One of the things that has become obvious over the last few years with the Orioles is that the big league club is going to use its minor league system throughout the year.
Whether it is utilizing the “Norfolk Shuttle” or jumping guys from Double-A Bowie right to the majors, the Orioles aren’t shy about digging into the prospect pool for some help.
The Orioles system doesn’t have any can’t-miss phenoms, but the overall group is probably deeper than it has been in years.
Names like Austin Hays, Hunter Harvey (pictured above), Ryan Mountcastle have been around for a while and now they are being joined by Alex Wells, Cedric Mullins and Zac Lowther, among others.
Adam Pohl, the play-by-play voice of the Bowie Baysox, and Dean Jones Jr., the minor league reporter for BaltimoreBaseball.com, spend this week’s Minor League Podcast discussing the first month of the minor league season while analyzing the system from Low-A Delmarva all the way up to Triple-A Norfolk.
The primary prospects are discussed — Pohl provides a great vignette about Harvey’s first Bowie start and the radar gun in Harrisburg, Pa., — but so are some under-the-radar types such as Ryan McKenna and Ademar Rifaela.
A month is in the books, and it’s worth looking at some of the names have jumped out so far. Give a listen to Pohl’s and Jones’ discussion below or download it from iTunes (search BaltimoreBaseball.com, all one word) and listen at your leisure.
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Just two questions. Hays batting .222 was his Sept call up more detrimental than good(hasn't been the same since)? Drew Dosch 3rd baseman,hitting .329. Why isn't he up here instead of a Pedro/Valencia tandem?
Dosch literally came off the DL 5 days after missing 2-plus weeks. He has barely played in game action this month. He needs reps, and that high of an average likely isn’t sustainable based on his history. That said, if he had been healthy and hitting like that all month he probably would have been added to the roster. As for Hays, he’ll tell you being in the majors in Sept and big league ST were huge for him. But you have remember this is just his 3rd year in pro ball. He has stuff to work on and that’s what he’s doing.
This has been the most frustrated as a fan I have been with the Orioles. Sadly, you almost became numb to the 14 years straight of losing. Now here we are, and here we have been, barreling towards the 2018 offseason with so many question marks. None of them have been even remotely addressed. The team was bad last season, said they were "reloading and going for it" and yet are on pace to lose 117 games. At this point, tear it down. Fire DD. Start fielding offers on Manny, Schoop, Trumbo, Jones. The only players I wouldn't listen to offers on would be Bundy, Mancini and Sisco.
I think they’ll listen to offers on anyone. What you have to understand is this, for the most part, is not a time when much trade talk occurs. Especially significant dumping deals. Clubs want to wait to find out who they are.
I always enjoy these reports. They highlight some of the players/prospects that are under the radar. I use the Milb app to check their games in progress as well their final box scores. I highly recommend it.
Mancini, Sisco, Scott, Harvey, Akin, Hess, Lowther, Hays, Mullins, Rifaela, Mountcastle, McKenna, Wynns, Cervenka, Wells, Bishop, Dietz, Palmiero, D.L. Hall...we do have some young players to be excited about.
Funny how Dean only talks about his 12 picks and tries to justify them when those that didn't make his list are swept under the rug (despite success) so as not to prove him wrong. The list is fairly whacked compared to other lists and stats boards, current. He swung and missed at his list but seems content to spend the rest of the year justifying his selections. Sounds a little like Orioles management. And, that makes it more humorous, as those of BB criticize others for doing exactly what they are doing.