Orioles 2023 51-75 Prospects

[Tony-OH]

Please remember, the order here is not important at this stage. Some effort was put into the order but these are more for informational purposes for players to track next season.

51. Edwin Amparo – SS/2B (FCL): Never quite got it going in his first go around through the FCL as nagging injuries took their tool. He may have to repeat the FCL as a 19-year old next year if he doesn't come into next spring and beat out some tough competition for Delmarva. A switch-hitter who has the arm to stay at SS, Amparo still has some upside but needs to get stronger and stay healthy next year or risks getting passed by other competition. He did walk more than he struck out which is a good sign.

52. Adriander Mejia – C (DSL): The youngest player in the Orioles system this year, the 16-year old catcher made a nice debut on both at the plate and behind the dish. The right-handed hitter held his own against the older competition putting up a .277/.362/.355/.716 slash line in 178 PAs. He squares the ball up well and the belief is when he gets stronger the bat will really play. Some scouts really liked him down there and had him pegged as one of the best prospects on the Orioles DSL team. A hard worker, defensively he threw out 45% of the runners attempting to steal and four passed balls in 30 games.

53. Moises Chace – RHP (A): The 6-1 right-hander started to put things together a bit late in the summer before getting shut down for an injury. The 20-year old’s fastball sits 92-93 and touches 94-95. His best pitch is a solid average change up that works really well against lefties who slashed just 1.82/.310/.347/.657 off him. Throws a slider and curveball though both pitches are very inconsistent and have to improve. Command overall is still a big problem as his fastball tends to run up and away too often.

54. Ryan Long – RHP (A+/AA): Big 6-foot-6 right-hander who made his way to AA after being a 17th rounder in the 2021 draft. His fastball sits 92-94, t96 with a solid change and a well below average slider. Dominates lefties with his changeup but with a below average breaking ball, right-handers give him fits. Maybe he gets a bump in stuff if he goes to the bullpen, but either way, the slider needs to improve.

55. Deivy Cruz – LHP (A): Small Left-hander with a quick arm who is still working on developing his command. He's a slinger with a low 3/4 delivery with a fastball that sits in the low 90s, but he's only 19-years old and has not grown into his body yet and the hope is when he does, that quick arm will generate more velocity. His best pitch is sweeper slider that is his go to pitch when he needs a strike. He has a change, but it's hard and straight and not good offering at the moment though he does show some feel to throw it for strikes. If he develops some more velocity, he could definitely become an interesting let-handed reliever prospect, but will need to develop a better change to stick as a starter.

56. Jose Mejia – 2B (DSL): Speedy 17-year old 2B was off to a great start when he broke his hamate bone and missed the rest of his first professional season. In his first ten games, he slashed .346/.500/.385/.885 and stole 7 bases in 9 attempts. Limited to second base due to an average arm at best, Mejia never made an error in the nine games at 2B and turned seven double plays. Needs to get stronger but the bat should play and is worth watching in 2024.

57. Carlos Tavera – RHP (AA): This 24-year old right-hander has a very good changeup and a fastball that can sit in the  mid-90s fastball at times, but a lack of command and well below average slider kept him from taking a step forward in 2023. The former 5th round pick is better against lefties due to the changeup but righties slashed .242/.383/.523/.906 against him. When the changeup is on he can miss bats, but will need to improve his command and breaking ball to take that next step.

58. Frederick Bencosme – 2B/SS (A+): Still just 20-years old and young for the league, but he really did not take a step forward in 2023. His plate discipline was fine, but his strength just didn't develop and collected just 23 extra base hits including just two homers in 476 PAs. He has a good eye at the plate, but needs to et much stronger at the plate. He did steal 28 bases in 34 attempts. Defensively he improved some at SS, but 2B is his best position on the dirt. He still has some utility upside.

59. Luis Guevara – SS/INF (DSL): Switch-hitting 17-year old SS who was signed for 200K impressed with his plate discipline and play at SS. Little guy who needs to get much stronger, but there are some tools to work from including plus speed that saw him steal 16 bases in 21 tried. Defensively has the arm to stick at SS and could have a utility future if he can get stronger.

60. Zack Peek – RHP (FCL/A/A+): Returned from Tommy John surgery for a few outings late in the year. The 6-foot-3 right-hander throws in the low 90s (90-92, t93-94) with a curveball, slider and changeup. Prior to the injury was more known for his ability to throw strikes then quality of stuff. He was still looking for his feel upon his return this season so next year should be a big year for him. A strike thrower, Peek will need to be fine with his command if the qualify of stuff doesn't take a step up.

