For lots of this season, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg and Joey Ortiz have garnered the overwhelming majority of the attention given to Orioles infield prospects.
Henderson, the earlier No. 1 prospect in baseball who has now graduated from such standing, is participating in practically each single day for the Orioles. Holliday has been lighting the lower ranges of the minor leagues on fire. Westburg is pushing for a spot inside the big leagues alongside together with his stellar play in Triple-A, and Ortiz, one different Norfolk Tides infielder, spent two temporary stints with Baltimore and carried out correctly each time.
However the group’s stockpile of infield prospects doesn’t end with these 4, in spite of everything. Connor Norby and Coby Mayo, Baltimore’s totally different two youthful infielders who acquired prime 100 prospect standing by a minimal of 1 predominant publication inside the offseason, every excelled on the farm last week.
Norby, the Orioles’ sixth-ranked prospect and No. 78 on Baseball America’s document, had among the many finest weeks of his season in Triple-A with 4 multi-hit video video games. The 22-year-old second baseman went 11-for-29 with three doubles, a home run and 6 RBIs to reinforce his OPS to .774.
A season after predominant all Orioles minor leaguers in dwelling runs with 29, Norby hit merely three dwelling runs in his first 193 plate appearances this 12 months. However he’s hit two prolonged balls in his earlier seven video video games, alongside together with his latest deep shot coming Friday when Norby went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBIs.
Mayo, within the meantime, continued his sturdy season by totaling 5 extra-base hits last week. The 21-year-old third baseman went 7-for-25 with three doubles, two dwelling runs and 6 RBIs with Double-A Bowie.
Mayo is Baltimore’s ninth-ranked prospect and was ranked No. 69 by Baseball Prospectus inside the offseason. After posting a .782 OPS between Excessive-A and Double-A last 12 months, Mayo is slashing .272/.390/.517 for a .907 OPS this season.
Nonetheless, Norby and Mayo aren’t the one prospects to face out on the farm last week. That’s why each week, The Baltimore Solar will break down 5 of the very best performers inside the Orioles’ prospect ranks and hand out some superlatives for people who didn’t make that scale back.
1. Double-A Bowie right-hander Carlos Tavera
After hanging out 12.7 batters per 9 innings with a 4.40 ERA for Aberdeen last season, Tavera opened his 2023 advertising and marketing marketing campaign with a 6.75 ERA and 21 strikeouts in his first 21 1/3 frames. However the 24-year-old posted the perfect start of his season Friday by tossing 5 no-hit innings with 5 strikeouts and two walks to earn Japanese League Pitcher of the Week honors. He needed 74 pitches to retire eight batters in his outing two weeks prior to now, nevertheless he sat down 15 last week on merely 67 pitches Friday. Tavera, the Orioles’ No. 25-ranked prospect, now has a 5.47 ERA and a 1.519 WHIP in 26 1/3 innings this season.
2. Excessive-A Aberdeen outfielder Jud Fabian
In Fabian’s first 33 video video games, he posted a .397 slugging proportion with merely two doubles. However the 22-year-old roped 5 two-baggers for Excessive-A Aberdeen last week, going 7-for-20 with 5 RBIs and 4 walks. Within the IronBirds’ doubleheader Wednesday, Fabian, the Orioles’ No. 13 prospect, combined to go 4-for-5 with 4 doubles, 4 RBIs and two walks. The previous College of Florida standout is slashing .265/.370/.427 in his first full season {{of professional}} baseball after he was drafted No. 67 whole by the Orioles last summer season.
3. Double-A Bowie right-hander Garrett Stallings
Stallings had a 7.23 ERA and 13 strikeouts by his first 18 2/3 innings this 12 months, nevertheless he’s surrendered merely 4 runs and struck out 20 batters in his earlier 15 innings. On Wednesday, the 6-foot-2 right-hander tossed 5 scoreless innings, scattering 5 hits and one stroll whereas hanging out seven. The 25-year-old has a career 5.46 ERA in his third season as a minor leaguer with the Orioles after Baltimore acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels as part of the José Iglesias commerce.
4. Excessive-A Aberdeen right-hander Jean Pinto
Stallings wasn’t the one minor league arm involved inside the Iglesias commerce to excel on the mound last week. Pinto pitched 5 scoreless innings, allowing merely two hits and one stroll whereas hanging out eight. The 22-year-old Venezuela native has been one in every of many group’s most interesting swing-and-miss pitchers on the farm this season, as his 13.9 strikeouts-per-nine innings is healthier of an Orioles minor leaguer with a minimal of 28 innings pitched. For reference, prime pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez struck out 12.8 batters per 9 innings in his minor league career. In 91 2/3 innings with Aberdeen last 12 months, Pinto posted a 3.83 ERA and a 2.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio; in 38 1/3 innings this season, Pinto has a 2.58 ERA and a 4.21 ratio.
5. Double-A Bowie outfielder Donta’ Williams
Earlier than last week, most of Williams’ highlights received right here with his glove, not his bat. He was hitting .126 with a .444 OPS and 0 dwelling runs. However the 2021 fourth-round select had his most interesting week of the season on the plate, going 4-for-12 with two dwelling runs, 5 RBIs, 4 walks and two stolen bases. Williams, 23, posted a .706 OPS between Excessive-A and Double-A last season and now has a .552 OPS in 132 plate appearances this 12 months.
The prime prospect not featured up to now
Holliday had one in every of many worst weeks of his season last week. He nonetheless had a .756 OPS. Holliday, the Orioles’ prime place participant prospect, went 6-for-21 with a double and 5 walks with Aberdeen. He reached base in his first 5 video video games of the week to extend his on-base streak to 39 completed contests, however it received right here to an end Sunday when he went 0-for-4. After posting a 1.190 OPS with Low-A Delmarva, Holliday has a 1.127 OPS in 27 video video games with Aberdeen.
Worldwide acquisition of the week
Two worldwide avid gamers with Delmarva stood out last week. Outfielder Elio Prado, a 21-year-old Venezuela native, went 6-for-15 with a double, triple, dwelling run and 5 RBIs. Infielder Angel Tejada, a 19-year-old Dominican Republic native, went 5-for-15 with three doubles, a home run and 5 RBIs. The Orioles acquired Prado from the Boston Purple Sox as part of the Andrew Cashner commerce in 2019 and Tejada as a worldwide free agent in January 2021. Prado posted a .587 OPS in Low-A last 12 months, nevertheless he’s obtained a .785 OPS and is kind of strolling as lots as he’s hanging out. Tejada, within the meantime, has a .671 OPS in his first 12 months of full-season ball.
Time to current a shout-out to …
Two Triple-A infielders. No, not Norby, Ortiz or Westburg. As a substitute, it was Josh Lester and Joseph Rosa who led the Norfolk Tides last week. Lester, a 28-year-old nook infielder, went 12-for-29 with two dwelling runs, a double and 5 RBIs. In 48 video video games, Lester has 14 dwelling runs and a .910 OPS. Rosa, a 26-year-old heart infielder, joined the group Wednesday after spending the 2022 season inside the Atlantic League, among the many finest unbiased leagues. Rosa last carried out affiliated ball in 2021 with the Mariners’ group and had solely 9 video video games of Triple-A experience sooner than last week, nevertheless he went 8-for-21 with 5 doubles in his first 5 video video games with the Tides.
Guardians at Orioles
Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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