BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 18: Cedric Mullins #3 of the Baltimore Orioles catches a fly ball during a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 18, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
TRENTON, NJ – JULY 11: Keegan Akin #41 of the Western Division All Stars in action during the 2018 Eastern League All Star Game at Arm & Hammer Park on July 11, 2018 in Trenton, New Jersey. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
The 2018 season was not kind to the Baltimore Orioles at the major league level, but there were some positive strides in the minor league system.
As part of our continuing coverage at Call to the Pen of the minor leagues, we will be covering each organization’s top players for 2018. The coverage will go in reverse order of record. Today, we will look at the Baltimore Orioles.
We are going to review the system’s leaders for each organization statistically, then choose one hitter and one pitcher to honor for every team. This will be primarily based on statistical performance, though some “age relative to level” could come into play, so a very impressive season from a 28-year-old in AA will rank below a nearly as impressive season from a 20-year-old at the same level.
After we review each organization’s hitter and pitcher of the year, we will close out October with Call To The Pen’s Minor League team of the year. That will lead into November starting our team top 10 prospect lists. In other words, there will be plenty of minor league content on the way at CTTP, so keep coming back for more each day this offseason!!
Baltimore Orioles minor leagues
Often joked about and discounted, the Orioles have actually done a good job of building up their minor league development staff. These efforts have been specifically noted on the pitching side, where minor league pitching coordinator John Wasdin has done incredible work building up the Baltimore Orioles development program for young arms, something that once was a horrid black mark on the organization.
Before we offer up awards on the season, let’s take a look at the system’s statistical leaders:
Ryan McKenna is not a guy that you would ever be intimidated by as he stepped off of the team bus. He doesn’t have a huge power bat, elite speed, or premier defensive ability. Yet, his consistency and steady play allowed him to be the guy this year that stood out in the Baltimore Orioles system.
Of course, not really being recognized for the player he’s become is nothing new to McKenna. Drafted in the 4th round of the 2015 draft, McKenna got very little exposure playing in New Hampshire, and many teams were not sure what to make of his performance due to the inconsistent level of competition in his high school days.
McKenna just needs a bat in his hands to make his name known, though. He has a very good contact ability and knowledge of the strike zone. While his 5’11”, 185-190 pound frame doesn’t portend a lot of over-fence power, he has the ability to nail the gaps well. Though he’s not a great base stealer, McKenna is a plus runner and is very sharp on the bases in general, making him an ideal top of the order hitter with his skill set.
In 2018, McKenna tore up the Carolina League before cooling off in his first exposure to AA at 21 years old, hitting .377 for Frederick, but impressively, his approach and ability to work the count did not change in his time in the Eastern League, indicating better days ahead for him.
While his ceiling as a prospect may be limited, McKenna has the contact ability and the batting eye to be a consistent contributor in left field for a number of years, likely opening in AA in 2019 with a chance to push for big league time if he hits big again!
Runners-up
Perhaps with more impressive overall stats, long-time minor league and major league veteran Corban Joseph had a very big season as a utility infielder for AA Bowie before getting a late-season call. His 30 doubles and 17 home runs were impressive, but he’s 29 already.
With Adam Jones leaving the organization, Cedric Mullins very well may step right into Jones’ center field job. The 23-year-old was a 13th round pick in 2015, and he’s moved quickly through the system, putting up impressive power/speed numbers, including 12 home runs and 21 stolen bases between AA/AAA before his major league call this year, where he hit 4 home runs and stole two bases over 45 games.
Traded early in the season into the Baltimore system, Wilson Garcia found a home in a hurry once he was allowed to simply hit. The switch-hitter moved from catcher to 1B/DH once he got to the Orioles, and his bat was turned loose, hitting .295/.328/.528 with minimal strikeouts (10.4%). He was 24 and hitting for Frederick, but Garcia has a strong bat from both sides of the plate that could take off in the Baltimore Orioles system if allowed to simply DH.