61. Noah Denoyer – RHP (AAA): Was put on the Orioles 40-man roster last offseason and then showed up to spring training out of shape before pitching  his way off the 40-man and eventually passing through waivers unclaimed. Occasionally flashed the stuff throughout the season that got him protected last year, but it was few far between. His fastball sits around 93 MPH and can tough 95 but doesn’t miss bats. He started throwing a cutter to go along with his slider, but his curveball remained his best offspeed pitch. It can get swings and misses.

62. Aneudis Mordan – C/1B (FCL/A): 19-year old catcher broke out with the bat in the FCL after two years of struggling in the DSL. Earned himself a cup of coffee in Delmarva at the end of the FCL season and did not look out of place at the plate. He's got a quick bat with power potential who showed a much better ability to work counts. Defensively his arm was terrible last year although he said there was nothing wrong, but if he comes back throwing like that next year he'll need to move to 1B where his 6-1 height will not be a plus. His defensive short comings puts a lot of pressure on the bat to be special.

63. Daniel Lloyd – RHP (A+): The 22-year old right-hander brings a 93-95, t96 MPH fastball to the mound with mid-80s slider and high 80s split-change. Was really good over his last 13 games in Aberdeen (A+) pitching to a 2.09 ERA with 61Ks, 12 BB in 56 IP while holding batters to a .225/.280/.349/.629. His offspeed pitches need to improve in quality and consistency but they both can flash average on occasion. His velocity tends to drop off around 50 or so pitches so a move to the pen might allow his stuff to play up.

64. Yaqui Rivera – RHP (A/A+): At just 19-years old, the 6-foot-2, 150 pound beanpole has made his way to Aberdeen (A+) already. Acquired in the Tanner Scott/Cole Sulser deal with the Marlins, Rivera pitched mostly in relief and only threw more than 50 pitches three times, all with Aberdeen at the end of the year. He throws 92-93 MPH, but some believe when he fills out he'll throw harder. He shows a 79-82 MPH slider that occasionally flashes average and will even toss up a changeup on occasion. Reminds me a little of Oil Can Boyd.

65. Nestor German – RHP (NCAA): The Orioles 11th round pick out of Seattle University is a four pitch right-hander with a  good riding fastball that sits in the 92-93 range but has been up to 96 at times. The 6-3, 225 pounder is a developmental pick selected on the analytics of his pitches vs his poor college stats.

66. Jalen Vasquez – SS/INF (A): 20th round selection in the 2023 draft, this 21-year old shortstop actually brings some athleticism and tools for such a late pick. The left-handed swinger showed solid plate discipline and actually drove the ball a bit highlighted by three triples. Defensively he's solid at SS and 2B and although he doesn't have a big arm, he gets rid of the ball quickly and showed good range. He's got above average speed as well. That combination is worth taking a flier on and watching how he does in 2024.

67. Carter Young – SS/2B (A/A+): The switch-hitting middle infielder gets one more year to show that he's a guy before he gets buried off the prospects scene. Really didn't do much in his first full professional season to make anyone think he was worth the  $1,325,000 overslot signing the bonus the Orioles gave him in the 2022 draft. He didn't hit for average, power or walk much and his strike out rate was too high for a guy who hit three home runs in 452 PAs in Low-A ball as a 22-year old. Supposedly known for his defense coming out of college, he was erratic at best at SS and did not show more than an adequate arm. He's better at second base. He will get a lot of chances to proves he's not a bust but next year in Aberdeen will be a big test and year for him on the prospect scene.

68. Raylin Ramos – OF (FCL): A broken leg cost him most of his FCL season but he still remains an outfielder worth keeping an eye on. Compact right-handed hitter has some power potential and was hitting .343/.343/.486/.829 through 35 PAs when the injury occurred. Had nine strikeouts and no walks though so there are some plate discipline concerns even though it was a small sample size. An average runner, he fits best in the corner outfield positions. He'll most likely repeat the FCL in 2024.

69. Elis Cuevas – CF/OF (DSL): Billed as an under the radar guy, he repeated the DSL as an 18 year old and put up another solid offensive year. A switch hitter who was moved to the outfield this season after an unsuccessful time at 3B, he added a little more gap power this year though his overall numbers were down a little from the year before. At 5-11 there's not a ton of projection in him, but he's got some speed and should get an opportunity next year in the FCL.

70. Garrett Stallings – RHP (AA/AAA): Junkballer who will throw every pitch he can possibly think of and then the kitchen sink as well. Can have days where he pts things together and can be tough to hit, garnering a good amount of swing and miss, but on other days can be absolute batting practice. His fastball sits around 92 MPH but has reached back for 94-95 on occasion. The changeup and slider can flash average on occasion so maybe a move to the pen and the cutting down of some pitches would help his stuff play up and be more consistent.

