountcastle could be a legitimate duo on the corners.  It will be interesting to see how the O’s handle 1B on the big league club with Mancini’s health and free agency looming, Nunez’ arbitration and inconsistencies being considered, and of course having Davis on the roster doesn’t help the system at all.

[Sports Guy]

C-C+

[Can_of_corn]

So far sounds like they are the cream of the crop.

[Aristotelian]

C. Mountcastle is a stud but 3B is a black hole. Mancini doesn't count because in the best case scenario he is gone in a couple months (good couple of months, traded at deadline). After that, prospects are all question marks. Is Gunnar no longer considered SS? 

[ScGO's]

9 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

C. Mountcastle is a stud but 3B is a black hole. Mancini doesn't count because in the best case scenario he is gone in a couple months (good couple of months, traded at deadline). After that, prospects are all question marks. Is Gunnar no longer considered SS? 

I don't believe he sticks.  Look at his body type and watch some films of him taking grounders.  He has a great arm and solid glove, but he will get bigger and there will be more athletic options at SS. I think he could be a stellar 3rd baseman.

[Sports Guy]

15 minutes ago, ScGO's said:

I don't believe he sticks.  Look at his body type and watch some films of him taking grounders.  He has a great arm and solid glove, but he will get bigger and there will be more athletic options at SS. I think he could be a stellar 3rd baseman.

I think it’s fair to say he won’t stick at SS but I also don’t think you can put him at third for the purposes of your exercise quite yet either.

My bigger issue is that you have Mountcastle and Mancini listed here.  Neither can play third and both can’t play first.  One has to be at DH or in LF.

In other words, I think by adding both of them plus Henderson, you are “cheating”. (For lack of a better word)

I like the potential of Mayo but he is obviously years away and we just don’t know anything yet.

I can see where you come up with your grade by including everyone but I think it’s a bit of a stretch at the moment.

I think even with the inclusion of all of these guys, I wouldn’t be as generous as a B+ but I think a B would be fair.

I do wonder though...when you are doing this, how much consideration are you giving for how far away a player is?  Or do you just strictly do it on talent?

[DrungoHazewood]

 

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

C-C+

At first you have a guy attempting a comeback from cancer with a year left under team control in Mancini.  Mountcastle could go there, but currently he's an outfielder. In '19 Tyler Nevin hit .251 with a .744 OPS in AA.  He's more of a 1B than a 3B, so he'll have to hit more than that.  Nunez is a DH.  Valaika a utility player.

At third we have Rio Ruiz, who is 26 and has a .667 career MLB OPS.  Gunnar Henderson just turned 19 and hasn't played above rookie ball.  Bannon might not be a third baseman, and his best hitting numbers in the minors are in rather extreme hitter's parks.

Mayo hasn't appeared in a pro game yet, and Welk is 23 and hasn't been above low-A.  The rest of the players of note look like org guys.  The presence of Ryan Ripken indicates the depth here is pretty shallow, he's 27 and barely gotten to AA.

C/C+.

[wildcard]

I think Mountcastle and Mancini will both spend some time at 1B next season.  1B was Mancini position in the minors and from what I have seen he is average defensively there.   I like what I have seen from Mountcastle at first.  Soft hards, good on balls in the dirt and pretty mobile there.   He looks like a SS playing 1B to me.   I like him better defensively at 1B than LF.

[DrungoHazewood]

35 minutes ago, ScGO's said:

I don't believe he sticks.  Look at his body type and watch some films of him taking grounders.  He has a great arm and solid glove, but he will get bigger and there will be more athletic options at SS. I think he could be a stellar 3rd baseman.

The issue with this assessment is projecting growth out 3-4 years in the future, after a position switch that we don't know how he'll handle.  It's premature to call him a stellar third baseman when all he has on his resume is high school/rookie ball shortstop.

Right now he's something like a 25 current/55 potential.  He might be great, but a lot of guys might be great if everything works out.

[wildcard]

5 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

 

At first you have a guy attempting a comeback from cancer with a year left under team control in Mancini.  Mountcastle could go there, but currently he's an outfielder. In '19 Tyler Nevin hit .251 with a .744 OPS in AA.  He's more of a 1B than a 3B, so he'll have to hit more than that.  Nunez is a DH.  Valaika a utility player.

At third we have Rio Ruiz, who is 26 and has a .667 career MLB OPS.  Gunnar Henderson just turned 19 and hasn't played above rookie ball.  Bannon might not be a third baseman, and his best hitting numbers in the minors are in rather extreme hitter's parks.

Mayo hasn't appeared in a pro game yet, and Welk is 23 and hasn't been above low-A.  The rest of the players of note look like org guys.  The presence of Ryan Ripken indicates the depth here is pretty shallow, he's 27 and barely gotten to AA.

C/C+.

Mancini has two years until he is eligible for FA.

[weams]

42 minutes ago, ScGO's said:He has a great arm and solid glove, but he will get bigger and there will be more athletic options at SS. I think he could be a stellar 3rd baseman.

I think he could be a stellar ss

[DrungoHazewood]

12 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Mancini has two years until he is eligible for FA.

Okay, thanks. Not sure how much of those two years he'll be an effective player.

[canonfaz]

I would go with an B at 1B and D at 3B, so maybe a C?

[HowAboutThat]

When discussing the state is the system, I think it’s best to divide it into tears, the present, the short term future, and the far future, or 21, 22 and 23-24.

The near future shows us with a plethora of first base/DH types, and not much else. A couple of years out, things look a lot better, but I’ve said this before, I think Mike is going to be really scrounging around for middle infield help.

[ScGO's]

2 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

 

At first you have a guy attempting a comeback from cancer with a year left under team control in Mancini.  Mountcastle could go there, but currently he's an outfielder. In '19 Tyler Nevin hit .251 with a .744 OPS in AA.  He's more of a 1B than a 3B, so he'll have to hit more than that.  Nunez is a DH.  Valaika a utility player.

At third we have Rio Ruiz, who is 26 and has a .667 career MLB OPS.  Gunnar Henderson just turned 19 and hasn't played above rookie ball.  Bannon might not be a third baseman, and his best hitting numbers in the minors are in rather extreme hitter's parks.

Mayo hasn't appeared in a pro game yet, and Welk is 23 and hasn't been above low-A.  The rest of the players of note look like org guys.  The presence of Ryan Ripken indicates the depth here is pretty shallow, he's 27 and barely gotten to AA.

C/C+.

I included him because his presence in the organization at 27 tells me they will do what they can to push him up for a cup of coffee at some point for the fan fare.