End Of Season Minorioles ISO Leaders

Explaining  ISO to the layman:

– It is a statistic

– It stands for Isolated Power

– It is a synch to calculate

– It is a batter’s SLG minus AVG

– It helps us measure a batters raw power totals for the season

– .100 = Bad; .150 = Average; .200 = Great

If you want a more detailed explanation, go here.

Great, now that we got that out-of-the-way, I’m going to list how all of the qualifying Orioles minor leaguers performed in this category. The top performer in the minor leagues will be crowned the ISO-Man of the year or something stupid like that.

By qualifying, I mean, the player has to be at the very least a fringe prospect. He also has to have had sufficient number of at bats. For players at the full season level, sufficient to me means they got 250 at bats. For players at the short season level, I’ll be nice and include anyone with at least 100 at bats.

For all you platoon fanatics out there, I’m also going to list the top ISO performers against left-handed and right-handed pitching.

GCL O’s

Ronarsy Ledesma (3B) = .147 (.145 L / .148 R)

Alex Murphy (C/3B) = .132 (.333 L / .082 R)

Chance Sisco (C) = .091 (.261 L / .039 R)

Randolph Gassaway (1B) = .082 (.031 L / .100 R)

Oswill Lartiguez (OF) = .069 (.200 L / .026 R)

Josh Hart (CF) = .068 (.026 L / .085 R)

Aberdeen

Conor Bierfeldt (RF) = .247 (.155 L / .288 R)

Mike Yasztremski (OF) = .147 (.233 L / .111 R)

Hector Veloz (3B) = .129 (.084 L / .134 R)

Trey Mancini (1B) = .121 (.136 L / .115 R)

Delmarva Shorebirds

Wynston Sawyer (C) = .146 (.035 L / .187 R)

Torsten Boss (2B/3B) = .120 ( .111 L / .122 R)

Lucas Herbst (OF) = .096 (.108 L / .092 R)

Adrian Marin (SS) = .091 (.075 L / .094)

Roderick Bernadina (OF) = .085 (.042 L / .095 R)

Gregory Lorenzo (CF) = .082 (.068 L / .085 R)

Frederick Keys

Michael Ohlman (C/1B) = .212 (.242 L / .203 R) (22%)

Brenden Webb (RF) = .144 (.045 L / .163 R) (31.8%)

Glynn Davis (CF) = .079 (.141 L / .065 R) (18%)

Bowie Baysox

Caleb Joseph (C/1B/LF) = .195 (.228 L / .182 R) (16.1%)

Christian Walker (1B)  = .153 (.200 L / .144 R)

Garabez Rosa (UTL) = .098 (.095 L / .099 R)

John Reuttiger (OF) = .041 (.035 L / .047 R)

Norfolk Tides

Buck Britton (UTL) = .144 (.225 L / .111 R)

Jonathan Schoop (SS/2B) = .140 (.155 L / .136 R)

The ISO Leaderboard

Rank	Name	ISO (Total)	Rank	Name	ISO (L)	Rank	Name	ISO (R)
1	Conor Bierfeldt	.247	1	Alex Murphy	.333	1	Conor Bierfeldt	.288
2	Micheal Ohlman	.212	2	Chance Sisco	.261	2	Michael Ohlman	.203
3	Caleb Joseph	.195	3	Michael Ohlman	.242	3	Caleb Joesph	.187
4	Jonathan Schoop	.182	4	Mike Yastrzemski	.233	4	Wynston Sawyer	.182
5	Christian Walker	.153	5	Caleb Joseph	.228	5	Brenden Webb	.163
6	Mike Yastrzemski	.147	6			6
6	Ronarsy Ledesma	.147	7			7
8	Wynston Sawyer	.146	8			8
9	Buck Britton	.144	9			9
9	Brenden Webb	.144	10			10

Winner Winner!!! Conor Bierfeldt is our ISO-Man of the year. Excited to see how those impressive power numbers translate over a full season of work next year and whether the 29th rounder can establish himself as a legitimate prospect.

Photo By: Litchfield County Sports

That’s all, folks

Stay classy, not crassy

Minorioles HOTSHEET Report, June 10 (Hitters)

The grand return of my minorioles hotsheet report brings with us a few changes.

First, We’re only going to focus on hitters in this edition. See, what I plan on doing from now on is checking in on the hitters on the 10th the 20th and the end of each month. Pitchers I will check in on the 15th and (also) the end of each month. It keeps me on a set schedule and I can focus on the two groups (hitters, pitchers) separately for better analysis.

Make sense? It should

The hottest hitter as of late is…

1) Henry Urrutia – OF – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 26

Top 20 Rank: HM

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.439	41	18	3	12	2	0	1	7	.452	.707	1.160

El Cubano has been terrorizing AA pitchers lately. He’s batting .350 on the year and is starting show some more in game power too. I don’t see how they can keep him in AA much longer if he continues to rake. Dan Duquette was also quoted recently saying something along the lines of Urrutia not being ruled out for a callup to the majors late in the season.

