Who is the Orioles 2021 #9 prospect?

[Yossarian]

2 hours ago, LookinUp said:

I expect it to be Kjerstad, but my personal choice is Bradish and then Norby, so I went with Bradish.

I really have no idea what to do with Kjerstad, but having a major heart issue is a big deal. I think I'd personally ding his prospect rating pretty substantially and just hope that he returns like the injury never happened. I don't think that's really practical though. He'll need a full year of health just to get back to good physical condition, and that's to say nothing about being a superior athlete that it takes to be a top baseball player in the world.

Bradish is near ready and has the stuff to be an effective starter, I think. Based on some other comments I think Tony will have him rated a little lower than I do, and he's probably right, but I'm bullish on the kid.

This is where I am, too.

I really hope Kjerstad gets healthy and has no lingering effects from the myocarditis.  I also hope he develops into the power-hitting bat he projected to be when he was drafted (that short porch at Camden Yards awaits), but I just can't put him in the top 10 of prospects without seeing him take a swing at the professional level.  The SEC is a tough baseball league, but it's still not pro ball.  My judgment on his play will be reserved until we see how he does against professional pitching and on a field with other professional ballplayers.  I'm going Bradish followed by Norby.

[LookinUp]

51 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

If it helps any, I heard yesterday from Mike that Kjerstad is doing baseball activities like taking BP right now so they're hopeful he will be ready by next spring.

Honestly, it's impossible for you to be "right" on this one unless you guess very high or very low or have legit inside information. For example, I'd like to know that he can handle cardio on a consistent basis. That would tell me his heart is working, at which point I'd be more bullish.

Otherwise, you're just adding him in the list based on tiering of upside minus some guess of risk. That's absolutely fair. From that perspective, while it's nearly impossible to be right, it's also nearly impossible to be wrong. We all know there's an information gap here.

[Frobby]

This is where I slot in Kjerstad despite the huge health risk.    The upside is just too great to rank him any lower than this.  I’m really curious to see how he’ll do next year, assuming his health holds up and he’s able to play.   

[Ruzious]

Yeah, this is where Heston belongs on the O's list - right behind Westburg - though personally, I have him just above Stowers.  

[Frobby]

Another reason I think Heston goes here is that I think there’s a pretty big divide between the top 8 and the other guys listed.   All of the top 8 look to have a very solid chance to be average to excellent major leaguers.   I think we are now moving into the “possible” group, where a lot has to go right for them.   Kjerstad wouid be in the first group if healthy, so I think this in-between spot is where he goes.   

[ChosenOne21]

Bradish is likely a reliever at this point which makes it hard to rank him higher than early double digits

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, ChosenOne21 said:

Bradish is likely a reliever at this point which makes it hard to rank him higher than early double digits

Why do you think Bradish is a reliever?

[ChosenOne21]

14 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Why do you think Bradish is a reliever?

Tony mentioned his velocity falling off after 2-3 innings in the Bradish thread and said he gives him "reliever vibes"

[wildcard]

8 minutes ago, ChosenOne21 said:

Tony mentioned his velocity falling off after 2-3 innings in the Bradish thread and said he gives him "reliever vibes"

In 12 of his 19 starts at AAA he went at least 5 innings including a 1.80 ERA in his last 5 starts which shows improvement.  And he ended up with a 4.26 ERA at AAA.   I think he deserves a chance at starting.  

[sportsfan8703]

9 should be Kjerstad. Then it gets interesting. We will see our depth really stand out when debating 10-20. We have a CF that reached AA, they put up a 20/20 season. He’s not even getting talked about yet. 

[ChosenOne21]

2 hours ago, wildcard said:

In 12 of his 19 starts at AAA he went at least 5 innings including a 1.80 ERA in his last 5 starts which shows improvement.  And he ended up with a 4.26 ERA at AAA.   I think he deserves a chance at starting.  

I'm not against giving him another shot at starting next year. I just don't think he'll stick there