2021 Orioles 31-75 prospects

[Tony-OH]

Since there's not a lot going on, I thought I'd take the "More prospects to know" and rank them and then go all the way out to 75. 

Now remember, I spent about 20 minutes doing the order so don't get too caught up in why one guy is 51 and an other 73. This is more about giving you guys something to read and think about for 2022.

I hope you enjoy. Are you surprised someone did not make the list?

31. Zack Peek – (RHP, 23, A-/A+)  – 23-year old righthander that works off his 3000 RPM curveball that he can vary the speed of from 71-77 MPH. His fastball sits around 92 MPH and he was working on a change that flashed average at times and gives him a solid third offering. The fastball though gets barreled up pretty good and he gets a lot of swings and misses out of the zone. He reminds me of Dean Kremer with a little better changeup and little less velocity. He’ll need to prove it at each level to get a shot.

32. Kyle Brnovich (RHP, 23, A+/AA) – When you look at the numbers, Brnovich should be in the top 30 and maybe he will prove he will be one day, but when you look at the stuff you wonder how he’s getting guys out. He’s a pitchability guy who uses a funky delivery to add to the deception of his mediocre stuff but who can throw all three pitches for strikes. His fastball sits FB 90-92 with some arm side run. It’s a pitch has to command to have success because it’s a pretty hittable pitch in the zone. His slider (82-83) doesn’t have a ton of break typically but he will occasionally throw a good one for whiff. His change has some drop and fade and gives his something to use against lefties. He should get the opportunity to see if he can get AAA out next year and that should be a good test. This is the one pitcher I cant really figure out why he’s having so much success, but hitters will ultimately tell you. May have enough mix to end up a 5th starter or swingman.

33. Anderson De Los Santos (3B/SS, 17 DSL) – Part of the record Orioles J2 signing class in 2021, Del Los Santos was signed for $350K but out performed more heralded Maikol Hernandez at the plate in their first year in the Dominican Summer League. Signed as a shortstop, De Los Santos is built like Adrian Beltre (5-11, 185) and while he has some tools, he’s probably better suited for third base or perhaps second base one day. The 17-year old slashed an impressive .324/.409/.495/.905 with a 1 5-19 BB-K ratio in 127 PAs while collecting 11 extra base hits including three home runs. He was an error machine in his first try at 3B, but he’s expected to improve with experience. He’ll start next year in the Florida Complex Leagues and as one scout said, “He’s right up there with (Hernandez and Basallo) as a prospect).

34. JD Mundy (1B, 23, A-/A+) – Undrafted 2020 free agent really had a nice season when he was able to stay in the field. Short squatty 1st baseman that has a short to the ball stroke, but can generate decent power. Looks like he has plan at the plate and does not panic when behind in the count. Defensively he’s steady and can make the throw to second, but needs to work on scooping and his range is not great. He’s a very slow runner so he’s anchored to 1st base or DH. Struggled to stay on the field with Aberdeen where he missed time on two different occasion before being shut down for the season with a fractured thumb on August 15th. Slashed .278/.361/.521/.881 in 219 PAs in High-A but his K rate jumped to 26.9% and he hit too many ground balls but he did keep his ISO high at .242 in a tough hitters park. He almost made the back end of the top 30, but his prospect status will be either be much higher of lower after next year in AA.

35. Alex Wells (LHP, 25, AAA/MAJ) – Made his major league debut with the Orioles making 8 starts in 11 appearances, but major league hitters weren’t fooled too often by his stuff as he put up just a 16.4% WHIF rate and batters slashed .299/.365/.520/.885. His fastball sat between 86-90 MPH (avg 88.5) but had slightly above average movement. He had the most success with his slider despite it’s well below average movement and both his curve and change did not work well against major league pitching, with change’s biggest problem being its only around 5 MPH difference from his fastball. After a slow start, Wells pitched well at AAA and when he can command the baseball, he could end up helping a team as a 5th starter swingman type.

36. Ofelky Peralta (RHP, 24, AA/AAA) – Been in the system so long the Orioles had to resign him a six-year minor league free agent as soon as the season was over. Peralta is a guy who has been used as a starter mainly in order to give him as much experience as possible. With a fastball that sits 95-97 and can touch 98-99 MPH, he’s always had a great arm but he’s never had a consistent offspeed pitch and of course his control was never very good. Peralta’s control is still not great, but he’s able to throw not only has fastball, but also a curveball and decent changeup for strikes as well. He’s never going to have great command, but he’s never been easy to hit either. It’s about time to convert him to the bullpen and see if he stuff plays up in an inning or two stints.

37. Kevin Smith (LHP, 24, AA/AAA)  – Acquired for Miguel Castro, Smith struggled to command once he got to AAA and basically lost the ability throw the changeup. Basically turned into a fastball (91-93), slider (81-84) guy. By the end of the year, lost his control completely. Can get some swings and misses on the slider and the fastball up but he has little room for error. His comp might be Paul Fry and that would be a disappointing return for Castro.

38. Cameron Bishop (LHP, 25, AA (others in rehab) – Consistency of command is what limits Bishop’s future because when he’s on, he’s a four-pitch lefty who can miss bats. His slider is his best offspeed pitch and probably his bread and butter if he ends up in a relief role, where he could end up a decent two inning middle reliever. The change can have good movement at times, but he doesn’t have a great feel and curveball is a get me over offering. Bishop missed time last season as well and it might be time for the Orioles to give him a look next on AAA as a reliever and see if he can find more consistency by focusing on the fastball, slider combination with and occasional change to a righty.

39. Carlos Tavera (RHP, 22, A-) – The Orioles 5th round pick in the 2021 draft and the only pitcher drafted in the first ten rounds, Tavera is a fastball (91-93, t95), slider and changeup pitcher who threw a no-hitter this spring for the University of Texas at Arlington. Used lightly in his pro debut, Tavera should get an opportunity to start next spring in Delmarva or possibly even in Aberdeen since he will be 23 years old.

