Kjerstad. Why not?

[rudyrooster]

Man, this dude can flat-out hit the baseball!  Before everyone starts "piling on" to call me crazy, may I refresh your memories that Felix Bautista made the jump from A+ ball to Opening Day roster in 2022.

Taken together, his MVP from the Arizona Fall League and his electric Spring Training says to me this dude is ready for "the show".  Triple slash of 400/429/850.

I realize it's not gonna happen, but after what he's been through wouldn't it be great?

 

 

[RZNJ]

Just now, rudyrooster said:

Man, this dude can flat-out hit the baseball!  Before everyone starts "piling on" to call me crazy, may I refresh your memories that Felix Bautista made the jump from A+ ball to Opening Day roster in 2022.

Taken together, his MVP from the Arizona Fall League and his electric Spring Training says to me this dude is ready for "the show".  Triple slash of 400/429/850.

I realize it's not gonna happen, but after what he's been through wouldn't it be great?

 

 

Felix Bautista had AA and a month of AAA experience the year before.  Try Albert Pujols.    If Kjerstad is for real, and it’s looking pretty good, let him tear up AA and AAA while we see what Stowers can do.  It is tempting though.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

10 minutes ago, rudyrooster said:

Man, this dude can flat-out hit the baseball!  Before everyone starts "piling on" to call me crazy, may I refresh your memories that Felix Bautista made the jump from A+ ball to Opening Day roster in 2022.

Taken together, his MVP from the Arizona Fall League and his electric Spring Training says to me this dude is ready for "the show".  Triple slash of 400/429/850.

I realize it's not gonna happen, but after what he's been through wouldn't it be great?

 

 

Regardless Kjerstad has been a great story given he was out for health reasons for an extended stretch. His hit tool is every bit as advertised. 

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Regardless Kjerstad has been a great story given he was out for health reasons for an extended stretch. His hit tool is every bit as advertised. 

Best story of the spring.   What a great development for the O's to see him looking so comfortable at the dish.   By the way, he's a lot faster than I expected, based on the games I saw live and the video highlights of his many extra base hits this spring.

[yark14]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Best story of the spring.   What a great development for the O's to see him looking so comfortable at the dish.   By the way, he's a lot faster than I expected, based on the games I saw live and the video highlights of his many extra base hits this spring.

He looks faster than he did in college.  Perhaps he got on a really good training program post-illness.  Still not a blazer, but adequate enough speed.

[Say O!]

How is he looking in the OF?  I know most have penciled as future DH, maybe 1B. Any reports from the spring?

[Frobby]

5 minutes ago, Say O! said:

How is he looking in the OF?  I know most have penciled as future DH, maybe 1B. Any reports from the spring?

I saw him make a nice running catch in one of the games I attended.  

[sevastras]

It would definitely be something fun but Stowers and Cowser are both ahead. No need to burn through good prospects because there may be a better one to rush. I would hope for a best case scenario of getting a cup of coffee like Henderson and hope to start the season next. Could be interesting mid season prospect lists. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

14 minutes ago, sevastras said:

It would definitely be something fun but Stowers and Cowser are both ahead. No need to burn through good prospects because there may be a better one to rush. I would hope for a best case scenario of getting a cup of coffee like Henderson and hope to start the season next. Could be interesting mid season prospect lists. 

Santander and Hays were both healthy last year and didn't miss extensive time. Given their injury history one or both is likely to make an IL stint at some point. Also if the Orioles are in the in the playoff race maybe we see Elias make a trade for a pitcher and that frees up a spot for Kjerstad.

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Santander and Hays were both healthy last year and didn't miss extensive time. Given their injury history one or both is likely to make an IL stint at some point. Also if the Orioles are in the in the playoff race maybe we see Elias make a trade for a pitcher and that frees up a spot for Kjerstad.

Remember, any time either of them were slumping last season it was due to nagging injuries.

Not sure why that is the case for those two and not say Mountcastle but I don't make the rules.

[yark14]

Kjerstad starting the season in AA is a waste of his time.  Ideally he starts in AAA, which gives Hays, Santander, and Stowers pressure to perform.  I love all 3 of them, but healthy competition is where we are at in this stage of the rebuild.

[Orioles Jim]

Reminds me a little of when Markakis hit the cover off the ball in Spring Training 2006 and forced his way onto the roster unexpectedly (I remember this place, myself included, being surprised that that inept regime would keep him up).

The situation of course isn’t completely analogous (Markakis had had 143 PA’s in AA Bowie in 2005) and lest we forget, Markakis cooled off considerably once the actual season started, but food for thought.

[CaptainRedbeard]

His stock is up tremendously right now. But remember he struggled some at high A last year - before the AFL and Spring Training, it would have been a bit of a jump to even start him at AA this year. Sometime between the end of last year and the AFL, things really started to come together for him.  Not only is the power fully back, but his biggest question as a prospect was how his hit tool would translate and that is looking quite good against the spring training competition. He’ll start at AA but with the expectation he’ll abuse some poor pitchers, perhaps for only a month or so before finding himself at AAA. 

I agree with what Frobby said about his speed - he definitely does not look like a plodder out there. He’s very powerfully built in his lower half now and not carrying any extra weight. Scouting reports are that his arm and instincts in the OF are pretty good, so he should be at least passable out there, and potentially an asset. 

[glenn__davis]

54 minutes ago, CaptainRedbeard said:

His stock is up tremendously right now. But remember he struggled some at high A last year - before the AFL and Spring Training, it would have been a bit of a jump to even start him at AA this year. Sometime between the end of last year and the AFL, things really started to come together for him.  Not only is the power fully back, but his biggest question as a prospect was how his hit tool would translate and that is looking quite good against the spring training competition. He’ll start at AA but with the expectation he’ll abuse some poor pitchers, perhaps for only a month or so before finding himself at AAA. 

I agree with what Frobby said about his speed - he definitely does not look like a plodder out there. He’s very powerfully built in his lower half now and not carrying any extra weight. Scouting reports are that his arm and instincts in the OF are pretty good, so he should be at least passable out there, and potentially an asset. 

I agree with most of this, with the added commentary that pretty much everyone struggled at High A last year for whatever reason.  Add in the fact that he likely had some fatigue as he was playing ball for the first time in about 2 years and that time there doesn't mean much to me.  I think he starts at AA and if he kills it there for a month he gets the bump.

[DirtyBird]

57 minutes ago, CaptainRedbeard said:

His stock is up tremendously right now. But remember he struggled some at high A last year - before the AFL and Spring Training, it would have been a bit of a jump to even start him at AA this year. Sometime between the end of last year and the AFL, things really started to come together for him.  Not only is the power fully back, but his biggest question as a prospect was how his hit tool would translate and that is looking quite good against the spring training competition. He’ll start at AA but with the expectation he’ll abuse some poor pitchers, perhaps for only a month or so before finding himself at AAA. 

I agree with what Frobby said about his speed - he definitely does not look like a plodder out there. He’s very powerfully built in his lower half now and not carrying any extra weight. Scouting reports are that his arm and instincts in the OF are pretty good, so he should be at least passable out there, and potentially an asset. 

It would not have been a jump to start him at AA this year. It was fairly obvious that is where he was going to start.