Baltimore Orioles top ten prospects for 2020
By David Hill
9. Keegan Akin
Minors (AAA): 6-7 record, 112.1 innings, 4.73 ERA, 1.513 WHiP, 131 strikeouts, 61 walks
Despite the mediocre numbers, Keegan Akin may be the next home grown starter to appear in the Baltimore Orioles rotation.
There are questions as to what Akin’s long term role will be for Baltimore. While he is seemingly locked in as a future part of the rotation, what type of pitcher he will be is the question. At worst, he appears to be a back of the rotation arm, but there are the tools there where Akin could develop into more.
A lefty handed pitcher, Akin was originally a second round draft pick who has been aggressively moved through the system. Armed with a repeatable delivery, his best pitch may be his slider, which is can use to strike out batters on either side of the plate. Akin’s fastball sits in the low 90s, and can touch 95 MPH on occasion. He also has a changeup that is considered average at best, but he mixes his pitches well, allowing it to be effective.
The biggest worry surrounding Akin is that he is a flyball pitcher in a division with a ton of power. Although he can strike batters out and generate weaker contact, his penchant for allowing fly balls could be a major drawback. However, if he can prove to be the crafty lefty type that his arsenal would indicate, Akin may be able to circumvent those problems.
The Baltimore Orioles rotation could get an internal boost sometime in 2020 from Keegan Akin. But will he be able to be effective enough to stick around?