40. Robert Neustrom – (OF, 24, AA/AAA) – The Orioles challenged him by starting him off in AA and he responded by slashing .284/.364/.467/.831 in 261 PAs before getting promoted to AAA. After starting off well, slashed just .198/.276/.378/.655 over his last 31 games and 124 PAs. Doesn’t hit lefties particularly well and although he has plus raw power, he doesn’t have great game power. Defensively is below average overall though he should kill you in the corners. Can make some bad errors and doesn’t get great jumps, but he typically catches everything he can get to. DJ Stewart is a pretty good comp for him.

41. Cody Sedlock (RHP, 26, AA/AAA) – The former #1 pick, Sedlock has remade himself into a fastball-changeup pitch with one of the best changeups in the system. The Orioles for some reason kept running him out as a starter despite his breaking balls both being well below average and his velocity that starts off in the 94-96 range, but trails off to the 91-92 range by the 4th or 5th inning. He still struggles with consistency of command but could end up a multi-inning reliever at the big league level.

42. Darrell Hernaiz (SS/INF,19 , A-) – One of the youngest players on the team for most of the season, Hernaniz held his own against more mature players but didn’t show more than average tools at best which limits his upside. He slashed .277/.333/.358/.690 in 410 PAs and made 16 errors in 61 gams at SS, but his lack of power combined with a less than spectacular 28 to 70 BB to K ratio didn’t turn a lot of heads. He did slash .354/.386/.430/.816 over his last 83 PAs covering 18 games but only walked three times and hit just one home run. He’s still young though and worth watching.

43. Nick Vespi (LHP, 25, AA/AAA) – The Orioles sent him to AA after not pitching about Low A in a sink of swim situation and he ended up swimming in AA before sinking a bit in AAA. Works mostly off his two breaking balls that can miss bat with a 81-83 MPH slider and a hard deep diving 77-79 MPH curveball. His fastball is only 89-91 and can hit hard if he makes mistakes with the pitch. Does a good job of burying both breaking balls to the back foot of righties but it remains to be seen whether his stuff will work at the major league level.

44. Cadyn Grenier (SS/2B, 24, AA/AAA) – The former first round pick continues to be the best and most consistent defensive shortstop in the system and even played some time at second base where he showed to be a plus defender there as well. The problem is once again, he struggles to hit offspeed pitches and after a decent start in AA, slashed just .194/.322/.315/.637 in his last 268 AA games as he saw a steady diet of offspeed. If a team is looking for steady defense up the middle and can live with no offense, Grenier could have a career as a utility infielder.

45. Jamai Jones (2B/OF,23, AAA/MAJ) – A disappointing year overall for Jones even though he made his major league debut in late August. Struggled to hit major league fastballs putting up just a .199 XWOBA against them and then whiffing at a high rate against anything offspeed. Did put up a .340 wOBA and 106 wRC+ in AAA so maybe it not all lost. The problem is, he has no real position of value since he’s stiff at second base and error prone. He doesn’t turn the double play very well where his below average arm becomes a deterrence. The Orioles did play him in LF for 11 games in AAA to give him some versatility, but a 2B/LF with a below average hit tool is a hard sell. He’s a hard worker so maybe there’s more in there, but its hard to project him as anything more than a utility guy and how may 2B/OF utility guys are there?

46. Patrick Dorrian (3B/1B, 25, AA/AAA) – Started off red hot but the league caught up to him a bit over the second half of the season. Showed good power (22HR, .229 ISO) and the ability to get on base (69 walks, .362 OBP) to post a .365 wOBA and 125 wRC+ at AA despite a low average. Unfortunately he slashed just .190/.333./.286./.619 against lefties and .204/.315/.381/.696 over his last 305 PAs in AA after a hot start. Defensively he has a good arm and improved as the season went on at 3B, but he’s not going to win any gold gloves over there.

47. Yusniel Diaz – (OF, 24, AAA (rehab other levels) – Pretty much a lost year saw Diaz miss more time with injury and never get it going offensively. Was absolutely dreadful in AAA slashing .157/.225/.251/.476 in 209 PAs. Just never had much of a plan at the plate and now you wonder if the tools have started to erode due to the injuries. Just looked like a guy going through the motions and may need a change of scenery.

48. Zach Watson – (OF, 24, A+/AA) – Pretty much the 2021 equivalent of Pedro Cerano. Can turn a round a fastball and pull it out of the park, but struggles mightily on the breaking pitches and offspeed. Defensively he’s solid in CF and would be good enough to play there in a 4th outfielder role. He can run a little but doesn’t have blazing speed and steals more on intelligence. An aggressive hitter that a pitcher has to work to walk, his 22 BB to 122 K ratio suggests he’s a got a lot of work to do on his swing decisions. Did hit lefties a little better than righties so could possibly end up a platoon 4th outfielder if he can improve hitting offspeed pitches.

49. Andrew Daschbach (1B/OF, 23, A+/AA) – Right-handed power bat who needs to find a way to tap into his plus raw power during games. They tried to add to his versatility by putting him out in the outfield but he similar to Trey Mancini out there.
 

50. Luis Ortiz – (LHP, 18, Rk) – Tall lanky left-hander who has been up to the mid-90s at times, did not have the debut season he was looking for in the states. There’s talent in here though.

51. Maverick Handley – (C, 23, A+) – Best defensive catcher in the system has struggled to hit his weight as a professional though he’s played in pitcher friendly Aberdeen his whole career. He did hit better away from Aberdeen so there’s hope he’ll hit better at the higher levels.