71. Jared Beck – LHP (A/A+): This 7-foot tall left-hander is the tallest player in the minor leagues and that height helps his funkiness by creating weird angles for hitters. He's a 4-pitch lefty with a 89-92 MPH fastball. None of offspeed pitches are very good though the slider can flash average though it's not a real left on left sweeper which limits his reliever vibe. Lefties actually hit him better than righties so that will need to improve. Command overall is an issue as it's hard for him to repeat his mechanics at his height. Should start 2024 in Aberdeen at 23-years old.

72. Cesar Espinal – RHP (DSL): Repeated the DSL despite playing at 17-years old all season. He's a 6-2 beanpole with a 89-91 MPH fastball and feel for a slider and change. As with a lot of these young pitches in the DSL, the hope is if he fills out there is more velocity in the tanka and with above average command, that makes him works keeping an eye on next year in the FCL.

73. Elio Prado – OF (A/A+): Prado is like a poor man's John Rhodes in that he does everything decently, but doesn’t really have a carrying tool to get him over that hump. Saying that, Prado has occasional pop, average speed, and can play all three outfield positions though he fits better in left field. He does hit lefties well and seems to hit older pitchers with better command more consistently so he could be a guy who hits better at the higher levels where pitchers are around the zone more.

74. Kyle Virbitsky – RHP (A+): Came over with Cole Irvin in the Darell Hernaiz trade last winter, this 6-foot-7 right-hander pitched well over his last 19 starts. During that stretch he had a 2.28 ERA with 84K and 27 BB in 86.2 IP while holding batters to a .189/.265/.303/.568 clip/. He's 4-pitch guy with a fastball that can sit 92-95, and t95. He doesn't really have a go to strike out pitch though although his high 70s curveball can occasionally flash average. The slider and change are works in progress. He'll pitch at 25 years old next year and a move to the bullpen might get him a jump in stuff.

75. Fernado Peguero – 2B/OF (DSL): Diminutive switch hitter who really improved in his second go around through the DSL. Can run a bit, and drove the ball better though power is not really going to be his game. Listed at just 5-foot-7, 145 pounds, he'll need to continue to get stronger to have success in the states. Defensively he probably best fits at 2B, but he played SS, 3B and in the outfield as a super utility versatile player. He'll get his opportunity in the FCL next season at 19 years old.

[Frobby]

@Tony-OH, it looks like you had some serious quality time with Koby Perez this fall!  Lots of good information on our DSL/FCL guys both here and in the earlier writeups.    It certainly seems like our international program is fully up to par at this point.  Any intel about when the new Dominican facility will open?   I think Elias said it should be ready before next season, but he wasn’t too specific.  

[sportsfan8703]

Stallings and Peek are still hanging around from our trades with the Angels a few years ago.  It would be nice to see one of them turn into at least an up/down reliever for us.  

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

@Tony-OH, it looks like you had some serious quality time with Koby Perez this fall!  Lots of good information on our DSL/FCL guys both here and in the earlier writeups.    It certainly seems like our international program is fully up to par at this point.  Any intel about when the new Dominican facility will open?   I think Elias said it should be ready before next season, but he wasn’t too specific.  

I do think the international program is certainly heading in the right direction. Most are still going to flame out, but if the keep finding some nuggets we're going to see the fruit of their labors help the big league club win ball games. 

I don't have any additional information on the facility, sorry.

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Stallings and Peek are still hanging around from our trades with the Angels a few years ago.  It would be nice to see one of them turn into at least an up/down reliever for us.  

Considering Bradish came over in the trade, anything else that comes out of the Bundy trade is the proverbial icing on the cake. Stallings BTW came over with Jean Pinto for Alex Cobb, not the Bundy deal. He's one of the weirder pitching prospects I've seen in some time. He's about as Jekyll and Hyde as it gets from start to start sometimes. I do wonder if a move to the pen would benefit him though. He had a start on Sept 7th against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp that probably got him on the list, even if it's way down at the end. He was quite impressive that day missing bats with a variety of pitches and I believe he hit 95 MPH in that game (94.7). 

Strangely, while Peek has much better command and gives off Spencer Watkins vibes, Stallings to me may have a better chance of becoming someone of value in a relief role. 

 

[LookinUp]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

I do think the international program is certainly heading in the right direction. Most are still going to flame out, but if the keep finding some nuggets we're going to see the fruit of their labors help the big league club win ball games. 

I don't have any additional information on the facility, sorry.

Yup. A lot of young guys on that list. Clay for the player development and strength/conditioning guys. 

The really young catcher, Mejia, looks particularly interesting to me from a distance. Others do too though.