2) Christian Walker – 1B – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 22

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 3

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.395	38	15	1	6	4	0	4	10	.452	.579	1.031

My boy Christian Walker just continues the mash party he’s been at all season whether at Delmarva or Frederick. He leads the Orioles minors with his .351 season AVG and I expect him to receive strong consideration for a promotion to Bowie in July (perhaps sooner) if he continues to hit like this in June.

3) Buck Britton – UTL – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 27

Top 20 Rank: Unranked

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.395	38	15	1	6	4	0	4	4	.442	.579	1.021

Yes, Buck Britton makes the list despite not really being considered a ‘prospect’. One man’s loss (Schoop to DL) has been another man’s gain as Britton has gotten a chance to prove himself at AAA and has run with it. As you can see, he has been crushing the ball lately and is batting an even .300 at AAA. Against lefties, he’s hitting .368. He has some versatility defensively and if he continues to perform, he may finally get an opportunity to prove himself on a major league bench.

 4) Michael Ohlman – C/DH – Frederick Keys

Age: 22

Top 20 rank: 19

The numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.324	34	11	1	5	2	1	10	7	.477	.529	1.007

This is encouraging to see. Ohlman spent some time on the DL in May which worried me that he may struggle to stay healthy and productive this year; two things I wanted to see before anointing him a legitimate prospect. He’s active and ripping the ball lately, showing that impressive plate discipline as well and looks like a solid bet to remain a top 20 prospect following last year’s breakout performance. His defensive home is still a ? though as he’s mainly been a DH for the Keys.

5) Ty Kelly – 2B/3B – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 24

Top 20 rank: 16

The numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.366	41	15	0	5	3	1	6	8	.458	.488	.946

I’ve been thoroughly disappointed by Kelly’s production this season but life can be disappointing so I don’t lose sleep over it. He’s finally starting to hit the ball well but he has a grand total of one home run on the season. Considering his mediocre defense at second and third, he’s starting to look less like a legitimate prospect and more like a AAA depth player.

6) Xavier Avery – CF – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 23

Top 20 rank: 10

The numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.375	40	15	0	5	1	1	1	11	.381	.450	.831

As usual with the X-man, he starts out slow before getting red hot. His first few weeks in AAA – after batting over .300 at AA – went sour. But, as you can see above, he has found his stroke lately despite that tacky 11-1 SO-to-BB ratio. X-man has also stolen 4 bases in the last ten games. He continues to look like a speedy 4th outfielder type.

7) Nick Delmonico – 3B – Frederick Keys (High A)

Age: 20

Top 20 Rank: 6

The Numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.250	36	9	4	4	1	0	4	9	.325	.611	.936

Batting .250 over a ten game stretch normally doesn’t get you recognition on the Hotsheet. But, Nick Delmonico isn’t a normal person. He’s dropped 4 bombs in the last ten games as he continues his impressive power breakthrough this season – something we all wanted and expected to see.

8) John Reuttiger – LF – Frederick Keys

Age: 23

Top 20 Rank: Unranked

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.303	33	10	1	4	2	0	5	7	.395	.455	.849

John Reuttiger isn’t much of a prospect in my eyes but neither was his uncle Rudy. In other words, DON’T DOUBT THE REUTTIGERS. Thank you. If John keeps playing like this recent ten game stretch, he’ll find himself back in AA – where he began the season – in hopes of improving upon his mediocre performance that led to his demotion. Ultimately, he has backup outfielder upside unless his power production vastly improves.

9) L.J. Hoes – LF – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 23

Top 20 Rank: 5

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.263	38	10	1	5	2	0	8	6	.404	.395	.799

Hoes has been a solid performer all year for the Tides. Lately, he’s cooled down somewhat but I am glad to see that at least has added a home run during his recent ten game span. That gives him a whopping two in the season. Yes, the lack of power output continues to be the big knock on L.J. and his Hoes. However, I’ve said it before, he knows how to hit consistently for average and consistently draw walks. He’ll be a productive 4th outfielder at the least and an everyday starter down the line if he ever sees a power spike.

10) Adrian Marin – SS – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 19

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 1

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.273	33	9	1	6	3	0	2	6	.333	.455	.788

Marin hasn’t set the world on fire this year but he has definitely held his own which is impressive for a kid one year removed from high school. He’s an excellent defender and has started to show a wee bit more pop lately with a HR and 3 doubles in his last ten games.

Note: (Zelous wheeler quietly hitting .372 in his last ten games)

NOT hot…

Torsten Boss .206 – Frustrating. Boss was hitting like a Boss a month ago but has really cooled off. Looks like a fringe Top 20 prospect now, if that.

Russ Canzler .205 – Canzler looks like a Quad-A type at this point. May get removed from 40-Man roster unless he starts crushing the ball.

Brenden Webb .200 – He continues to disappoint me. Barring a huge second half, he’s probably a non prospect going into next season.