52. Blaine Knight – (RHP, 25, A+/AA/AAA) – Even a box of chocolates goes, “you never know what you’re going to get” when Knight takes the mound. Can come to the mound with a mid-90s fastball and an assortment of offspeed pitches, but he struggled to miss bats in AAA and his command was awful. Perhaps a move to the pen is in order.

53. Logan Gillaspie – (RHP, 24, A+/AA) – Fastball can reach the mi-90s and he can show a swing and miss slider at times, but his command is in consistent. The Orioles liked him enough to add him to the 40-man this off season, but he’ll need to improve his consistency to find sustained success at the big league level.

54. Isaac Mattson – (RHP, 25, AAA) – A tough year for the 25-year old right-handed reliever though he did manage to make his major league debut when the Orioles were desperate for relief help. Nothing is really plus though he has success at times with his slider. Middle reliever at best.

55. Luis González – (OF, 18, Rk) – A few reports came out of 2020 of his potential and he showed up on some top 30 prospect lists. Got his chance to perform in the FCL and completely messed the bed slashing .176/.268/.275/.543 with 57 strikeouts in 149 PAs. There may be some raw talent in there, but he proved he has a ways to go to leverage those tools.

56. Jake Lyons - (RHP, 22, A/A+) – One NL scout said, “He has to be in your top 30, right?”. Without a consistent plus off-speed pitch and a 92-94 MPH fastball, this big hulking right-hander will need to prove it at high levels to get on the prospects scene.

57. Moisés Ramírez – (3B, 19, Rk) – Put up some nice numbers in the FCL slashing .314/.341/.537/.878 in 126 Pas, but his 4 walks to 26 strikeout ratio suggests he could struggle at higher levels. Was an error machine at 3B making 8 errors for a .837 FLD %.

58. Joey Krehbal – (RHP, 28, AAA) – Claimed off waivers from the Rays, Krehbal’s raw stuff suggests he could find a role as a middle reliever in the major leagues if given an extended chance.

59. Tyler Nevin – (1B/3B/OF, 24, AAA) – Improved a bit at 3B defensively but the he doesn’t provide enough game power or on base ability to make up for his below average defensive game at the hot corner. He’s adequate at 1B, and even played a little in the outfield, but just doesn’t bring a ton of value to the field.

60. Greg Cullen – (2B/3B, 24 A+/AA) – Struggled with injuries in his first season with the Orioles organization getting just 140 Pas, but he does draw a bunch of walks and gets on base. He has very little power and defensively he’s only adequate at best at 2B and 3B.

61. Jacob Teter – (1B, 22, Rk/A) – a 13^th rounder in the 2021 draft, the 6-foot-6 left-handed hitter 1^st baseman slashed .316/.420/.516/.935 in 112 Pas at Delmarva but hit just three home runs. He’ll play 23 years old next year so he’ll need to move fast and tap into his raw power more during games to get on the prospect scene.

62.  Ignacio Feliz – (RHP, 21, A/A+) – The 21-year old dominated Delmarva but his lack of command hurt him in Aberdeen where A+ hitters feasted on him. Has a decent fastball-slider mix with a playable change at times, but needs to command the ball.

63. Griffin McLarty - (RHP. 22, A/A+) – A four pitch righty without a plus offering, really has to pitch well to get batters out. Pitched ok in his six starts at Aberdeen but will have to prove it at every level to get a shot.

64. Noah Denoyer – (RHP, 23, A/A+) – The 6-foot-5 righty’s stuff plays up a bit in relief and that may be his ultimate role. Worth keeping an eye on in 2022.

65. Adam Stauffer – (RHP, 22, A/A+) – This 6-foot-7 right-handed who has been in the Orioles system since 2017, finally started to get a little bit of velocity at the end of the season when he was hitting 92 and 93 on occasion. His slow 70’s curveball is his out pitch.

66. Trendon Craig (OF, 20, Rk) – The 20^th pick of the 2021 draft, he was a bit of an overslot coming out of small school. With the outfielder glut at Delmarva he had to play his debut in the FCL despite by 20 years old and he slashed .317/.406/.450/.856 in 78 PAs.

67. Isaac Bellony (1B/Of, 19, Rk) – Not a lot of players play 1B and center field, but this 6-1 switch hitter from St. Thomas did just that. Also played some left field. Slashed  .291/.396/.477/.873 in 101 PAs as a left-handed hitter but struggled in limited PAs as a right-handed hitter.

68. Isaac De León (SS/INF, 19, Rk) – This 6-2 right-handed hitting SS gets some mentions for his athleticism, but some believe he won’t stick at SS and may need to move to 3B or potentially 2B. Hit ok, but nothing flashy in his FCL debut.

69. Johnny Rizer – (OF,24, A+/AA) – Gutty left-handed swinging outfielder who just plays the game hard and gets the most out of his abilities. May have worn down at the end of last season singling his AA numbers. Had a stretch in AA where he slashed .295/.325/.527/.852 over 117 PAs with seven home runs. Good defensive outfielder who can play all three outfield spots giving him a chance as a 4^th outfielder one day.

70. Garrett Stallings – (RHP, 23, A+/AA) – A four pitch right-hander who can give some innings but doesn’t have an outpitch that he can go to consistently. Made it to AA in his debut professional season but dd not pitch well there.

71. TT Bowens (1B, 23, A/A+) – If looks the part counted, Bowens would be one the top prospects. Instead, this undrafted first baseman showed some pop at times, but doesn’t hit for average or get on base enough.

72. Rylan Bannon – (3B/2B, 25, AAA) – Somehow he kept his 40-man roster spot despite hitting .168 in 363 PAs this year mostly in AAA though he had a rehab stint at Aberdeen. Sells out everything for power and struggles with good velocity. Defensively he’s better at 3B but his bat profiles better at 2B.

73. Stiven Acevedo – (OF, 18, Rk) – This 6-4, 19 year old outfielder was a disappointment in his FCL debut slashing just .254/.319/.346/.666 in 144 PAs. Supposedly has some tools to work from and frame that makes scouts think there’s more in there, but he did not show much in 2021.

