3 Up, 3 Down – September 2019, Week 4

3 Up

Trey Mancini – .421/.522/.684 (1.206), 2 doubles, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 19 AB

Its hard to finish a season hotter than Mancini did. He raised his stock as a trade chip over the offseason but even just as a leader in the clubhouse if he doesn’t get dealt. Another first half in 2020 like he had this year and I don’t think he gets snubbed for the all-star game next time around.

Asher Wojciechowski – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 1 BB, 6 K, 0.83 WHIP

Wojo owned the Red Sox this year over three starts. That should be enough to make him one of the favorites to win a starting rotation spot heading into spring training. Boston may have been thinking about what they were going to do once the season ended but regardless its nice to see him finish the season strong.

Dylan Bundy – 1-0, 2.57 ERA, 7 IP, 2 BB, 6 K, 0.71 WHIP

Bundy had a sneaky good season. With a homerun heavy offensive environment he made some real adjustments as the year went on prove that even though his velocity has dipped his stuff can still play at this level. It may be as a bottom of the rotation starter and not the potential ace we thought we drafted but that still has value. Maybe enough value to be a trade chip in the offseason but I think hes more likely to be a mid-season acquisition with a solid first half.

3 Down

Rio Ruiz – .167/.211/.167 (.377), 2 RBI, 18 AB

Ruiz had been playing, or more specifically hitting, much better since he returned from his short stint in AAA but he ended the season back in a cold spell. I think its safe to assume we will see him back in camp once spring training rolls around but I’m not so sure hes a lock to make the opening day roster without some significant improvement. Even if he does hes going to be pushed by guys in AAA like Rylan Bannon and Mason McCoy.

Hanser Alberto – .182/.250/.182 (.432), 1 RBI, 11 AB

Maybe I jinxed him with all that batting champion talk but he still finishes the year hitting over .300 and nearly (but not quite) .400 against lefties. He may come crashing down to earth in 2020 but right now I think you can pencil Alberto into the opening day starting lineup. Even if he ends up as a useful bench player it seems like hes the kind of guy any team would like to have in their clubhouse.

Shawn Armstrong – 0-0, 13.50 ERA, 0.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 9.00 WHIP

Armstrong showed flashes of… I won’t say brilliance but potential to be a decent middle reliever. He strikes a lot of batters out and is an improvement over Mike Wright who we dropped right before claiming him. But he really struggled down the stretch. He did have a quick trip to the injured list in the second half so maybe he battling through a minor injury that effected his performance. Throw him onto the pile of relievers that will be fighting for a roster spot once February rolls around.

3 Up, 3 Down – September 2019, Week 3

3 Up

Trey Mancini – .462/.484/.846 (1.330), 4 doubles, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 26 AB

Mancini went from hot last week to on fire the past seven days. He is hitting the ball with authority all over the field and is making a late push for a 100 RBI season. He had 10 this week which puts him at 93 on the season. His 72 extra base hits (36 doubles, 2 triples, 34 homeruns) put him tied for ninth in the American League. The battle for Most Valuable Oriole was getting close between Mancini and Jonathan Villar (with John Means lurking in third place) but Trey is making a statement that maybe it should be the all-star snub that takes it home.

Austin Hays – .333/.385/.667 (1.051), 2 doubles, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 24 AB

With Mason Williams hurting his knee and head after running into the outfield wall while chasing a fly ball, Hays went from splitting time in center field to getting everyday at bats out there and he is flourishing. Not only is he hitting, an OPS around .900 over 43 at bats, but it seems like he makes a sensational play in almost every game. He made what is probably the play of the year for the Orioles going over the wall to rob a homerun. It was eerily similar to the amazing play Mike Trout made a few years ago. The next night he made a great diving catch racing in towards the infield. He plays hard and is clearly enjoying himself out there. Its fun to watch.

Aaron Brooks – 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 0.29 WHIP

Brooks came into Friday’s game against the Seattle Mariners out of the bullpen after Richard Bleier pitched two innings acting as the opener. And he was great. He was efficient, only needing 83 pitches to complete the last seven innings of the game, as well as nearly unhittable. He only gave up one hit, a double, and walked one batter while striking out four. I’m not sure what it means for his long term place on the team but he has shown flashes much like Asher Wojciechowski. Maybe he gets a chance to battle for a rotation spot or a role in the bullpen in spring training.