DL Alert/ Glynn Davis and Jonathan Schoop – They’ve both been out since mid-May. Hopefully they are back in action by July.

Minorioles Hotsheet Report, MAY 14

Last time I wrote this column, I delivered something of a promise that the next HOTSHEET would appear on MAY 11. What went wrong?

In a word: Nature

Mother nature and her rainy wet nightmares fouled everyone’s schedules up. Several minor league games have been postponed in the past two weeks causing me to wait an extra few days to meet my little ten game threshold between writing each column. It’s not an exact science, folks. Each of our four minor league levels is different; in this particular case, the location each level has been playing the past couple weeks. Some teams may have played less than and some teams may have played more than ten games in the time span from my last column.

– Whatev –

I do things my way around here because I own the site. Therefore, I decided today, my birthday, would be the new and improved appropriate date to do the latest, freshest, hippest, Orioles Minor League Hotsheet. Not that any one of my ten readers cares, but I thought I would bring attention to the situation. Nevermind, MTV already took care of that.

Moving on. Without further ado, the number one hottest Orioles minor league prospect in the past 10+ games has been none other than EL CUBANO himself..

1) Henry Urrutia – OF – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 26

Top 20 Rank: HM

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.390	41	16	0	8	8	0	2	6	.419	.585	1.004

Henry has shown little to no signs of rust after not playing organized baseball for over two years. This is a very encouraging start and he could enter the Orioles plans later this year if he continues to dominate.

2) Torsten Boss – 3B – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 22

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 4

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.343	35	12	2	10	4	1	4	13	.410	.686	1.096

Torsten is an early candidate to be moved up to Frederick as he continues his offensive barrage. He’s also an early candidate to go far in Minor League Moniker Madness contest for best name in the minors.

3) Jonathan Schoop – SS – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 21

Top 20 Rank: 3

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.349	43	15	2	6	1	0	0	8	.349	.512	.860

Schoop, the Orioles top hitting prospect, has found his groove at AAA after a really disappointing start in April.

4) L.J. Hoes– LF – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 23

Top 20 Rank: 5

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.353	34	12	0	2	3	0	6	4	.476	.441	.917

Great to see L.J. continuing to rip the ball at AAA. He doesn’t offer much power production but he could hold his own in the bigs right now and I imagine he’s next in line for a callup if one of the Orioles outfielders gets injured.

5) Xavier Avery – CF – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 23

Top 20 Rank: 10

Last Ten Games: 7 for 7 in SB’s

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.350	40	14	0	3	2	0	6	8	.435	.400	.835

X is giving it to AA pitching lately, as he should be considering he played at AAA last season. What’s really encouraging with his performance is the low strikeout rate as well as the perfect 7 for 7 in stolen bases. The leadoff hitter upside is still there but a much more consistent feel for hitting needs to be shown before he can get there.

6) Matt Taylor – LHP – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 22

Top 20 Rank: HM

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	0	2	1.59	11.1	10	0	7	10	2.83	.238

Who’s Matt Taylor, you ask? He’s a sinkerball lefty with control issues but a promising upside as a late inning reliever (don’t think he’ll remain a starter in the long run) if he can repeat his mechanics more consistently and refine the command of his sinker-slider combo. He’s repeating Low-A so I expect him to dominate as he has his last two starts even if he’s taken the loss in both outings. Minor League wins and losses don’t mean s**t anyway.

7) Kevin Gausman – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 22

Top 20 Rank: 2

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	0	1	2.31	11.2	9	1	3	10	1.08	.214

KG, our top healthy pitching prospect has been great his last two outings. He continues to display premium stuff and the results as a whole on the year are encouraging for future success. Not to complain, but it would be nice to see him string together a few utterly dominant outings and show up higher on the hotsheet next time.

8) Josh Hader – LHP – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 19

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 2

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	0	0	2.70	12	7	1	4	14	0.75	.200

The local kid continues to improve his already rapidly improving prospect stock with results like his last two starts. Once again, he’s a very intriguing arm to keep an eye on how he develops.

9) Mike Wright – RHP – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 23

Top 20 Rank: 7

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	2	0	2.25	12	13	0	1	11	0.50	.271

I think of Mike Wright as a heavy user of low 90’s two seamers which is why I’m surprised to see him have an alarmingly high fly ball rate. Never-the-less, he has been pretty solid his last two outings which is great to see after his awful performances to begin the season.

10) Glynn Davis – CF – Frederick Keys (High A)

Age: 21

Top 20 Rank: 14

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.306	36	11	0	8	3	1	7	5	.419	.444	.863

Glynn struggled mightily to make contact throughout April aside from one game he hit two home runs in. So, its good to see that the bat might be heating up with his strong performance as of late. I particularly like the 7 walks to only 5 strikeouts which suggests to me he is seeing the ball well.

Who’s Not Hot? Uh Oh

– Brenden Webb – RF – .211 with 0 home runs in his last ten games with the Keys which is actually an improvement over last time but still not what I want to see.

