The Other Baltimore Bundy

With the August 15th deadline just a few days away, the focus is on the unsigned picks from each organization’s draft class. For the Baltimore Orioles eyes are on 2nd round pick 3B-Jason Esposito and 1st round pick RHP-Dylan Bundy and rightly so as they are 2 of the team’s 3 top-10 picks that have yet to ink a contract.

There is, however, another Bundy that has been quietly impressing as his little brother’s contract status stays on the front page. I am of course talking about 21-year old RHP Robert Bundy, the O’s 8th round pick in the 2008 draft and 14th rated prospect* in their system heading into the 2011 season.

*According to Baseball America

Based on his performance so far in 2011 Bobby has a good shot at cracking the team’s top-10 (in fairness some already had him there) but it hasn’t been an easy road. Heading into 2010 he wasn’t in Baltimore’s top-30 and had his share of difficulties mastering the Appalachian League (Rk) in 2009. Undeterred the Orioles moved him up to the Delmarva Shorebirds and dropped him in the bullpen to start the season. On May 21st he cracked the rotation and stayed there the rest of the year.

By the time the season had come to a close, Bundy had a much improved (relative to 2008-2009) 3.65 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 116.0 innings (28 G/18 GS) and had proven that he was more comfortable as a starter. The proof was in the results. In relief he had a 4.24 ERA (8 ER in 17 IP) but in the rotation he had a 3.55 ERA (39 ER in 99 IP).

He didn’t dominate the league, but he showed enough improvement to merit a shot at the next level and the Frederick Keys (A+) wound up being his destination to open 2011. With Frederick he continued to show progress and had a 2.75 ERA, 1.099 WHIP in 20 starts and 121.0 innings. He also cut his BB/9 from 3.3 in 2009 to 2.4 in 2011 and despite the step up in competition slightly improved his SO/9 from 7.1 to 7.4 as well.

All of that was enough to merit another promotion, this time in-season, and on August 5th he took the mound as a member of the Eastern League’s Bowie Baysox (AA). In that start he gave up 6 hits, 5 runs (3 of them earned), 2 walks and struck out 1 in 2.0 innings pitched. It clearly didn’t go as planned but if tonight’s start is any indication, August 5th may prove to be the exception and not the rule. This evening Bundy bounced back in a big way throwing 5.0 innings of shutout ball while allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 5 in the game.

Robert Bundy doesn’t profile to be an ace like his little brother, but he does have the makings of a middle of the rotation guy with a low-90s sinking fastball, promising changeup, slider and a curveball. His breaking pitches still need work and as is the case for most 21-year old starting pitchers, most facets of his game need additional refinement. That aside he’s got a good shot of pitching in the majors alongside his brother, health permitting, and if Dylan signs by August 15th.

For more on the Orioles, check out Birds Watcher

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