Who broke out in 2021?

[Jammer7]

Before the season began, there was a thread asking which player we thought would be a break out candidate. With the season nearly complete, we know a lot more about all of these guys. I picked Joey Ortiz and Rob Neustrom. They did fairly well, but Ortiz’ injury was unfortunate. I think my two picks were upstaged in 2021. Still, both had solid jumps in their status.

Who had the best breakout year? Stowers, Mayo, Pinto, or someone else? 

[Aglets]

I assume this is the thread you mean?

 

Thought it might be good to link it here as a part of the discussion.

Stowers, Mayo, Pinto indeed seem like clear choices.  Rom another honorable mention.  Mundy.

[RZNJ]

53 minutes ago, Jammer7 said:

Before the season began, there was a thread asking which player we thought would be a break out candidate. With the season nearly complete, we know a lot more about all of these guys. I picked Joey Ortiz and Rob Neustrom. They did fairly well, but Ortiz’ injury was unfortunate. I think my two picks were upstaged in 2021. Still, both had solid jumps in their status.

Who had the best breakout year? Stowers, Mayo, Pinto, or someone else? 

All good names.   You picked two good ones.   How in the world did you pick Neustrom?   Great pick there.    Biggest breakout year.   That's really tough but I guess I'd have to go with Stowers.  I'll go with him because he is the only one (besides Neustrom) with a full season and he went the farthest.   He had a mediocre debut in the NY Penn League 2 years ago and finished strongly in AAA this year.

On a lesser level, I'd call Mishael Deson a breakout guy as well.

[glenn__davis]

In my very vague definition of a "breakout" year, I'd say Stowers best qualified in the upper levels, and Pinto best qualified in the lower levels.  Stowers went from a guy that didn't seem all that interesting to a guy that seems likely to be in BAL next year.  Pinto went from a throw-in of a trade to possibly our most intriguing SP in the low minors.

But the fact that there are multiple choices is certainly a good sign.

[Jammer7]

13 hours ago, Aglets said:

I assume this is the thread you mean?

 

Thought it might be good to link it here as a part of the discussion.

Stowers, Mayo, Pinto indeed seem like clear choices.  Rom another honorable mention.  Mundy.

Thanks for linking that. Mundy is another good choice. I think Rom improved a lot and raised his stock. Not sure he would qualify as a breakout. I mean I expected him to do well based on his 2019 breakout.

[Jammer7]

12 hours ago, RZNJ said:

All good names.   You picked two good ones.   How in the world did you pick Neustrom?   Great pick there.    Biggest breakout year.   That's really tough but I guess I'd have to go with Stowers.  I'll go with him because he is the only one (besides Neustrom) with a full season and he went the farthest.   He had a mediocre debut in the NY Penn League 2 years ago and finished strongly in AAA this year.

On a lesser level, I'd call Mishael Deson a breakout guy as well.

Neustrom looked like a guy to me that needed some adjustments mechanically, but mostly in his approach. He has big power, and I thought the new staff could bring some things out of him and help develop more consistency. I saw him on an interview where he talked about his workouts and how he improved his athleticism.

Deson is a good call. I think Stowers would be my pick, but as Glenn said, nice to have many to choose from. A number of great development stories this year. Mayo would be a close #2 for me. I did not expect him to be as athletic in the box as he is. 

[sportsfan8703]

9 hours ago, Jammer7 said:

Neustrom looked like a guy to me that needed some adjustments mechanically, but mostly in his approach. He has big power, and I thought the new staff could bring some things out of him and help develop more consistency. I saw him on an interview where he talked about his workouts and how he improved his athleticism.

Deson is a good call. I think Stowers would be my pick, but as Glenn said, nice to have many to choose from. A number of great development stories this year. Mayo would be a close #2 for me. I did not expect him to be as athletic in the box as he is. 

Good call on Neustrom. I think you can claim victory because he was teetering on being an organizational guy and is now someone that is firmly in our prospect lists. 
 