74. Adam Hall – (2B/CF/SS, 22, A+) – Former 2^nd round pick has largely been a bust as he’s had to move off of SS for the most part, and strikeouts way too much for a player with very limited power. Played mostly 2B but was also tried in center field where his plus speed helps him play out there despite the lack of experience. His speed and versatility gives him a utility ceiling still.

75. Lamar Sparks – (OF, 22, A/A+) – The talented right-handed outfielder finally was able to put a whole season on the field and made his way to Aberdeen (A+). Hit well against lefties and has a very strong arm in the field, but showed little power and was only ok at getting on base.

 

[wildcard]

Thanks Tony. Eight guys that are on the 40 man. At least for now.   And the reasons why they are not higher.   Shows the talent and the faults.

[RZNJ]

Thanks for the work. Jake Lyons punched out about 100 batters in 79 innings.  That suggests there is something besides a 92-94 mph fastball.  I know you mentioned no offspeed pitch. Has he got a good slider?   The one position player that comes to mind is Junior Lara, a small little 17 yo LH hitter who had a pretty good DSL season.  Next is Carlos Delrosario who reportedly has a big arm and huge control issues.  Maybe another Bautista?  Upside.  Luis Sanchez? Good arm disappointing in FCL. Not bad in DSL.  

[CharmCityHokie]

This was a great read, thanks so much (and double-thanks for including all the BBRef links, that must have been a pain!). 

Kevin Smith: His AAA performance seemed so weird, do you think the control issues were some kind of yips-related thing or the different ball, or both? The new ball didn't move like he wanted it to and it got into his head? OR he just doesn't have the stuff. It just seemed strange how he hit the wall so hard. 

An unlisted guy (I think...forgive me if I missed him): Shelton Perkins: he just really seems to enjoy playing the game every time I see highlights of him and I know a guy who was a reliever through college isn't going to ping on prospect lists but I'm rooting for him and would like to hear your thoughts.

Also somewhat related to the first question, anyone have any idea how much policing is being done on the sticky-stuff on balls in the minors? Is it more in AAA with the MLB-ball, or across the board? Seemed like a lot of our guys fell off the table in AAA, who had been good before (either in lower levels or repeating AAA).

Thanks again, this really made a chilly Friday night with no baseball news a much better evening!

[justD]

3 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Since there's not a lot going on, I thought I'd take the "More prospects to know" and rank them and then go all the way out to 75. 

Now remember, I spent about 20 minutes doing the order so don't get too caught up in why one guy is 51 and an other 73. This is more about giving you guys something to read and think about for 2022.

I hope you enjoy. Are you surprised someone did not make the list?

31. Zack Peek – (RHP, 23, A-/A+)  – 23-year old righthander that works off his 3000 RPM curveball that he can vary the speed of from 71-77 MPH. His fastball sits around 92 MPH and he was working on a change that flashed average at times and gives him a solid third offering. The fastball though gets barreled up pretty good and he gets a lot of swings and misses out of the zone. He reminds me of Dean Kremer with a little better changeup and little less velocity. He’ll need to prove it at each level to get a shot.

32. Kyle Brnovich (RHP, 23, A+/AA) – When you look at the numbers, Brnovich should be in the top 30 and maybe he will prove he will be one day, but when you look at the stuff you wonder how he’s getting guys out. He’s a pitchability guy who uses a funky delivery to add to the deception of his mediocre stuff but who can throw all three pitches for strikes. His fastball sits FB 90-92 with some arm side run. It’s a pitch has to command to have success because it’s a pretty hittable pitch in the zone. His slider (82-83) doesn’t have a ton of break typically but he will occasionally throw a good one for whiff. His change has some drop and fade and gives his something to use against lefties. He should get the opportunity to see if he can get AAA out next year and that should be a good test. This is the one pitcher I cant really figure out why he’s having so much success, but hitters will ultimately tell you. May have enough mix to end up a 5th starter or swingman.

33. Anderson De Los Santos (3B/SS, 17 DSL) – Part of the record Orioles J2 signing class in 2021, Del Los Santos was signed for $350K but out performed more heralded Maikol Hernandez at the plate in their first year in the Dominican Summer League. Signed as a shortstop, De Los Santos is built like Adrian Beltre (5-11, 185) and while he has some tools, he’s probably better suited for third base or perhaps second base one day. The 17-year old slashed an impressive .324/.409/.495/.905 with a 1 5-19 BB-K ratio in 127 PAs while collecting 11 extra base hits including three home runs. He was an error machine in his first try at 3B, but he’s expected to improve with experience. He’ll start next year in the Florida Complex Leagues and as one scout said, “He’s right up there with (Hernandez and Basallo) as a prospect).

34. JD Mundy (1B, 23, A-/A+) – Undrafted 2020 free agent really had a nice season when he was able to stay in the field. Short squatty 1st baseman that has a short to the ball stroke, but can generate decent power. Looks like he has plan at the plate and does not panic when behind in the count. Defensively he’s steady and can make the throw to second, but needs to work on scooping and his range is not great. He’s a very slow runner so he’s anchored to 1st base or DH. Struggled to stay on the field with Aberdeen where he missed time on two different occasion before being shut down for the season with a fractured thumb on August 15th. Slashed .278/.361/.521/.881 in 219 PAs in High-A but his K rate jumped to 26.9% and he hit too many ground balls but he did keep his ISO high at .242 in a tough hitters park. He almost made the back end of the top 30, but his prospect status will be either be much higher of lower after next year in AA.