– Zach Clark – RHP – 13.50 ERA in first start with Bowie. He’s converting to a knuckleballer so the immediate results won’t be pretty. Hopefully, they improve throughout the season.

– Devin Jones – RHP – 7.91 ERA in his last two starts with Bowie. A talented arm with a solid sinking fastball, the lack of a quality secondary pitch to neutralize lefty hitters is hurting him as lefties are hitting an unacceptable .357 off him as opposed to righties (.250).

Other Highlights

Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde Award: Branden Kline – RHP – Shorebirds (Low-A)

The Orioles 2012 2nd round pick has been an utter frustration thus far at Delmarva. His last two starts demonstrate why:

Start 1 – (6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 5 K, 1.33 GO/AO, .143 AVG) – Brilliance

Start 2 – (4.1 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 2 K, 0.83 GO/AO, .409 AVG) – Stinkbomb

Back from the Dead DL: Nick Delmonico – 3B – Keys (A+) – Yes! Good to see one of top young hitters (and no. 1 on the initial hotsheet in April) return to action. He picked up right where he left off, hitting two home runs in his first two games back.

Promotion Alert: Christian Walker – 1B – Frederick Keys (A+) – After batting .353 with 3 HR’s in 31 games at Delmarva, Walker finally got the promotion to Frederick. To put it simply, It’s about damn time. Every Gamecock and their mother knew that he belonged with the Keys to begin the season. He still has the question mark of whether he’ll hit for enough power required to be an everyday 1B in the bigs, but there’s no doubt he knows how to make consistent contact.

Not (Technically) A Prospect Player Spotlight: Yamaico Navarro – 2B – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.341	44	15	0	1	4	0	7	9	.392	.729	1.121

Keep an eye on Navarro who has been smacking the ball lately and could get a chance to relieve overmatched Ryan Flaherty of his duties (as opposed to rushing Schoop) at some point this season. He has previous MLB experience (therefore not eligible for the hotsheet which focuses on prospects) but is only 25 and was once highly thought of in the Red Sox farm system.

Old Man and the Tides: Jason Pridie – OF – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.354	48	17	5	8	3	0	3	9	.392	.729	1.121

By far, the most torrid hitter in the minors lately has been Pridie, a journeyman 29 year old outfielder, who was once a semi-decent prospect in the Rays farm system. He’s still too much of a free swinger (9 BB’s, 33 K’s) for my liking and his impressive performance this year simply tells me he knows how to mash a AAA fastball. I wouldn’t get too excited about him unless his recent power outburst proves not to be a fluke.

Minorioles Hotsheet Report: MAY 1

It’s been ten games. It’s time to see who’s made adjustments and who’s fallen back down to earth since last time.

This time the hottest player in the Orioles minors is a guy who was hitting below .200 last time but has picked up tremendously since, last year’s 8th Round pick out of Michigan State…

1) Torsten Boss – 3B – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 22

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 4

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.351	37	13	2	7	2	1	4	7	.415	.622	1.036

Torsten Boss, one of the cooler names in the Orioles farm system, has been hotter than a bunsen burner in his last ten games at Delmarva. He’s often been described by scouts and orioles analysts as a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ type who can play multiple positions (1B-2B-3B-OF) and do a little bit of everything offensively, but nothing particularly great. Good to see him shake off the early season rust and start hitting the ball with authority. At age 22, he could be a candidate to move up to Frederick mid-season.

2) Christian Walker – 1B – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 22

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 3

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.343	35	12	1	7	3	0	3	5	.425	.514	.939

Like I mentioned last time, as a proud Gamecock myself, I am stoked to see Christian Walker continuing to tear it up for the Shorebirds. Clearly, he’s too advanced for this level and I expect him to get the bump up to Frederick sometime in May, early June at the latest. His .360 AVG and .440 OBP on the season lead all Orioles minor league hitters.

3) Kevin Gausman – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 22

Top 20 Rank: 2

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	0	2	1.42	12.2	11	0	1	11	1.38	.239

Gausman has been a tough luck loser in his last two starts but we aren’t about wins and losses when it comes to evaluating pitching prospects. Let me tell you what we are about: Scouting Reports and Peripheral Numbers. Gausman has an excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio and groundout-to-air out ratio in his last two outings and has been clocked consistently in the mid 90’s. He’s doing just fine, folks.

4) L.J. Hoes – LF – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 23

Top 20 Rank: 5

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.342	38	13	0	12	5	0	3	6	.395	.474	.869

L.J. and his Hoes have heated up recently after a slow start to the season. Like many of the Norfolk hitters, his numbers are significantly better on the road away from the cavernous Harbor Park, which is like the AAA equivalent of the Mariners home field. This little snippet of performance is a step in the right direction. If L.J. keeps hitting consistently, he’ll enter the Orioles plans at some point this season.