3 Down

DJ Stewart – .176/.167/.235 (.402), 1 double, 2 RBI, 17 AB

Its been a confusing couple years for me when it comes to evaluating Stewart’s long term prospects. Last year he wasn’t great in AAA Norfolk, hitting to a .716 OPS over 421 at bats but then having a great 40 at bats with the Orioles in September (.890 OPS). This season he performed much better in AAA (.944 OPS over 230 at bats) but hasn’t been able to translate to much success in the majors (.596 OPS over 115 at bats). Next year will be a bit of a make or break season for him as I imagine he’ll open the season in the majors for the first time in his career. Either he’ll be able to establish himself as a major leaguer or risk being labeled with that unfortunate AAAA tag.

Mychal Givens – 0-1, 20.25 ERA, 2.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R (6 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 2.63 WHIP

Givens had been on a roll for a while since the all-star break but he had a really rough week. He blew a save and gave up two big homeruns which puts him at 13 for the year, a very bad number for a late inning reliever. Every time it seems like hes turned a corner, Givens has an implosion to put his season numbers in a bad spot. Next year he might be setting up Hunter Harvey in an attempt to resuscitate his value.

Miguel Castro – 0-1, 27.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 3 H, 6 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 3.00 WHIP

Castro is another reliever who started very poorly but had put together a great stretch. So much so that MLB.com released an article praising him right before he gave up six runs in less than an inning. He had a 9.95 ERA in April, knocked it down to 4.63 in May, and then put together a stretch of 2.87, 3.38, and 2.92 in June, July, and August respectively. He hadn’t given up a run in 7.2 September innings before the ill fated outing on Wednesday night. Hopefully its just a blip in the radar and he can have a good final week to go into the offseason on a high note.

3 Up, 3 Down – September 2019, Week 2

3 Up

Trey Mancini – .280/.333/.560 (.893), 5 R, 1 double, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 25 AB

Mancini is making a push to finish the season strong. Obviously he will most likely be the Orioles MVP based on his traditional stats (97 runs, 32 doubles, 32 HR, 83 RBI, .867 OPS) but there are some encouraging signs that the improvements are here to stay. His walk percentage is up to 9.1% from 6.9% in 2018 and 5.6% in 2017 and his strikeout percentage is down to 21.2% from around 24% the previous two years. His average exit velocity and hard hit percentage are very slightly higher and his launch angle is back up to 2017 levels after a dip in 2018.

Austin Hays – .357/.400/.500 (.900), 1 R, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 14 AB

Hays was originally assigned to the Arizona Fall League and it looked like he was going to pick up some extra at bats there after missing some time throughout his minor league season but he was called up after the Orioles were notified of a change in the AFL rules that would allow him to show up late after the major league season ends. He got off to a slow start, going hitless in his first few games but has been much better of late even forcing in a run with a bases loaded walk. Hes known as a free swinger (and thats true) but he has only struck out three times and walked twice over his first 21 plate appearances. And he plays a good center field.

John Means – 0-0, 2.84 ERA, 6.1 IP, 1 BB, 6 K, 0.79 WHIP

The best team in the National League came into town and secured their seventh consecutive divisional title but even they were no match for a John Means who is back in all-star form. He mixed it up this time out by throwing his slider more than usual at two different distinct speeds, one tight faster one and one a little slower and loopier. The thing that has elevated him this year isn’t the strikeout rate like many of the league’s best pitchers but the fact that he has limited hard contact. He currently sits in the 89th percentile in hard hit percentage and is above average in exit velocity and xwOBA (67th percentile in each). Its a two start week coming up against two of the worst teams in the AL (Detroit and Seattle) so I will tentatively save this spot for him.

3 Down

Ty Blach – 0-1, 23.14 ERA, 2.1 IP, 9 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 4.29 WHIP

Blach is just eating innings at this point and I don’t see any chance he sticks around for next year unless he clears waivers once hes designated for assignment and accepts an assignment to AAA Norfolk. Even then I’m not sure that we’re going to need him there.