35. Alex Wells (LHP, 25, AAA/MAJ) – Made his major league debut with the Orioles making 8 starts in 11 appearances, but major league hitters weren’t fooled too often by his stuff as he put up just a 16.4% WHIF rate and batters slashed .299/.365/.520/.885. His fastball sat between 86-90 MPH (avg 88.5) but had slightly above average movement. He had the most success with his slider despite it’s well below average movement and both his curve and change did not work well against major league pitching, with change’s biggest problem being its only around 5 MPH difference from his fastball. After a slow start, Wells pitched well at AAA and when he can command the baseball, he could end up helping a team as a 5th starter swingman type.

36. Ofelky Peralta (RHP, 24, AA/AAA) – Been in the system so long the Orioles had to resign him a six-year minor league free agent as soon as the season was over. Peralta is a guy who has been used as a starter mainly in order to give him as much experience as possible. With a fastball that sits 95-97 and can touch 98-99 MPH, he’s always had a great arm but he’s never had a consistent offspeed pitch and of course his control was never very good. Peralta’s control is still not great, but he’s able to throw not only has fastball, but also a curveball and decent changeup for strikes as well. He’s never going to have great command, but he’s never been easy to hit either. It’s about time to convert him to the bullpen and see if he stuff plays up in an inning or two stints.

37. Kevin Smith (LHP, 24, AA/AAA)  – Acquired for Miguel Castro, Smith struggled to command once he got to AAA and basically lost the ability throw the changeup. Basically turned into a fastball (91-93), slider (81-84) guy. By the end of the year, lost his control completely. Can get some swings and misses on the slider and the fastball up but he has little room for error. His comp might be Paul Fry and that would be a disappointing return for Castro.

38. Cameron Bishop (LHP, 25, AA (others in rehab) – Consistency of command is what limits Bishop’s future because when he’s on, he’s a four-pitch lefty who can miss bats. His slider is his best offspeed pitch and probably his bread and butter if he ends up in a relief role, where he could end up a decent two inning middle reliever. The change can have good movement at times, but he doesn’t have a great feel and curveball is a get me over offering. Bishop missed time last season as well and it might be time for the Orioles to give him a look next on AAA as a reliever and see if he can find more consistency by focusing on the fastball, slider combination with and occasional change to a righty.

39. Carlos Tavera (RHP, 22, A-) – The Orioles 5th round pick in the 2021 draft and the only pitcher drafted in the first ten rounds, Tavera is a fastball (91-93, t95), slider and changeup pitcher who threw a no-hitter this spring for the University of Texas at Arlington. Used lightly in his pro debut, Tavera should get an opportunity to start next spring in Delmarva or possibly even in Aberdeen since he will be 23 years old.

40. Robert Neustrom – (OF, 24, AA/AAA) – The Orioles challenged him by starting him off in AA and he responded by slashing .284/.364/.467/.831 in 261 PAs before getting promoted to AAA. After starting off well, slashed just .198/.276/.378/.655 over his last 31 games and 124 PAs. Doesn’t hit lefties particularly well and although he has plus raw power, he doesn’t have great game power. Defensively is below average overall though he should kill you in the corners. Can make some bad errors and doesn’t get great jumps, but he typically catches everything he can get to. DJ Stewart is a pretty good comp for him.

41. Cody Sedlock (RHP, 26, AA/AAA) – The former #1 pick, Sedlock has remade himself into a fastball-changeup pitch with one of the best changeups in the system. The Orioles for some reason kept running him out as a starter despite his breaking balls both being well below average and his velocity that starts off in the 94-96 range, but trails off to the 91-92 range by the 4th or 5th inning. He still struggles with consistency of command but could end up a multi-inning reliever at the big league level.

42. Darrell Hernaiz (SS/INF,19 , A-) – One of the youngest players on the team for most of the season, Hernaniz held his own against more mature players but didn’t show more than average tools at best which limits his upside. He slashed .277/.333/.358/.690 in 410 PAs and made 16 errors in 61 gams at SS, but his lack of power combined with a less than spectacular 28 to 70 BB to K ratio didn’t turn a lot of heads. He did slash .354/.386/.430/.816 over his last 83 PAs covering 18 games but only walked three times and hit just one home run. He’s still young though and worth watching.

43. Nick Vespi (LHP, 25, AA/AAA) – The Orioles sent him to AA after not pitching about Low A in a sink of swim situation and he ended up swimming in AA before sinking a bit in AAA. Works mostly off his two breaking balls that can miss bat with a 81-83 MPH slider and a hard deep diving 77-79 MPH curveball. His fastball is only 89-91 and can hit hard if he makes mistakes with the pitch. Does a good job of burying both breaking balls to the back foot of righties but it remains to be seen whether his stuff will work at the major league level.

44. Cadyn Grenier (SS/2B, 24, AA/AAA) – The former first round pick continues to be the best and most consistent defensive shortstop in the system and even played some time at second base where he showed to be a plus defender there as well. The problem is once again, he struggles to hit offspeed pitches and after a decent start in AA, slashed just .194/.322/.315/.637 in his last 268 AA games as he saw a steady diet of offspeed. If a team is looking for steady defense up the middle and can live with no offense, Grenier could have a career as a utility infielder.

45. Jamai Jones (2B/OF,23, AAA/MAJ) – A disappointing year overall for Jones even though he made his major league debut in late August. Struggled to hit major league fastballs putting up just a .199 XWOBA against them and then whiffing at a high rate against anything offspeed. Did put up a .340 wOBA and 106 wRC+ in AAA so maybe it not all lost. The problem is, he has no real position of value since he’s stiff at second base and error prone. He doesn’t turn the double play very well where his below average arm becomes a deterrence. The Orioles did play him in LF for 11 games in AAA to give him some versatility, but a 2B/LF with a below average hit tool is a hard sell. He’s a hard worker so maybe there’s more in there, but its hard to project him as anything more than a utility guy and how may 2B/OF utility guys are there?

