Billy Rowell is stirring...

[Big Mac]

In 7 games, .286/.483/.524 (1.007 OPS)

7 BB, 1 HR and 7 RBI. However, 9 K's in 21 AB are certainly a cause to be skeptical.

[weams]

Travis Hafner.

[DrShorebird]

His current streak was mentioned after the O's game today.

[ShaneDawg85]

I was going to mention in this in the hot farmhand thread, but felt it was deserving of its own. Perhaps the most surprising farmhand to start the season is none other than Billy Rowell. Disclaimer, as always, small sample size. But to start the season, Rowell has put up the following line:

FRE CAR .286 7 21 4 6 2 0 1 7 11 7 9 0 0 .483 .524 1.007

I think what is the most impressive so far is that he's drawn seven walks to only nine strikeouts. Keep in mind that he's not drawn more than 36 walks in a season for his professional career. It's early, but so far, this is great stuff.

[Frobby]

He's been very hot this week. It would be great if he could put himself back on the radar screen.

[Moose Milligan]

Funny. With all of the talk about his own hitting coach and not taking advice from Oriole minor league coaches, Rowell himself has said that he's gone back to the stance and style he used in High School. And he's looking better than he has in a long time. Makes you wonder.

Maybe there's hope after all.

[weams]

Maybe there's hope after all.

Na, it is impossible. He is 21 finally hitting well at high A. Justin Smoak is at AAA. At 23.

[AVencill]

Funny. With all of the talk about his own hitting coach and not taking advice from Oriole minor league coaches, Rowell himself has said that he's gone back to the stance and style he used in High School. And he's looking better than he has in a long time. Makes you wonder.

He's showing more confidence and consistency in his at-bats right now, and I think that comes from scrapping his swing and going back to a shorter, more compact swing which naturally gives him better bat speed. Also, the swooping swing with the one-handed release that drove me nuts for two years is finally gone. What I'm liking early is his ability to hit the ball to all fields, and specifically to center and left field which is what I didn't see much of at all the last two years.

As for the strikeouts, they're going to happen, but I'm impressed that he's at nearly a 1:1 K:BB ratio to begin the year. Several of the ones I watched weren't him chasing bad pitches, it was the pitchers hitting good spots and Rowell either swung and missed with a good swing or took a third strike. He had one strikeout last night where he took on a 2-2 breaking pitch that he argued a few words with the home plate umpire that even I felt was a little low to ring him up on.

[Moose Milligan]

He's showing more confidence and consistency in his at-bats right now, and I think that comes from scrapping his swing and going back to a shorter, more compact swing which naturally gives him better bat speed. Also, the swooping swing with the one-handed release that drove me nuts for two years is finally gone. What I'm liking early is his ability to hit the ball to all fields, and specifically to center and left field which is what I didn't see much of at all the last two years.

As for the strikeouts, they're going to happen, but I'm impressed that he's at nearly a 1:1 K:BB ratio to begin the year. Several of the ones I watched weren't him chasing bad pitches, it was the pitchers hitting good spots and Rowell either swung and missed with a good swing or took a third strike. He had one strikeout last night where he took on a 2-2 breaking pitch that he argued a few words with the home plate umpire that even I felt was a little low to ring him up on.

So overall this is quite a turnaround from what you've seen before?

[oriolesprospects]

I was at the Keys game a few days ago and came away quite impressed with Rowell.

He displayed an excellent eye at the plate, waiting for his pitch and laying off pitches out of the zone.

He looked much, much better than last season when I saw him. Obviously he has 2 years under his belt in the Carolina League, but he's still 21 years old.

He's technically like a college first year player out of college.

There's still hope!

[Slappy]

And he hit a home run off Matusz. That's the most impressive thing he's done all year.

[weams]

And he hit a home run off Matusz. That's the most impressive thing he's done all year.

No one else has.

[hoosiers]

Nice to see the improved BBs and average, but BR is striking out one in every three PAs. It is difficult to fathom what BR would need to do production-wise to get encouraged about his prospect status.

[wildcard]

I read that DHing is helping him.

[crowmst3k!]

I still want to see Rowell return to the infield at some point. If he can hit, he's much more valuable as a 1B than an OF.