5) Brady Wager – RHP – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 22

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 6

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	1	0	2.38	11.1	10	0	3	11	10.50	.233

I’d place a decent wager that many aren’t familiar with this guy. If he continues to pitch like his last two starts, he’ll start to get more press. Last year’s 9th Round pick out of D2 Grand Canyon University, Wager has dominated with his low 90’s sinker, showing impressive groundball numbers as well as a high strikeout rate over his last two outings. While probably a potential bullpen arm in the long run, he’s an intriguing guy to keep an eye on as a starter this season.

6) Tim Berry – LHP – Frederick Keys (High A)

Age: 22

Top 20 Rank: 15

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	2	0	3.28	11	12	2	1	14	1.38	.239

Still a little early to declare anything, but once again, Tim Berry, whom I suggested could be in for a breakout season in his prospect profile, looks like he is doing just that. I haven’t seen him pitch, but I assume his command has dramatically improved as his increased strikeout rate, low walk rate, and much lower opponent batting AVG indicate. He now leads all Orioles minor league starters (even Gausman) with his 35 K’s in 28 innings pitched.

7) Jonathan Schoop – SS – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 21

Top 20 Rank: 3

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.324	34	11	0	8	4	0	5	7	.425	.441	.866

Schoop got off to a miserable start, prompting an outrage over the front office’s decision to promote him to AAA after holding his own, but definitely not dominating AA pitching last year. Simmer down, everyone. The front office knows what they’re doing. Schoop may be young for the level but it looks like he’s starting to make an adjustment as his last ten games suggest. Hopefully, this isn’t a flash in the pan.

8) Gregory Lorenzo – CF – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 21

Top 20 Rank: HM

Last Ten Games:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.333	42	14	1	3	2	1	0	10	.326	.500	.826

Who is Gregory Lorenzo you ask? He’s an athletic young Dominican outfielder who takes a ton of aggressive hacks in the batter’s box, which is working to some degree in Low A ball, but will probably give him trouble against advanced pitchers in the upper minors. He needs to learn how to work the count more and draw a walk every once in a while, if that’s not too much too ask. Disclaimer: It isn’t. He’s fast and can steal bases but doesn’t offer much power upside. If continues to hit for respectable averages, he might profile as a 4th outfielder type one day.

9) Mike Wright – RHP – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 23

Top 20 Rank: 7

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	2	0	3.28	11	9	0	6	9	0.77	.225

After starting the season on a disastrous note in his first three starts, it appear Mr. Wright is starting to find his groove. I’d like to see better control but his last two starts have been pretty solid. How effective he pitches this year at AA and possibly AAA could determine his future as a starter or reliever with the O’s.

10) Zach Clark – RHP – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 29

Top 20 Rank: HM

Last Two Starts:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	1	1	3.28	11	11	0	4	8	5.00	.275

Here’s another pitcher who was roughed up a bit in his first three starts before finding his groove recently. The Orioles have taken notice and summoned him as an extra reliever for the Mariners series. He could possibly start this weekend in Anaheim and if he does, I will do a “Welcome To The Show” Profile on him.

Henry Urrutia (OF) Update: El Cubano Defecto is actually playing in minor league baseball games. Yep, it only took forever, but dammit he finally got his Work Visa, showed up to spring training, and now has been assigned to AA Bowie where he is batting .286 with a couple home runs in his first 9 games.

Who’s Not Hot…Uh Oh…

– Adrian Marin – SS – .105 AVG over his last ten games with the Shorebirds. Yo, Adrian. What’s up?!?!

– Russ Canzler – 3B/OF – .176 Avg over his last ten games with Norfolk. But..he has dropped a couple bombs and drawn 8 walks opposed to 7 strikeouts in that span.

– Glynn Davis – CF – .162 AVG over his last ten games with the Keys. Only hitting .204 on the season. C’mon Glynn, we expect better than this.

– Brenden Webb – RF – .148 AvG over his last ten games with the Keys. He has already K’d 27 times in 81 at bats. This is my reward for showing faith and including him at no. 20 on my prospect list.

– Parker Bridwell – RHP – 10.00 ERA in last two starts for the Shorebirds – He appeared in the hotsheet last time. Now, he’s reverted to his old ways of suck last year, finding himself in the ‘notsheet’ this time. The good news is he has shown a big improvement in his strikeout rate so far on the season.

– Branden Kline – RHP – 12.22 ERA in his last two starts. We knew he’d be a work in progress as a starter but I figured he’d at least show some dominance in low A ball. Instead he’s struggled big time with the only positive being his impressive groundball rate. It’s possible the coaches are working on a delivery overhaul with him (much needed) which could explain the poor early season results. I think he’ll get better as the season bears on.

Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde Award: Eduardo Rodriguez – LHP – His last two starts are as follows:

– Start 1 – (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1.80 GO/AO, .167 AVG) – Straight dominance, hon

– Start 2 – (4 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 1.67 GO/AO, .333 AVG) – Ouch, babe

If we see more of start 1 and less of start 2 from E-Rod this season, we have ourselves a keeper.

