Infielder Joey Ortiz carried out 5 robust video video games ultimate week, nevertheless it was the one he didn’t play that raised eyebrows.
Ortiz, the Orioles’ No. 7 prospect in accordance with Baseball America, hit .364 with six RBIs for Triple-A Norfolk to proceed his robust start to the season. However he was held out of Saturday’s sport as a precaution as Baltimore infielder Ramón Urías was being assessed in concussion protocol, the Orioles launched.
Ortiz wasn’t known as up Sunday or Monday, however when Urías has to go on the seven-day injured itemizing as he progresses by concussion protocol, it’s attainable that Ortiz would get hold of his first call-up to the big leagues.
Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde wouldn’t comment Sunday a few potential Ortiz promotion, as a substitute specializing in how Urías was “feeling so much higher” a day after taking a 96.2 mph pitch to the helmet.
Ortiz, who turns 25 in July, is actually considered one of three excellent infield prospects in Norfolk, alongside Jordan Westburg and Connor Norby, ranked Nos. 5 and 6, respectively. All three have been ranked this offseason in Baseball America’s excessive 100 itemizing.
Primarily a shortstop, Ortiz is the proper defender among the many many membership’s stockpile of youthful infielders. He made a change to his swing in the midst of ultimate season and has hit successfully ever since. In 9 video video games and 43 plate appearances in Triple-A this yr, Ortiz is batting .325 with a .751 OPS.
Ortiz, nonetheless, wasn’t the one participant on the farm to hold out successfully ultimate week. That’s why each week, The Baltimore Solar will break down 5 of the very best performers throughout the Orioles’ prospect ranks and hand out some superlatives for people who didn’t make that decrease.
1. Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Colton Cowser
Cowser, the Orioles’ No. 3 prospect, broke out ultimate week after a tricky start. The 23-year-old went 3-for-30 with 10 strikeouts to open the yr, nevertheless he bounced once more to go 10-for-23 with six walks, 9 runs, two RBIs, two doubles, a triple and a stolen base since. He collected two hits in 4 video video games and has walked in 5 straight and in 9 of his 13 begins. The 2021 No. 5 common select made it to Triple-A on the end of ultimate season, and whereas he struggles at events with strikeouts, his batting eye and plate self-discipline are perhaps the proper throughout the system. Fellow Tides outfielder Hudson Haskin, who was featured on this itemizing ultimate week, continued his scorching scorching start to the season with a 10-for-21 week.
2. Double-A Bowie outfielder-first baseman Heston Kjerstad
Cowser and Haskin have been wonderful ultimate week, nevertheless neither was the proper outfielder on the farm. That was, unsurprisingly, Kjerstad, who was perhaps the Orioles’ most interesting hitter in large league spring teaching and has carried that over with Bowie. In six video video games, Kjerstad, Baltimore’s No. 11 prospect, went 8-for-23 with 4 home runs, two doubles, 5 RBIs and two stolen bases for a 1.401 OPS. Kjerstad is slashing .314/.429/.800 in 9 video video games this yr. The 2020 No. 2 common select misplaced two seasons, nevertheless he purchased his toes moist throughout the second half of the 2022 season, obtained the Arizona Fall League MVP, stood out at large league camp, and is now crushing Double-A pitching.
3. Low-A Delmarva catcher Creed Willems
In 68 video video games with the Shorebirds ultimate season, Willems hit merely 4 home runs all through 246 plate appearances. He’s matched that homer complete in merely seven video video games this yr. Willems, who turns 20 in June, struggled in 2021 and 2022 after the Orioles drafted him throughout the eighth spherical and gave him a $1 million signing bonus that was successfully over slot. He hit merely .190 in 2022. However Willems is coming off perhaps his most interesting week as an skilled, going 8-for-21 with three home runs, a double and eight RBIs. Throughout 34 plate appearances, the 6-foot, 225-pound backstop has a 1.494 OPS with 11 RBIs.
4. Double-A Bowie left-hander Cade Povich
In his first start of the season earlier this month, Povich pitched merely three innings, allowing 4 hits, three walks and two runs. He purchased once more on monitor Saturday by pitching 5 shutout innings with seven strikeouts. The 6-foot-3 left-hander scattered two hits and two walks for the seventh scoreless start of five-plus innings in his expert occupation. Povich, the Orioles’ No. 3 pitching prospect behind Grayson Rodriguez and DL Corridor, was acquired from the Minnesota Twins ultimate summer season season throughout the Jorge López commerce.
5. Triple-A Norfolk left-hander Drew Rom
However Povich wasn’t basically essentially the most spectacular starting pitcher on the farm ultimate week. That was Rom, who tossed 11 shutout innings all through two begins for the Tides. Rom, a fourth-round select in 2018 by the sooner regime in Baltimore, allowed merely three hits in six innings in direction of the Nashville Sounds on Tuesday, putting out 4 and inducing 12 ground balls. On Sunday, he pitched 5 innings of scoreless ball, surrendering two hits and putting out 5. In three begins this season, the 23-year-old has a 1.69 ERA and 0.938 WHIP.
The excessive prospect not featured thus far
Jackson Holliday, Baltimore’s No. 2 prospect, continued to impress in direction of Low-A pitching ultimate week. The 19-year-old went 5-for-18 with three extra-base hits, 5 RBIs, six walks and two stolen bases for Delmarva. Holliday, whom the Orioles chosen with the first select in ultimate yr’s draft, went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and 4 RBIs on Wednesday. He’s slashing .355/.487/.581 in eight video video games with further walks (eight) than strikeouts (5).
Worldwide acquisition of the week
Willems and Holliday weren’t the one standouts in Delmarva ultimate week. Stiven Acevedo, a 20-year-old outfielder, went 11-for-19 with 5 RBIs, two walks and three stolen bases. After hitting successfully in Rookie ball to start out ultimate yr, Acevedo posted a .168 frequent in direction of Low-A pitching. In seven video video games this season, the Dominican Republic native is hitting .429 with a .933 OPS. The Orioles in 2019 signed Acevedo, merely 16 on the time, and gave him a $275,000 signing bonus — the most effective bonus of the first signing interval beneath authorities vice chairman and fundamental supervisor Mike Elias.
Time to current some shine to …
One other worldwide signee, Jean Pinto pitched successfully for the second straight start to start out his season in Excessive-A Aberdeen. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed three hits all through 5 innings of one-run ball Thursday and struck out eight batters. Pinto, who posted a 3.83 ERA with 103 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings in Aberdeen ultimate yr, has allowed two runs in 9 1/3 innings with 14 strikeouts by two begins. In 179 2/3 occupation minor league innings, Pinto has a 29.6% strikeout cost. The Orioles acquired the Venezuela native throughout the José Iglesias commerce with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2020.
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