46. Patrick Dorrian (3B/1B, 25, AA/AAA) – Started off red hot but the league caught up to him a bit over the second half of the season. Showed good power (22HR, .229 ISO) and the ability to get on base (69 walks, .362 OBP) to post a .365 wOBA and 125 wRC+ at AA despite a low average. Unfortunately he slashed just .190/.333./.286./.619 against lefties and .204/.315/.381/.696 over his last 305 PAs in AA after a hot start. Defensively he has a good arm and improved as the season went on at 3B, but he’s not going to win any gold gloves over there.

47. Yusniel Diaz – (OF, 24, AAA (rehab other levels) – Pretty much a lost year saw Diaz miss more time with injury and never get it going offensively. Was absolutely dreadful in AAA slashing .157/.225/.251/.476 in 209 PAs. Just never had much of a plan at the plate and now you wonder if the tools have started to erode due to the injuries. Just looked like a guy going through the motions and may need a change of scenery.

48. Zach Watson – (OF, 24, A+/AA) – Pretty much the 2021 equivalent of Pedro Cerano. Can turn a round a fastball and pull it out of the park, but struggles mightily on the breaking pitches and offspeed. Defensively he’s solid in CF and would be good enough to play there in a 4th outfielder role. He can run a little but doesn’t have blazing speed and steals more on intelligence. An aggressive hitter that a pitcher has to work to walk, his 22 BB to 122 K ratio suggests he’s a got a lot of work to do on his swing decisions. Did hit lefties a little better than righties so could possibly end up a platoon 4th outfielder if he can improve hitting offspeed pitches.

49. Andrew Daschbach (1B/OF, 23, A+/AA) – Right-handed power bat who needs to find a way to tap into his plus raw power during games. They tried to add to his versatility by putting him out in the outfield but he similar to Trey Mancini out there.
 

50. Luis Ortiz – (LHP, 18, Rk) – Tall lanky left-hander who has been up to the mid-90s at times, did not have the debut season he was looking for in the states. There’s talent in here though.

51. Maverick Handley – (C, 23, A+) – Best defensive catcher in the system has struggled to hit his weight as a professional though he’s played in pitcher friendly Aberdeen his whole career. He did hit better away from Aberdeen so there’s hope he’ll hit better at the higher levels.

52. Blaine Knight – (RHP, 25, A+/AA/AAA) – Even a box of chocolates goes, “you never know what you’re going to get” when Knight takes the mound. Can come to the mound with a mid-90s fastball and an assortment of offspeed pitches, but he struggled to miss bats in AAA and his command was awful. Perhaps a move to the pen is in order.

53. Logan Gillaspie – (RHP, 24, A+/AA) – Fastball can reach the mi-90s and he can show a swing and miss slider at times, but his command is in consistent. The Orioles liked him enough to add him to the 40-man this off season, but he’ll need to improve his consistency to find sustained success at the big league level.

54. Isaac Mattson – (RHP, 25, AAA) – A tough year for the 25-year old right-handed reliever though he did manage to make his major league debut when the Orioles were desperate for relief help. Nothing is really plus though he has success at times with his slider. Middle reliever at best.

55. Luis González – (OF, 18, Rk) – A few reports came out of 2020 of his potential and he showed up on some top 30 prospect lists. Got his chance to perform in the FCL and completely messed the bed slashing .176/.268/.275/.543 with 57 strikeouts in 149 PAs. There may be some raw talent in there, but he proved he has a ways to go to leverage those tools.

56. Jake Lyons - (RHP, 22, A/A+) – One NL scout said, “He has to be in your top 30, right?”. Without a consistent plus off-speed pitch and a 92-94 MPH fastball, this big hulking right-hander will need to prove it at high levels to get on the prospects scene.

57. Moisés Ramírez – (3B, 19, Rk) – Put up some nice numbers in the FCL slashing .314/.341/.537/.878 in 126 Pas, but his 4 walks to 26 strikeout ratio suggests he could struggle at higher levels. Was an error machine at 3B making 8 errors for a .837 FLD %.

58. Joey Krehbal – (RHP, 28, AAA) – Claimed off waivers from the Rays, Krehbal’s raw stuff suggests he could find a role as a middle reliever in the major leagues if given an extended chance.

59. Tyler Nevin – (1B/3B/OF, 24, AAA) – Improved a bit at 3B defensively but the he doesn’t provide enough game power or on base ability to make up for his below average defensive game at the hot corner. He’s adequate at 1B, and even played a little in the outfield, but just doesn’t bring a ton of value to the field.

60. Greg Cullen – (2B/3B, 24 A+/AA) – Struggled with injuries in his first season with the Orioles organization getting just 140 Pas, but he does draw a bunch of walks and gets on base. He has very little power and defensively he’s only adequate at best at 2B and 3B.

61. Jacob Teter – (1B, 22, Rk/A) – a 13^th rounder in the 2021 draft, the 6-foot-6 left-handed hitter 1^st baseman slashed .316/.420/.516/.935 in 112 Pas at Delmarva but hit just three home runs. He’ll play 23 years old next year so he’ll need to move fast and tap into his raw power more during games to get on the prospect scene.

62.  Ignacio Feliz – (RHP, 21, A/A+) – The 21-year old dominated Delmarva but his lack of command hurt him in Aberdeen where A+ hitters feasted on him. Has a decent fastball-slider mix with a playable change at times, but needs to command the ball.

63. Griffin McLarty - (RHP. 22, A/A+) – A four pitch righty without a plus offering, really has to pitch well to get batters out. Pitched ok in his six starts at Aberdeen but will have to prove it at every level to get a shot.

64. Noah Denoyer – (RHP, 23, A/A+) – The 6-foot-5 righty’s stuff plays up a bit in relief and that may be his ultimate role. Worth keeping an eye on in 2022.