Anthony Santander – .050/.136/.050 (.186), 2 RBI, 20 AB

Santander finally broke out of a 27 at bat hitless streak on Sunday afternoon with a two RBI single. He only had two walks over that span and saw his OPS drop 55 points from .849 to .794. Not great but he has two weeks left in the season to try and recoup some of that momentum he was building towards locking in a starting spot in the 2020 corner outfield.

Hanser Alberto – .227/.261/.227 (.488), 4 R, 1 RBI, 22 AB

Despite a down week Alberto still has an outside chance at winning the American League batting title and should at the very least finish in the top five. He is currently in fourth place with a .317 batting average. Michael Brantley (.321), DJ Lemahieu (.328), and Tim Anderson (.332) are the only guys ahead of him. The more left handed pitchers he faces, the better his odds.

3 Up, 3 Down – September 2019, Week 1

3 Up

Rio Ruiz – .286/.375/.786 (1.161), 1 double, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 14 AB

Ruiz didn’t get many at bats last week but he made the most out of the ones he got. Solid average, strong on base percentage, and even some rare power for him. Hes up to 10 homeruns on the season giving the Orioles 10 players with double digit dingers, tying a franchise record. If Chance Sisco can hit two more over the last three weeks of the season that would break it. Ruiz passes the eyeball test when hes standing at the plate but the hit tool and power haven’t really showed up in 300+ at bats this year. At least hes good in the field.

John Means – 0-1, 2.70 ERA, 6.2 IP, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.60 WHIP

Not much to add after another strong start from Means lands him on this list for the third week in a row. Its nice that hes been able to keep his pitch count low the last few times out which has allowed him to go deeper into games. That would be a great development heading into next season if he could be more of an innings eater. As is its a relief to see him get back to finding success.

Mychal Givens – 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 IP, 1 BB, 6 K, 0.33 WHIP

Givens was expected to be traded before the July 31st deadline but he struggled at an unfortunate time and the Orioles were unable to find a suitable match. Since then he has been fantastic with a 2.61 ERA since the all-star break. The promotion of Hunter Harvey has helped him tremendously. Harvey has been a reliable arm who can pitch in high leverage situations so Givens is no longer tasked with shutting down the opposing team for multiple innings. The strikeout rate has been strong throughout the year and I think teams are wishing they had made a stronger push to acquire his services. Maybe somebody will in the offseason.

3 Down

Jonathan Villar – .259/.286/.296 (.582), 1 double, 27 AB

For as hot as Villar had been after the all-star break this really wasn’t that bad of a comedown. The power and walks weren’t there but he still hit for a decent average. Hes the only player who has appeared in every game the Orioles have played so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a little fatigue at play. The guy plays all out on the bases and in the field, for better or worse.

Aaron Brooks – 0-1, 20.25 ERA, 2.2 IP, 1 BB, 3 K, 2.63 WHIP

Brooks had been better of late, giving up only four runs over 15.1 innings in his last three starts with 13 strikeouts. But he got shelled on Saturday for seven runs (six earned) on six hits in less than three innings. He only walked one and struck out three but he also hit two batters. I don’t see anyway that he survives the 40 man roster crunch once certain minor leaguers need to be added in the offseason.

Paul Fry – 0-1, 13.50 ERA, 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 0 K, 4.50 WHIP

You might look at Fry’s line and wonder why he only pitched a little more than an inning this week. Well he appeared in four games but lately has been unable to do his job (you know, get guys out). In four of his last six appearances he was unable to record an out before being taken out of the game and in a fifth was only able to get one out. Over those six appearances hes thrown 1.1 innings and given up five runs on six hits and two walks, striking out nobody. Over that time his ERA has risen from 4.65 to 5.05 and his WHIP has gone up from 1.29 to 1.41.

3 Up, 3 Down – August 2019, Week 5

3 Up

Anthony Santander – .400/.400/1.000 (1.400), 3 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 20 AB

Santander washed away memories of his slump this week with authority. He didn’t walk at all but thats fine when you slug 1.000. He brought the power with three doubles and three homeruns, including hitting one from each side of the plate in Kansas City Saturday night. Hes earned hitting in the third spot of the lineup and playing in the outfield every day for the rest of the season and should go into 2020 as a leading candidate to keep that designation.