[btdart20]

13 of 25 are pitchers.  It would be nice if the ratio was more weighted toward pitchers at this point in the rankings IMO.

 

2 hours ago, LookinUp said:

The really young catcher, Mejia, looks particularly interesting to me from a distance.

Agreed.  Tony's write-up was as glowing as it can get at this point in the rankings.  Mejia is 6'0" 165 lbs per b-ref.  He just turned 17, so maybe another couple of inches.  Not much info on the interwebs about him.

[Warehouse]

This is awesome!  Thanks for all the work that went into this.

Curious which unranked player(s) have the best chance to be ranked next year?  Below I tried to capture a list of unranked players to watch.

Other position players of note: Abraham Cohen, Yirber Ruiz, Alfredo Velasquez, Maxwell Costes, Anderson De Los Santos, Sebastian De Los Santos, Yasmil Bucce 

Other pitchers of note: Cameron Weston, Trey McGough, Juan De Los Santos, Luis Sanchez, Brayner Sanchez, Blake Money,  Eccel Correa, Anthony Morillo, Juan Rojas, Ignacio Felix, Ty Weatherly, Hayden Nierman 

17-year old pitchers: Mario Santana, Ledwin Gonzalez, Javier Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bonilla, Keeler Morfe, Rafael Suero, Kevin Velasco, Juan Rasquin, Xavier Alvero, Angel Bolivar, Raymond Sosa

Probably org guys at this point: Maikol Hernandez, Mishael Deson, Kevin Guerrero, Peter Van Loon?, Cristian Benavides?, Xavier Moore

[jcarm]

On 11/30/2023 at 12:42 PM, Warehouse said:

This is awesome!  Thanks for all the work that went into this.

Curious which unranked player(s) have the best chance to be ranked next year?  Below I tried to capture a list of unranked players to watch.

Other position players of note: Abraham Cohen, Yirber Ruiz, Alfredo Velasquez, Maxwell Costes, Anderson De Los Santos, Sebastian De Los Santos, Yasmil Bucce 

Other pitchers of note: Cameron Weston, Trey McGough, Juan De Los Santos, Luis Sanchez, Brayner Sanchez, Blake Money,  Eccel Correa, Anthony Morillo, Juan Rojas, Ignacio Felix, Ty Weatherly, Hayden Nierman 

17-year old pitchers: Mario Santana, Ledwin Gonzalez, Javier Gonzalez, Ezequiel Bonilla, Keeler Morfe, Rafael Suero, Kevin Velasco, Juan Rasquin, Xavier Alvero, Angel Bolivar, Raymond Sosa

Probably org guys at this point: Maikol Hernandez, Mishael Deson, Kevin Guerrero, Peter Van Loon?, Cristian Benavides?, Xavier Moore

Xavier Moore and Ignacio Feliz were released by the Orioles earlier this year.

[Warehouse]

11 minutes ago, jcarm said:

Xavier Moore and Ignacio Feliz were released by the Orioles earlier this year.

Thanks - I missed that in late September.  No surprise on Moore but a little surprising on Feliz as his strikeout metrics were decent despite the horrid ERA.  The Marlins picked him up a few days ago.

[Warehouse]

Does anyone know what happened to Luis Sanchez?  His last game was June 20 and then he missed the rest of the season due to injury.  I recognize that Orioles’ minor league injuries are highly classified state secrets, but figured I’d ask in case something leaked.

His fastball was reportedly up to 99mph per Steve Melewski and he put a 3.70 FIP and 29% K-rate as a 20-year old in 22 innings at Delmarva (though needs to improve command).  If he could stay healthy, there might be potential for a late-inning relief role.

He also missed all of 2022, so he has certainly been injury-prone.

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, Warehouse said:

Does anyone know what happened to Luis Sanchez?  His last game was June 20 and then he missed the rest of the season due to injury.  I recognize that Orioles’ minor league injuries are highly classified state secrets, but figured I’d ask in case something leaked.

His fastball was reportedly up to 99mph per Steve Melewski and he put a 3.70 FIP and 29% K-rate as a 20-year old in 22 innings at Delmarva (though needs to improve command).  If he could stay healthy, there might be potential for a late-inning relief role.

He also missed all of 2022, so he has certainly been injury-prone.

He was shut down but there was no surgery so he should be back next spring. Nice arm, but a thrower still without a lot of command. I probably could have put him on the list towards the end due to the velocity, but I'd just like to see a little more innings under his belt.

He mostly just throws hard stuff, but does mix in a breaking ball. He's a guy that is worth to watch if he suddenly starts putting up really good numbers. He'll pitch at 21 next year.

[emmett16]

Quick fun read on Ryan Long.   

Ryan Long - Driveline Baseball