Stowers definitely had the biggest break out though. Then Mayo. Pinto, Bautista, and Bradish also broke out. 

[RZNJ]

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Good call on Neustrom. I think you can claim victory because he was teetering on being an organizational guy and is now someone that is firmly in our prospect lists. 
 

Stowers definitely had the biggest break out though. Then Mayo. Pinto, Bautista, and Bradish also broke out. 

There was some buzz on Bradish before the year began but I'd consider him a breakout player as well.   Good call.   Neustrom, Mayo, and Pinto kind of came out of nowhere even though Mayo had the overslot draft status going for him.   Neustrom as a forgotten prospect by most and Pinto had no expectations at all.

[HowAboutThat]

I don’t know enough About the minors to have made a comment in the original thread, and I don’t follow the minors as much as I should, however the comments I’ve read about other players may indicate who’s doing the best: Rom, Dorrian come to mind as surprising guys.

[waynebug]

Pitcher:  Jean Pinto.  FCL Orioles Black, Delmarva Shorebirds.

Position:  Shortstop Frederick Bencosme.  DSL Orioles 2.  An up and coming good hitter, error prone shortstop.  Showed power and speed in his first pro season.  Listed at 6' 160 lbs. Bats left.

 

[RZNJ]

2 hours ago, waynebug said:

Pitcher:  Jean Pinto.  FCL Orioles Black, Delmarva Shorebirds.

Position:  Shortstop Frederick Bencosme.  DSL Orioles 2.  An up and coming good hitter, error prone shortstop.  Showed power and speed in his first pro season.  Listed at 6' 160 lbs. Bats left.

 

I'd consider any player in the DSL as a "potential" breakout player next year or thereafter.    Without a doubt, some like Bencosme, Lara, and De Los Santos, became a bit more intriguing this year in addition to the more high-profile Hernandez and Basallo.

[waynebug]

Bencosme was a total unknown.  He was signed after the July 2, 2019 class but before the Jan 15, 2021 class.  I don't think the Orioles had hardly any bonus pool money left.  So I think he got a small bonus.  

The minimum bonus that's allowable is $10,000.  Jean Pinto got $10,000 from the Angels cause he was already 18 and in a poor bargaining position.

I don't know how, but the Braves have signed a large really nice power hitting rightfielder for $10,000 in the last 2 international classes while under  spending limitations. 

[RZNJ]

35 minutes ago, waynebug said:

Bencosme was a total unknown.  He was signed after the July 2, 2019 class but before the Jan 15, 2021 class.  I don't think the Orioles had hardly any bonus pool money left.  So I think he got a small bonus.  

The minimum bonus that's allowable is $10,000.  Jean Pinto got $10,000 from the Angels cause he was already 18 and in a poor bargaining position.

I don't know how, but the Braves have signed a large really nice power hitting rightfielder for $10,000 in the last 2 international classes while under  spending limitations. 

He's still a total unknown.  Except for you, me, Jammer, and a few others, no one cares until he's tearing up Delmarva or Aberdeen.

[NCRaven]

NCRaven - I don't know about "breakout", but I really want to see Adam Hall (2B), Gunnar Henderson (SS/3B), and Jordan Westburg (SS/3B) have big years.  Would love to see those guys along with Ryan Mountcastle (1B) become the infielders for the next great Orioles team.  We already have lots of candidates for the outfield and Rutschman for catcher.  Establishing the infield is the next step.  Of course, pitching always...

Well, I'm pretty happy with Henderson, Westburg, and Mountcastle.  Adam Hall was a disappointment in 2021.  Can't wait to see what Coby Mayo does next year

[waynebug]

Connor Norby is probably your future 2nd baseman.

I suspect every pitch and every at-bat are logged and recorded in the DSL just as they are in here in the Majors and Minors.  

That's how the Orioles found Pinto, Deson and others.