Hanser Alberto – .500/.500/.600 (1.100), 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 20 AB

Alberto is just a hitting machine. He may not make hard contact like you would want in an ideal world but he clearly has a skill at putting the bat to the ball and good things can happen when you do that. Time will tell if luck has been in his favor this season or if he is an outlier with a skill to “hit it where they ain’t”. Either way he’ll always have a place in the Orioles record books with the most hits against left handed pitching and he has a chance to finish the season with the highest batting average against lefties in the history of baseball. That would be incredible.

John Means – 1-0, 2.57 ERA, 7 IP, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.71 WHIP

As I predicted in this spot last week Means was in line for another good start against a poor hitting Royals team and he made good on that. If the game was a little bit closer he probably could’ve pitched a complete game, he only threw 74 pitches through his seven innings. It was a feel good moment for him as he returned to the team in his hometown city just a few days after finding out his father had been diagnosed with cancer. If things stay lined up the way they currently are he should be looking at starts against the Rangers, Tigers, Mariners, and Blue Jays in September (as well as one against the Dodgers) so he has a chance to finish the season very strong.

3 Down

Richard Bleier – 0-0, 13.50 ERA, 2.2 IP, 0 BB, 2 K, 2.25 WHIP

Not only did Bleier continue his season long struggles but he joined Chris Davis as another player to get into it with a coach in the dugout. This one wasn’t a “hold me back!” situation, just some shouting back and forth due to frustrations about the shift costing him some hits. Its true there has been some bad luck with Dick’s numbers this year if you look at FIP but its also true that he had good luck over the past couple years leading to his success. I think he is in real danger of being a roster casualty in the offseason.

Renato Nunez – .143/.133/.143 (.276), 3 RBI, 14 AB

As the world turns, Nunez continues to either be red hot or ice cold. He continues to drive in runs though, leading the team with 79. He has an outside shot at 100 but should more realistically land somewhere in the 90’s. Even though RBI isn’t as significant as it used to be now that we have more accurate advanced statistics, its still a nice achievement for a guy that wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the team in spring training. The crazy thing is he might not be guaranteed a spot in next year’s everyday lineup depending on how things shake out.

Stevie Wilkerson – .077/.250/.077 (.327), 13 AB

The result of a very bad Orioles team is a guy like Wilkerson is going to end up with over 300 at bats. He is in the 14th percentile in hard hit percentage, 10th percentile in exit velocity, 0th (!) percentile in both xWOBA and xBA, and the 1st percentile in xSLG. Hes also been poor in the outfield, particularly in center, which makes sense considering he had little to no experience out there prior to the season. He had a costly error on Sunday on a straightforward fly ball. He is fast (83rd percentile in sprint speed) so maybe he can cling to a roster spot next year with his speed and versatility but I think hes going to get those 300+ at bats in Norfolk next year.

3 Up, 3 Down – August 2019, Week 4

3 Up

John Means – 1-1, 2.25 ERA, 12 IP, 2 BB, 11 K, 0.92 WHIP

What do you know, Means faced a couple of offenses this week with less firepower and the results were much better. His overall second half numbers are still far from good but a strong finish to the season would leave everyone optimistic heading into the offseason. His start against the Rays on Saturday was more impressive as he went seven strong innings against a playoff caliber team, striking out seven batters and only giving up one run on a solo homer. It looks like his next start should be against Kansas City again when he returns from the family emergency list so he has as good a chance as ever for another good start.

DJ Stewart – .458/.536/.625 (1.161), 4 doubles, 3 RBI, 24 AB

Stewart needed a good week in the worst way and he got it. He raised his average from .121 to .263 and his OPS from .293 to .656. Not only were Stewart’s numbers down to start his major league season but he had that embarrassing misadventure in the outfield that landed him on the injured list when he slipped chasing a ball in the outfield and had it clang off the side of his head. Hes having great at bats and making solid contact with the ball. He almost had his first homerun of the season but the call was changed to a double as it hit the top of the wall. He should get regular at bats for the rest of the year and set himself up for a chance to win a starting job in 2020.