Relief Pitcher of the Month: Miguel Chalas – RHP

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
6	0	0	1.65	16.1	9	1	6	18	1.14	.164

Miggy Chalas (who is 20 years old) is repeating Low A, this time as a reliever, and the results have been great so far. He’s primarily a fastball-slider guy, with the fastball touching the mid-90’s at times.

Old Man and the Sea Tides – A Freddy Garcia (RHP) Update:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
3	3	0	1.52	23.2	14	2	0	12	1.59	.171

Freddy, 36 years young, has put on a clinic in his last three starts (shown above) on how to work ahead in the count and pitch deep into games. I’m not the biggest Garcia fan in the world, but I think he’s worth a look-see as a potential innings eater #5 type for the O’s, something the staff could really use considering the inability of the starters to pitch deep into games so far this season

That’s it for now. I’ll be doing this again around May 10-12. Get it. Got it. Good

The Orioles Minor League Hotsheet

Here’s the lowdown on how this entry and future entries of this nature are going to work…You see, I like inspiration. When I see an idea I like, I try to emulate it and make it my own. Each week on Fridays, Baseball America does a column called the Prospect Hot Sheet where they highlight the hottest prospects in all the minor leagues. That folks, is the inspiration for this gnarly little column I’m starting with the focus being on the “who’s hot, who’s not” of Oriole prospects. I’m going to write a hotsheet entry after every ten minor league games though so that I can analyze 10 game samples. We are now over ten games into the season for all four Orioles affiliates. Hence, it is time to debut the Orioles prospect hot sheet and check out which players are off to the best starts thus far.

Note: Organizational filler types or players with extended major league experience (like Jair Jurrjens) won’t be included in these lists. However, those worth mentioning will be mentioned separately. I want to try to keep the focus on the prospects. I’m a man of the people and I’m a man of the prospects.

Without further ado, here are the ten prospects off to the hottest starts in the Orioles minor leagues:

1) Nick Delmonico – 3B – Frederick Keys (High A)

Age: 20

Top 20 Rank: 6

The Numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.333	36	12	2	9	4	0	9	8	.467	.611	1.078

This is a fantastic start – love the 9 BB to 8 K ratio in particular – to see from our prized hitting prospect and former 1.5 million bonus baby, Nick Delmonico. An offensive breakout season along with favorable reports on his 3B defense could establish himself as a Top 100 prospect at the end of the season. But, lets not get ahead of ourselves. This is a small (but promising) sample after all.

2) Russ Canzler – 3B/1B/OF – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 27

Top 20 Rank: Unranked

The Numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
13	.346	52	18	3	13	4	1	6	15	.407	.635	1.041

He may be 27 but Russ Canzler still meets rookie qualifications so, “technically speaking”, he’s a prospect. He’s been the hottest hitter at Norfolk so far and with Conor Jackson’s retirement – could be next in line for a call up to the Orioles if a spot on the bench arises. He’s got some pop and technically offers defensive versatility but is not to be confused as a great defender at any of the positions he plays. I wasn’t too impressed with his at bats I saw in Spring Training and he’s never been rated highly as a prospect. Seems like AAA depth more than anything. Nevertheless, nice to see him performing well.

3) Christian Walker – 1B – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 22

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 3

The Numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
13	.354	48	17	2	8	0	0	6	7	.429	.479	.908

My goodness. As a proud Gamecock myself, those early season numbers my boy Christian Walker has put up so far are like eye candy to me. It’s great to see a dominant, polished college hitter like Walker dominate Low A like I expected. If Walker keeps this up, his stay in Delmarva should be a brief one, especially with Jason Esposito keeping the first base seat warm for him at Frederick with his sterling .194 AVG.

4) Josh Hader – LHP – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Hader’s gonna hate

Age: 19

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 2

The Numbers:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	1	0	O.82	11	4	0	3	10	1.30	.111

Hader enters this season has perhaps the most intriguing sleeper prospect in the organization. If you don’t know the story by now, the Orioles took a flier on Hader in the 19th Round out of Old Mill high school here in Maryland, signed him, and watched him suddenly go from 85-87 in high school to 89-93 overnight after getting him on a long tossing program. With a deceptive low 3/4 arm angle that allows for great movement and deception on his pitches, Hader has brought last year’s short season dominance with him to full season Delmarva in his first two starts.

5) Josh Stinson – RHP – Norfolk Tides (AAA)

Age: 25

Top 20 Rank: Not Eligible

The Numbers:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
2	1	0	0.77	11.2	10	1	4	10	0.91	.244

Let’s be honest. How many people besides me are aware that Stinson is a proud member of the Orioles 40 man roster? I’d venture to say very few. That’s right, Stinson was claimed off waivers from the Athletics on April 4th and quietly assigned to Norfolk where he has pitched great in his first two starts as the Tides 5th starter. He throws in the low-to-mid 90’s with average secondaries and could be a long reliever candidate at some point this season.