Arguably the top prep shortstop in the 2017 draft, Canadian Adam Hall did not give Orioles fans a lot of exposure in his draft season due to injury. He spent 2018 with short-season A-ball Aberdeen in the New York-Penn League. He showed off his incredible range on defense and his elite speed as he stole 22 bases in just 62 games, hitting .293/.368/.374.
Baltimore Orioles Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Zac Lowther
Level(s): low-A Delmarva, high-A Frederick Stats: 8-4, 23 G, 22 GS, 123 2/3 IP, 2.18 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 35/151 BB/K The performance of Zac Lowther this season was not only the top performance in the Baltimore Orioles farm system on the mound, it was also a great example of how the Orioles system has changed in its development. Lowther may not have a future as an ace starter, but if he continues progressing the way he did in 2018, he will make a major league rotation, and that was not something many saw for him coming out of college at Xavier as a 2nd round pick in 2017.
Lowther’s not got a blazing fastball, and the slight hitch in his delivery before he releases the ball is a big reason for his success, throwing off hitters’ timing. He has made significant strides in his pitching ability, however, learning how to work from his fastball and change, using fringe-plus control to then work his plus curve into the effect.
In 2018, Lowther exemplified the Orioles development model in his focus on commanding his pitches. Even if he ended up getting a “ball” call at times, he was aiming to hit his catcher’s mitt with each pitch, and the results spoke loudly all season.
Lowther will get his chance at the upper levels in 2019, and he might find the sledding tougher there, but his impressive performance so far should give him good confidence to stick to his coaching to find further success.
Numerous starters had very solid seasons working in Baltimore’s focus on command and control, but one of the guys who simply blew guys away was reliever Tyler Erwin. The lefty reliever was taken out of New Mexico State in the 23rd round in 2016, and he’s moved up one step at a time, spending all of 2018 at high-A Frederick, where he tossed 68 1/3 innings in 50 games with a 1.58 ERA and a 23/84 BB/K ratio, saving 18 games. Quite a few around the O’s system were discussing Erwin as a guy that could have potential back-end future, and on a team that has recently utilized lefty Zach Britton as a closer, that could be a future final role for Erwin.
The top selection for the club in the 2017 draft, lefty DL Hall took to the work the club was doing on commanding the ball and saw huge growth. Known in his amateur days for his elite curve, honing the command of his hook allowed Hall to post a 2.10 ERA over 94 1/3 innings as a teenager, striking out 100.
Similar to Lowther, Keegan Akin was a 2nd round pick and moved quickly based on excellent work in his command and control. Akin had his first year in the upper minors in 2018, and posted a 3.27 ERA and struck out 142 over 137 2/3 AA innings. He is a back-end starter in profile, but if he can be consistent in his control and command from the left side in the same way as 2018, he will be a guy who spends a long time in that role, working from the left side.
A big righty from Minnesota, Michael Baumann found his way to college in Jacksoville, Florida before being picked in the 3rd round by the Orioles in 2017. He’s been a revelation, showing up with much more raw stuff than he showed for Jacksonville, holding his mid-90s fastball deep into games, with multiple games with a 97-98 deep into the start. Baumann’s slider was a fringe-plus pitch when he was drafted, but his ability to manipulate his curve and change and get them both to the point of at least average, if not above-average, has given him the chance to really make a big splash.
Bauman struggled with consistency in his delivery in the second half of the season, and while he still was able to find success, his walk rate was significantly higher. Being able to pitch to a low-walk, heavy-groundball approach with his developing 3rd and 4th pitch could give the Orioles a reliable #3 with the potential to pitch his way to a #2 role after posting a 3.17 ERA between both A-ball levels over 130 2/3 innings, striking out 106.
Next. Potential Adam Jones destinations. dark
So, while the Baltimore Orioles may not have had a great season at the big league level, there were definite positives in the minor leagues for O’s fans to get excited about!