65. Adam Stauffer – (RHP, 22, A/A+) – This 6-foot-7 right-handed who has been in the Orioles system since 2017, finally started to get a little bit of velocity at the end of the season when he was hitting 92 and 93 on occasion. His slow 70’s curveball is his out pitch.

66. Trendon Craig (OF, 20, Rk) – The 20^th pick of the 2021 draft, he was a bit of an overslot coming out of small school. With the outfielder glut at Delmarva he had to play his debut in the FCL despite by 20 years old and he slashed .317/.406/.450/.856 in 78 PAs.

67. Isaac Bellony (1B/Of, 19, Rk) – Not a lot of players play 1B and center field, but this 6-1 switch hitter from St. Thomas did just that. Also played some left field. Slashed  .291/.396/.477/.873 in 101 PAs as a left-handed hitter but struggled in limited PAs as a right-handed hitter.

68. Isaac De León (SS/INF, 19, Rk) – This 6-2 right-handed hitting SS gets some mentions for his athleticism, but some believe he won’t stick at SS and may need to move to 3B or potentially 2B. Hit ok, but nothing flashy in his FCL debut.

69. Johnny Rizer – (OF,24, A+/AA) – Gutty left-handed swinging outfielder who just plays the game hard and gets the most out of his abilities. May have worn down at the end of last season singling his AA numbers. Had a stretch in AA where he slashed .295/.325/.527/.852 over 117 PAs with seven home runs. Good defensive outfielder who can play all three outfield spots giving him a chance as a 4^th outfielder one day.

70. Garrett Stallings – (RHP, 23, A+/AA) – A four pitch right-hander who can give some innings but doesn’t have an outpitch that he can go to consistently. Made it to AA in his debut professional season but dd not pitch well there.

71. TT Bowens (1B, 23, A/A+) – If looks the part counted, Bowens would be one the top prospects. Instead, this undrafted first baseman showed some pop at times, but doesn’t hit for average or get on base enough.

72. Rylan Bannon – (3B/2B, 25, AAA) – Somehow he kept his 40-man roster spot despite hitting .168 in 363 PAs this year mostly in AAA though he had a rehab stint at Aberdeen. Sells out everything for power and struggles with good velocity. Defensively he’s better at 3B but his bat profiles better at 2B.

73. Stiven Acevedo – (OF, 18, Rk) – This 6-4, 19 year old outfielder was a disappointment in his FCL debut slashing just .254/.319/.346/.666 in 144 PAs. Supposedly has some tools to work from and frame that makes scouts think there’s more in there, but he did not show much in 2021.

74. Adam Hall – (2B/CF/SS, 22, A+) – Former 2^nd round pick has largely been a bust as he’s had to move off of SS for the most part, and strikeouts way too much for a player with very limited power. Played mostly 2B but was also tried in center field where his plus speed helps him play out there despite the lack of experience. His speed and versatility gives him a utility ceiling still.

75. Lamar Sparks – (OF, 22, A/A+) – The talented right-handed outfielder finally was able to put a whole season on the field and made his way to Aberdeen (A+). Hit well against lefties and has a very strong arm in the field, but showed little power and was only ok at getting on base.

 

Wow, that's a lot of work.  This will definitely be bookmarked!

[Pickles]

This was quite the undertaking.  Will be interesting to follow this.

[Tony-OH]

15 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Thanks for the work. Jake Lyons punched out about 100 batters in 79 innings.  That suggests there is something besides a 92-94 mph fastball.  I know you mentioned no offspeed pitch. Has he got a good slider?   The one position player that comes to mind is Junior Lara, a small little 17 yo LH hitter who had a pretty good DSL season.  Next is Carlos Delrosario who reportedly has a big arm and huge control issues.  Maybe another Bautista?  Upside.  Luis Sanchez? Good arm disappointing in FCL. Not bad in DSL.  

Here's my notes on one of Lyons starts late in the year at Aberdeen. 

"Short armer
Works real fast
FB 91-94
Gets swings and misses on fastball up in zone.
Slider, downward bite like curve
Change has drop..looks like a split change. Actually has a hump like a curveball."

There's some middle reliever ceiling here.

Lara was a guy I asked about when discussing DSL guys. As a small guy with no great tool, it's an uphill battle for him but like you said, decent numbers so somebody to keep an eye on next year in the FCL.

Delrosario has no control and pitched at 22 years old last year with only 4.1 innings above the FCL. Good arm or not, that's a lot to overcome. Sure, there's always a chance he could end up the next Bautista but Bautista never really had that bad of control.

Sanchez is a smallish right-hander with a good arm but a long way to go with control.

 

 

[Tony-OH]

14 hours ago, CharmCityHokie said:

This was a great read, thanks so much (and double-thanks for including all the BBRef links, that must have been a pain!). 

Kevin Smith: His AAA performance seemed so weird, do you think the control issues were some kind of yips-related thing or the different ball, or both? The new ball didn't move like he wanted it to and it got into his head? OR he just doesn't have the stuff. It just seemed strange how he hit the wall so hard. 

An unlisted guy (I think...forgive me if I missed him): Shelton Perkins: he just really seems to enjoy playing the game every time I see highlights of him and I know a guy who was a reliever through college isn't going to ping on prospect lists but I'm rooting for him and would like to hear your thoughts.

Also somewhat related to the first question, anyone have any idea how much policing is being done on the sticky-stuff on balls in the minors? Is it more in AAA with the MLB-ball, or across the board? Seemed like a lot of our guys fell off the table in AAA, who had been good before (either in lower levels or repeating AAA).

Thanks again, this really made a chilly Friday night with no baseball news a much better evening!

I'll be honest, I never was thrilled with Smith's stuff even before his struggles at AAA. He pitched off his slider mostly in AA and it was a pretty good pitch at times, but in AAA, he just struggled to find the feel of the pitch consistently. 