Jonathan Villar – .333/.400/.889 (1.289), 5 HR, 6 RBI, 27 AB

Villar has been one of the best players in the American League since the all-star break with a .946 OPS and even better over the past 30 days with a 1.143 OPS. On Sunday he became the sixth ever Oriole to become a member of the 20-20 club, hitting his 20th homerun to go along with his 28 steals. Some teams are probably kicking themselves for not trading Villar before the July 31st deadline after seeing how he has performed. A 25-25 season could be in reach and a 30-30 season is a long shot if he can keep up his current pace.

3 Down

Pedro Severino – .111/.158/.333 (.491), 1 double, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 18 AB

I feel bad putting Severino on here because he did have a big grand slam to punctuate our win over the Rays on Saturday but other than that and one double he did absolutely nothing positive with the bat this week. His OPS for the season is still a respectable .750 for a defensive minded catcher but that is falling fast in the second half of the season. Lucky for him Chance Sisco has been even colder so he has still been seeing a majority of the playing time behind the plate. With the inevitability of Adley Rutschman the competition in order to see who will back him up in a couple years could be interesting.

Ty Blach – 0-1, 15.75 ERA, 4 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 2.75 WHIP

More like Ty Blech am I right? Not much to say. Hes another guy that the Orioles picked off the scrap heap in order to get through the season but hes been one of the least successful of the bunch in a limited sample size. Blach has a good amount of major league experience with the San Francisco Giants but similar to Dan Straily his style of pitching isn’t served very well in this high octane hitting environment. I’m not sure what use he will be once the minor league season ends, almost certainly DFA candidate to make room for the guys who need to be added to the 40 man roster or risk being taken in the rule 5 draft.

Jace Peterson – .167/.286/.167 (.452), 12 AB

At some point a player needs to put together some sort of sustained success at the major league level, especially when you’re not considered much of a prospect, or else they can quickly getting tagged with the AAAA label. We’re dangerously close to that with Peterson if not already there.

3 Up, 3 Down – August 2019, Week 3

3 Up

Hanser Alberto – .385/.385/.692 (1.077), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 26 AB

Alberto isn’t slowing down and I couldn’t be happier to be wrong. Hes been hitting with more authority since the all-star break with 11 extra base hits, tied for fourth on the team. Even his defensive numbers are better than I would’ve guessed based on the eye test. I’m still not betting on him being a long term piece of the rebuild but its starting to look like a lock that he will be in the opening day lineup when March 2020 rolls around.

Jonathan Villar – .333/.484/.417 (.901), 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 24 AB

Villar stayed hot even though the Orioles went 0-7 on the road this week. He has raised his season totals to a very respectable .274/.345/.442 (.786) and has a chance at a 20/30 season. (He currently has 15 homeruns and 28 steals.) Hes played in every game the Orioles have played this year and is on pace to score 100+ runs. Hes really come into his own over the second half with an .880 OPS and 11 steals.

Trey Mancini – .231/.375/.538 (.913), 2 doubles, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 26 AB

Mancini’s average has taken a hit lately (hitting .244 post all-star break) but hes walking a little bit more (17 in the second half, tied for the team lead) and still hitting for power (21 extra base hits, easily a team best). Hes on pace for 35+ homeruns and 90+ RBI. Coming into the season Trey made comments about wanting to take over Adam Jones’ leadership role and it seemed like that might be a tough task for a guy you never heard much from but he really has been the go to guy whether its a quote after the game or to get the team fired up.

3 Down

John Means – 0-1, 14.73 ERA, 3.2 IP, 2 BB, 1 K, 2.73 WHIP

Here is a post I wrote for the Baltimore Sports and Life message board discussing Means’ poor second half and what it means in regards to his place in the 2020 rotation:

“I’m not that concerned about Means long term. He has proven to have a growth mindset which is exactly what teams are looking for now. He made real improvements over the off-season, increasing his velocity and adding a pitch that has proven to be effective. If he was willing to put that work in I’m sure he will continue that in future offseasons. Its his first season in the majors which I’m sure is more taxing than a season in the minors. Hes dealt with minor injuries here and there and like Mike said, is probably wearing down a bit.