6) Xavier Avery – CF – Bowie Baysox (AA)

Age: 23

Top 20 rank: 10

The numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
14	.333	60	20	1	6	6	1	5	18	.394	.517	.911

X is currently giving it to AA pitching, as he should be considering he played the entire 2012 season a level up at AAA. The high number of strikeouts bothers me and Xavier is notorious for getting off to hot starts before hitting a wall in the second half of the season. However, it’s still nice to see Xavier dominating after essentially being forced to AA due to the outfield depth surplus at AAA.

7) Wynston Sawyer – C – Delmarva Shorebirds (A)

Age: 21

Top 20 rank: Unranked

The numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
11	.349	43	15	0	4	4	1	4	10	.417	.488	.905

Sawyer put up a pretty sub par showing last year at Delmarva so it’s encouraging to see him start the year hot in his repeat season. He’s not a highly thought of prospect but he’s still young and an unexpected big season from him could put himself on the radar as a sleeper to watch.

8) Parker Bridwell – RHP – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 21

Top 20 rank: 17

The Numbers:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
3	1	1	2.30	15.2	13	0	5	14	1.13	.217

Another youngster repeating a level and off to a promising start as we would hope to see – because he’s repeating the level! Last year was a disaster at Delmarva for Bridwell; one of the most talented arms in the system but a big work in progress. It’s a small sample of course but it appears the hard work he put in the offseason while living with the Bundy’s is paying off.

9) Tim Berry – LHP – Frederick Keys (High A)

Age: 22

Top 20 Rank: 15

The Numbers:

G	W	L	ERA	IP	H	HR	BB	K	GO/AO	AVG
3	0	1	3.18	17	11	1	3	21	0.93	.180

Berry has been a favorite sleeper of mine the past few years and the early season strikeout rate spike is both a pleasant surprise and a potential indicator of a breakout season. He could be a candidate to move up to Bowie midway through the year if he keeps performing well.

10) Adrian Marin – SS – Delmarva Shorebirds (Low A)

Age: 19

Top 10 Short Season Rank: 1

The Numbers:

G	AVG	AB	H	HR	RBI	2B	3B	BB	S0	OBP	SLG	OPS
10	.344	32	11	0	6	2	1	2	7	.389	.469	.858

The number prospect from last year’s short season ranks is off to a damn good start for a kid just out of high school getting his first taste of full season ball. I like Marin’s upside and a strong season at Delmarva will put him easily amongst the the Top 10 prospects in the system.

(The Honorable Mention “organizational guys” tearing it up: Zealous Wheeler – 3B – AA, Joel Hutter – UTL – A, Caleb Joseph – UTL – AA)

——— – – —- – — – – – – — —- – – – – – – – – – – – — – — – – – –  – – – –   — — — —– – – – — —– – – – – — — – – – – —-

While the purpose of thus column is to focus on who is performing well lately, the reality is that not all is bright and shiny in the minors and there are those with struggles worth a brief mention.

Who’s cold…uh oh…

– Jonathan Schoop – SS – Norfolk Tides – Not great to see our top hitting prospect struggle early on at AAA. Batting just .149 in his first 47 at bats. He is just 21 years old, making him one of the youngest players in the league. Hopefully he makes adjustments. Probably should’ve started in AA but its the O’s decision not mine.

– Mike Wright – RHP – Bowie Baysox – I’m a big Wright supporter as a potential no. 4 starter but his awful performance (7.30 ERA, .333 opponent AVG) thus far will begin to test my faith if it continues. C’mon Michael

– Tyler Wilson – RHP – Frederick Keys – Uncharacteristic control issues (10 BB in 15 innings; only 19 BB in 111 innings at Frederick last year) have hampered Wilson’s effectiveness so far resulting in a 6.46 ERA after three starts. Not what I wanted to see, especially when I figured he’d begin in AA. But, Wilson also started last season slow and got progressively better each month so I’m not too concerned.

— — ——- — – —— – — —- ———- – – – — – – — – – ——— – – – – —  – —  — – —  – — – – – – – – —- — – — – — – – – — – – – — – – – – — – – — — – – –

– Kevin Gausman Update: The good: 18 K and 0 BB in 16 innings pitched. The bad: 20 hits allowed and a 5.63 ERA. He’s fine. The premium stuff is there. Just needs to keep out out of the middle of the zone more consistently. The high ERA could also be the product of bad luck and a questionable infield defense behind him.

– Eduardo Rodriguez Update: Solid K rate (12 K in 12  innings) and great GO/AO ratio (3.20) in his first two outings for the Keys = what I like to see.

Remember our old friend, Matthew Hobgood…

– Matt Hobgood Update: Five scoreless outings spanning 10 innings out of the Delmarva bullpen for Hobgood thus far. Can’t ask for a better start.

– Promotion Alert: Devin Jones – RHP – With Dylan Bundy opening the season on the DL, an opportunity for Jones has arisen as he took Bundy’s spot at AA after pitching well in Frederick’s season opener. I’m a big fan of Jones and his 91-94 MPH sinking fastball. If he can pass the AA test as a starter this year, we may have an interesting #3/#4 starter prospect on our hands. He ranked #12 on my preseason Top 20.