Was it the ball, perhaps, I just don't know. One of the most concerning parts was his loss of control by the end of the year. 

When the fastball slider combo is on I think has a chance as a Paul Fry like reliever. 

Perkins just doesn't have good enough stuff. I haven't seen him a ton and he missed some time last year with injuries, but when I have seen him I didn't think enough of him to keep following cloesly.

As for policing of the ball, yes, they did the same thing as in the majors. When the pitchers left the mound they were met and checked by umpires.

[Sports Guy]

At least one person on this list will make a huge leap this season..at least into the top 20 and maybe top 15.

Will be interesting to see which player(s) are able to do it.

[Tony-OH]

12 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

At least one person on this list will make a huge leap this season..at least into the top 20 and maybe top 15.

Will be interesting to see which player(s) are able to do it.

True, might be an interesting thing to think about.

Sounds like another thread to keep things to discuss! 

 

[Hazmat]

18 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

At least one person on this list will make a huge leap this season..at least into the top 20 and maybe top 15.

Will be interesting to see which player(s) are able to do it.

I hope one (or more) of our Latin American signees or Trendon Craig makes that jump.

[sportsfan8703]

@Tony-OHthanks for your hard work to put this together and I think it’s a great idea to have something to think about during the lockout. I said when Elias took over that the good organizations had a legit top 75 to put together. I think we’re there, and that’s not including the two guys that our in the top 50 for new DSL signings that will soon be announced. 
 

The biggest surprise to me was Maverick Handley. I know he was drafted when we took the group of Stanford players in Stowers, Dashbach, and Handley. I didn’t know Handley was so well regarded defensively. It seems like his hitting is slowly coming along. We’ll have to see what he does getting out of Aberdeen this year. Bowie is much more hitter friendly. 
 

I think the candidates to jump are any of the DSL guys, then a guy like Peralta can make a “Felix Bautista” type jump if he is strictly a reliever. Another candidate would be Lamar Sparks. Raw talent, that has missed time with Covid season and with his own injuries. It seems like he finally started to put something together last year. 
 

TT Bowens is a big dude with some big time power. I didn’t realize he hit 16 HR last year after not playing in Delmarva until a slew of promotions. He could have a Mundy like rise in his first full season in pro ball. 
 

It’s nice to have a guy like Adam Hall at #74. The speed tool is nice. The ability to play CF and play in the dirt is a plus. The dude just needs to hit at this point. 
 

The biggest thing to make this org be able to have a respectable top 75 is all the DSL signings, and the little trades that Elias has made to acquire DSL type players. It’s really pushed our depth down the system. 
 

Overall, we have the top draft pool coming up in the draft. The DSL signing classes are getting incrementally better each year, and this year’s class should be announced soon. Even with graduating some players next year, we should be able to have a stronger 1-75 next year. That’s the goal. That’s the real deep depth. Idk what is going to happen with trades, but the draft pool combined with the new J2 class, could push us to have a legit top 100 next offseason. Or real darn close. 

[Tony-OH]

I'm glad everyone enjoyed the list. Honestly, I had fun digging into guys I've watched this year but weren't quite at the top-30 level. 

Here's a few more fun tidbits:

Players who were considered to but just fell a little short:
Junior Lara - Put up really good numbers in the DSL at 17-years old, but not a lot of punch or speed for an OF
Angel Tejada - Just not enough info him and didn't show power or speed despite the nice OPS.
Billy Cook - Hit three homers in one game last year in Delmarva and showed some nice pop, but is a bit stiff and his 41-9 K-BB ratio in 128 PAs is not good.
Frederick Bencosme - DSL guy who at 18 but up some nice numbers and hits left-handed. Was actually mentioned as a guy to watch but I want to see what he looks like in the states first."
Cody Roberts - Decent defensive catcher who they can stick anywhere in the system and he's hangs in there. Just never a priority play so more of an org guy.
Collin Burns - Handled the bat ok but was an error machines at SS in Delmarva. Has some utility possibilities though.
Mason McCoy - Just a hard nose guy who can play just about anywhere. If they needed a utility guy for a little bit, he would not be embarrassed by the major leagues.
Yasmil Bucce - The other 16 year old catcher in the system didn't show as well with the bat and will be back in the DSL next year at 17 where the hope is he'll continue to develop enough to bring over by 2023.
Jake Prizina - 24 year old lefty pitch decently but will have to prove it all the way up the chain.
Houston Roth - Gets outs with a loopy curveball that will be hard to work at higher levels but at times threw well.
Connor Gillispie - Underwhelming stuff but team pitched him as a starter all year in Aberdeen.
Ryan Watson - Another 23-year old who threw the ball well in relief but has org guy stuff overall.
Diógenes Almengo - Getting long in the tooth at 26, but has a fastball that can touch the high 90s at times. Limited control and almost no command.
Cesar Alvarez - 6-1 right-hander from Venezuela with low 90s fastball. Worth keeping an eye on in 2022.
Anthony Morillo -  6-2 RHP from Venezuela was 19 last year in the DSL but the numbers make him a guy to monitor coming into 2022.
Peter Van Loon - Didn't walk a guy in his debut after being drafted
Brenan Hanifee - Missed the entire year with TJ surgery and hasn't pitched since 2019 now.

[Ruzious]

Wow, that looks like a lot of excellent work.  Anderson De Los Santos sounds like the most intriguing of the prospects.  

[Tony-OH]

21 hours ago, Ruzious said:

Wow, that looks like a lot of excellent work.  Anderson De Los Santos sounds like the most intriguing of the prospects.  

De Los Santos got a lot of nice comments by Perez. I was noticing him out performing Hernandez while being three months younger last year although I take the DSL stats with a grain of salt. Hernandez has the better frame and arm, but De Los Santos has the more mature bat. 

It will be interesting to watch their progress next year in the FCL. I really wish the FCL was extended to a full season.