Non roster invites to ST

[Orioles Jim]

4 minutes ago, Ripken said:

Yep, good call.  DD deserves more credit than he gets.  The larger point was getting really good [bullpen] seasons out of those two last year when no one really saw that coming.  I wonder if Charles could be that guy this year.  

I’m gonna guess that the people that Elias put in place had a huge role in developing him. Given that it was 6 years post being signed by Duquette that he flourished.

[RZNJ]

21 minutes ago, Ripken said:

Yep, good call.  DD deserves more credit than he gets.  The larger point was getting really good [bullpen] seasons out of those two last year when no one really saw that coming.  I wonder if Charles could be that guy this year.  

I expect him to start at Norfolk.   He needs to show he can throw strikes consistently which is how Felix finally broke through but he throws mid to high 90’s and reportedly has a decent slider and changeup.   Nathan Webb and Ronald Guzman are hard throwers too but I don’t think there’s a chance any of these guys break camp as an Oriole.

As for Felix we can give Elias team credit for him breaking through under their watch.

Edited February 7 by RZNJ

[jcaponio]

5 hours ago, oriolediehard said:

He had 92 AB in 2022 and hit .253 with 3 HR's.  An outfielder needs to hit alot better than that, he hits what a catcher on an average team should hit. He already 26 years old and his minor league BA wasn't anything to write home about. 

Who are you talking about? Not Cowser. He didn’t even debut until 2023, so I’m not sure what 92 AB in 2022 you’re looking at. And he’s 23 years old, not 26. 

[oriolediehard]

40 minutes ago, jcaponio said:

Who are you talking about? Not Cowser. He didn’t even debut until 2023, so I’m not sure what 92 AB in 2022 you’re looking at. And he’s 23 years old, not 26. 

Stowers

[24fps]

5 hours ago, HandsomeQuack said:

Something about Bradish being number 38 is upsetting. It's a low-tier number, for the Jimmy Paredeses of the world. Should have gone for 37.

Lowenstein's number

[Tony-OH]

7 hours ago, nvpacchi said:

I do think Armbruester gets slept on a lot.  He doesn't have the big fastball velo, but it plays up thanks to some really nice ride.  Perfect for a cavernous ballpark if you're willing to live and die by the HR - very Wellsian.

He gets good extension for a guy who's fastball rides up as much as it does.

For example over the top king Justin Verlander gets 6.1' of extension with a fastball spinning in at 12:45 as you're looking at the clock.  Armbruester spins in similarly (barely has an horizontal break on it), but he gets nearly half a foot more of extension than Verlander.  Probably helps the perceived velo tick up 1-2 MPH on top of some supreme ride.

What will potentially make him a dude is if his secondaries follow suit - Eno's stuff+ ranks his full arsenal 30th among all pitchers that threw 100 AAA pitches last year, that's encouraging!  And Prospectslive stuff model gives him 3 above average pitches (4S, slider, CB) and a cutter just below average. 

But can he throw them for strikes?  Is he the 12% BB guy he was at AAA or the less than 8% at other stops in the minors?  Finding success with either the curve or slider will prolly be the defining factor on him as a swing guy or a nice innings eater mid-to-back rotation.  Not McDermott levels of upside (who interestingly rates worse than Armbruester in stuff+, but the models probably miss something in his profile - 30% K-rates everywhere suggest a guy who doesn't have average stuff).

 

He has nothing to defend himself against lefties and no strike out pitch. He's Mike Wright at best.

[HandsomeQuack]

1 hour ago, 24fps said:

Lowenstein's number

Before my time

[Billy F-Face3]

15 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Obviously lots of exciting names there but an under the radar guy who could really help his case is Armbruester. I know at @nvpacchi has done a really nice job of breaking down his fastball and why he likes him.

With the BP in such flux, he really may be able to open eyes and while he may not make the pen out of ST, he could put himself in position to be in it quickly.

I agree to watch Armbruester.

I got to see Armbruster start for Bowie live in 2023. It was a very close game. He only allowed 3 hits through about 5 innings and kept the score close (2-1, thanks to a John Rhodes 3rd inning home run) after a bad 1st inning. Watching him go about his business, you could see how competitive he was and also how focused he was to take care of business. When he left the game, Connor Gillispie came in and did his unusual shimmy shake wind up, and pitched 4 shutout innings. In the 8th inning, Heston Kjerstad tied it with a Home Run shot of his own. Then in extra innings the Baysox rallied to get the winning run home.

None of that would have been possible if Armbruester wasn't as resilient and determined as he is. The guy is a determined competitor.