– Yet to return from the DL: Steve Johnson, Both Bundy’s

All three should be back in action by the first week of May…I presume from what I’ve read.

That’s all I got this time. Today is the 18th, so I’ll do another one of these at the end of the month.

Top Ten Short Season Prospects

I like to keep anyone who hasn’t played in full season ball (That isn’t a consensus Top 10 prospect) off the Top 20 until they have shown what they are capable of doing over a full season of work. That may sound stupid and unheard of to some but that’s my way of doing things and I don’t like change. Besides, there are countless example of guys who tear it up in the the short season leagues, then flame out in AA. Everyone, aside from Kevin Gausman and Brandon Kline, needs to show me what they can do at a full season level before I include them in my Top 20. I nearly made an exception for Adrian Marin too but I’m kinda iffy on his hit tool. He’d be in the 11 – 15 range. Same with Josh Hader who I need to see how he does as a starter.

Here are the Top Ten Short Season Prospects to keep an eye on as they make their way to full season ball

HM/ Sander Beck – RHP (Maryland), Jaime Esquivel – RHP, Elias Pinales – LHP, Tom Winegardner – RHP

10 – Rafael Moreno – RHP

Signed: Undrafted FA, Brazil, 2011 Birthplace: Adamanita, Sau Paolo, Brazil

DOB: 2/11/95 Age: 18 Height: 6’0″ Weight: 200

I don’t know a whole lot about Moreno but after scouring over the DSL Orioles roster he seems the most intriguing name to follow. Should be with the GCL O’s this year.

9 – Sebastian Vader – RHP

Drafted: 19th Round, 2010 High School: San Marcos HS

DOB: 6/03/92 Age: 20 Height: 6’4″ Weight: 175

Seabass is still more projection than results at this point but the athletic right hander is an interesting sleeper to follow if he increases his velocity. Should start out with Delmarva.

8 – Hector Veloz – 3B

Signed: Undrafted FA, Dominican Republic, 2011 DOB: 2/01/94 Age: 19

Height: 6’2″ Weight: 200 Birthplace: Santo Domingo, D.R. Throws: R Bats: R

Veloz recieved a 300 K bonus, a club record for a D.R. born player, in 2011. He bring a plus arm and plus power to the table. That’s about it. LONG way away from bigs. Should play at Aberdeen this Summer.

7 – Bennett Parry – LHP

Drafted: 40th Round, 2011 College: Cal State Northridge

DOB: 11/07/91 Age: 21 Height: 6’6″ Weight: 225

Parry is a nice sleeper bullpen prospect who doesn’t throw hard but relies on deception to miss bats. Will start out in the Shorebirds bullpen

6 – Brady Wager – RHP

Drafted: 9th Round, 2012 – College: Grand Canyon University

DOB: 11/17/90 Age: 22 Height: 6’3″ Weight: 190 Birthplace: Glendale, AZ

Wager is yet another intriguing sleeper who throws a low 90’s sinking fastball and has a chance to develop into an innings eating back of the rotation starter. Should be with Delmarva but may start out in the ‘pen.

5 – Lex Rutledge – LHP

Drafted: 6th Round, 2012 – College: Samford

DOB: 6/28/91  Age: 21  Height: 6’1″ Weight: 195

Doubt he sticks as a starter but as a reliever could have setup reliever upside if he improves his well below average command. He’ll start out in Delmarva’s bullpen

4 – Torsten Boss – 3B

Drafted: 8th Round, 2012 – College: Michigan State

DOB: 12/27/90  Age: 22  Height: 6’0″ Weight: 190

Torsten Boss is a solid ball player that can help a club in many ways with his versatility. Has the upside of an offensive minded Ty Wigginton type utility player. Should be with Delmarva, possibly Frederick in 2013.

 

3 – Christian Walker – 1B

Drafted: 4th Round, 2012 College: South Carolina

DOB: 3/28/91  Age: 22  Height: 6’0″ Weight: 220

The Gamecock himself! I’m excited the O’s took Walker who I saw play last April. He may not have huge power but he offers a nice mix of AVG and OBP and could end up a Jeff Conine type of player. Should start with Frederick

2 – Josh Hader – LHP

Also considered for top 20 list

Drafted: 19th Round, 2012 High School: Old Mill

DOB: 4/07/94   Age: 19  Height: 6’3″ Weight: 160

The local kid was the story of the year in the short season leagues going from unheralded 19th rounder to legitimate prospect overnight. There’s some high upside here if he performs like he did with Delmarva this year

1 – Adrian Marin – SS

– Almost included him with the top 20 list

Drafted: 3rd Round, 2012 High School: FL

DOB: 3/0894  Age: 19  Height: 6’0 Weight: 180   Bats: R Throws: R

Adrian Marin is the #1 short season prospect. He’ll be playing SS for Delmarva this year and has the upside of an everyday, defense first, SS in the bigs. Not sold he’ll hit for much power but we’ll see