Just step back and stand in awe of the picks Mike Elias and his staff have ALREADY made

[emmett16]

10 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

As were yours.   I just think being able to find guys who are castoffs and turning them into really important pieces is a skill that's underappreciated a little bit...on this board with the diehards, maybe not so much, but in the media at large and on a national level, I think people don't really consider it.

This organization is in a fairly good spot if all it has to rely on is the draft.  But thankfully, that's not the case.

 

I think it’s a combination of both.  They are incredible  at identifying talent that will thrive in their development system.  

[interloper]

Can't argue with their success rate thus far, but I'm pretty interested in their success rate starting with last year's draft and going forward when it will be a run of lower picks. 

Edited March 18 by interloper

[Gurgi]

42 minutes ago, interloper said:

Can't argue with their success rate thus far, but I'm pretty interested in their success rate starting with last year's draft and going forward when it will be a run of lower picks. 

Gunnar hopefully is a hint of how they will draft lower down the ranks.  

[Tony-OH]

17 hours ago, RZNJ said:

We're stacked.  I'll feel better when someone like Cowser/Westburg/Kjerstad becomes an all-star level player.

Feel better about what? Elias picks? the Orioles as contenders? I'm not sure what you're still out on.

Rutschman has been all-star and was second in the RoY and Henderson was the rookie of the year last year. Sure, none of other picks have made an impact at the major league level yet but a lot of that is because players like Hays, Santander and Mountcastle are still productive.

With Holliday, Cowser, Mayo, Kjerstad (I'm not going to read too much into his poor spring and base it off last year, Norby and Stowers all looking ready to be contributing as every day major leaguers, I think his scouting chops have been validated.

The team won 101 games last year so he's had in season success. His next step is winning a playoff series and hopefully making it at least to the AL Championship series. 

[Tony-OH]

16 hours ago, now said:

Can't argue with your enthusiasm over current prospects but not sure your parallel of 1970 is that accurate. 

Yes, Baylor and Grich were both 21 and future stars. And there was Terry Crowley at (23), and Johnny Oates (24).

But May (26) and Motton (29), along with Roger Freed (24) were bit players at best. Rettenmund was 27 and at the peak of a short career. Otherwise our younger everyday players were already established for a couple of years: Blair (26), Johnson (27), Etchebarren (27), Palmer (24), and Hardin (26). So I'm guessing you were aiming at an overall talent comparison rather than a list of hot prospects, per se. Personally I don't recall a time *ever* when the Orioles were noted for the most (quality or quantity) of top prospects like they are now. 

On the other hand, if you substitute 1966, you might have a case: 

Etchebarren 23, Powell 24, Johnson 23, Blefary 22, Blair 22, Haney 23, Belanger 22, Epstein 23, McNally 23, Palmer 20, Bunker 21, Watt 25, Phoebus 24.  (Tho I have no idea how these would rate in national rankings at the time).

Can we at least say since the draft era started that this is the most talent the system as ever had? The Orioles were fantastic in finding talent before the draft, but they were never a great drafting team until Elias came here.

The Orioles were outstanding at trading for talent more than drafting talent in the late 60s and throughout the 70s. Sure the 1967 draft netted Baylor and Grich, and the 1973 draft netted Eddie Murray in the 3rd round, but the Orioles run as the best team AL team of the 70s was not really built on drafted talent.

Once free agency became a thing, it spelled doom for the Orioles and led them to the 1984-1995 drought, that was only changed by Peter Angelos trying his best Steinbrenner impersonation by buying his way to a championship. The Orioles were absolutely at brutal drafting in the 80s and only slightly better in the 90s. The 2000s and especially the 2010s were a little better as Rajisch was actually pretty decent before Elias took over. 

Now, between Elias and his staff's drafting and the international program under Koby Perez, this organization is the best it's ever been. Now, will this group of players in the system right now outperform the youngsters of 1966? That's remains to be seen, but I think we're going to be able to take this organization's players that were drafted or signed internationally, and find out they will produce the most major league WAR of any Orioles organization of the past. 

[BRobinsonfan]

17 hours ago, Roy Firestone said:

Sure, he had the picks...but SO many of his picks are impressing...Today Stowers became the first ST hitter to hit 3 HR in a game in almost exactly 6 years...then theres Cowser hitting .364...Mayo with a .366 BA and 7 doubles...Holliday hitting.300...Basallo a young impressive prospect...and dont forget Kierstad, and Westburg, Norby. to go with Gunnar and Adley......and I think McDermott has a chance to be decent too...I think Rubinstein needs to extend Elias almost as much as any young player...this man has a great eye and judgement for talent...and so does his analysts...we NEVER had this kind of FO in player personnel since he Dalton, Cashen years...Im just so impressed..and theres STILL a chance someone else could surprise too..this is truly an embarrassment of riches..

I shudder to think where we'd be without Elias!

[Billy F-Face3]

58 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

 Now, will this group of players in the system right now outperform the youngsters of 1966? That's remains to be seen

I think we are one Frank Robinson type slugger acquisition away.

[sportsfan8703]

The Hernaiz and Ortiz picks were great stuff.  Both were included in deals for current members of our rotation.  I also think that Elias and Co. were all over that 2019 draft.  Even in small trades we picked up a bunch of pitchers from that year.  Of the top of my head... Bradish, Brnovich, Peek, Lucas, Stallings, and Seth Johnson.  

[Billy F-Face3]

4 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

 Seth Johnson.  

Seth Johnson was in 2022 with the Mancini deal.