In the second half he has pitched against the Yankees twice (2nd in team OPS in MLB), Boston (4th), Arizona (9th), and Tampa Bay (13th). He has a high spin fastball to go with his changeup and is in the 80th percentile in hard hit percentage and 66th in exit velocity. Homeruns have been the problem, 7 allowed in his last 5 games covering 23 innings.

Its certainly not a guarantee that he will be a fixture in our rotation for years to come but I do think its pretty close to a guarantee that he will be in our rotation to start 2020, most likely as the opening day starter. If and when he eventually gets moved to the bullpen he can be a weapon out there. He can focus on his two best pitches and ramp up his fastball. He had a 1.17 ERA over 7.1 innings with 13 strikeouts starting the year out of the bullpen. That was over four appearances, three of them against the Yankees and the other against the Rays.”

Anthony Santander – .167/.167/.367 (.533), 2 HR, 2 RBI, 30 AB

Santander had to cool off at some point after hitting better over an extended period of time than he has since 2016 when he was in advanced A ball. Hes shown he has a good approach at the plate, some pop in his bat, and gives a solid effort in the corner outfield positions. Consistency will be the key as to if he can lock down a more permanent role once guys like Austin Hays and Yusniel Diaz start to break in at the major league level. Right now I just don’t think hes seeing the ball very well with zero walks and eight strikeouts this week. The last five or six weeks of the season will be important for him to leave a lasting impression heading into the off-season.

Jace Peterson – .136/.240/.182 (.422), 1 double, 1 RBI, 22 AB

Peterson’s roller coaster 2019 continued with another cold stretch this week. I think hes fairly similar to Stevie Wilkerson offensively and with some versatility on defense those guys are this team’s version of a Ryan Flaherty. Could play a role on the bench for a playoff contending team if things break right but won’t be getting everyday at bats without some further breakthroughs in their development.

3 Up, 3 Down – August 2019, Week 2

3 Up

Jonathan Villar – .458/.519/.833 (1.352), 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 24 AB

Villar has been absolutely on fire since he had a terrible stretch on the Orioles west coast trip a couple weeks ago. He even made one of the best defensive plays of the season on Sunday, diving beyond the second base bag on a bouncing line drive and quickly getting up to throw across his body for the out. He still runs into too many outs on the base paths but the skills he has been putting on display are why I was surprised that he wasn’t traded before the July 31st deadline. If he keeps this up he could be a fairly valuable trade asset in the offseason.

Jace Peterson – .381/.391/.857 (1.248), 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 21 AB

As noted on last week’s 3 down section Peterson earned a promotion after raking at AAA Norfolk but went ice cold as soon as he got called up. Well hes warmed up now. I’m not sure how sustainable this power is but it would make him a much more interesting player than we saw for a large chunk of 2018. His launch angle has increased for three years in a row so maybe hes a swing change guy. His walk percentage is way down (3.2% compared to career 11%) but its obviously a small sample size. I would expect the OBP to rise and the SLG to fall and him to settle back towards a utility player.

Anthony Santander – .346/.346/.615 (.962), 4 doubles, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 26 AB

One of the biggest surprises of the season has been the emergence of Santander in the outfield. We came into the season expecting to see prospects like Austin Hays, DJ Stewart, and Yusniel Diaz as the year went on and while none of those guys have necessarily been disappointing as far as their performance goes, they’ve had a hard time staying healthy. In their stead Santander has made the most of his opportunity. I still don’t think he can keep up this production long term but he has been consistent over more than 200 at bats. And he has a fan club in the UK. Thats more than any other Oriole can say.

3 Down

Chris Davis – .083/.188/.167 (.354), 1 double, 2 RBI, 12 AB, 8 K

Forget the fact that Davis that Davis struck out in 67% of his at bats last week (46% on the season) and he seemed to let his offensive woes affect his typically solid defense. He tried to attack his manager, Brandon Hyde! Apparently he came into the dugout frustrated with his effort on a throw at first base and threw something which ended up hitting Hyde. Hyde said something to him (“funny you can hit me with that but you can’t hit the damn baseball” is my best guess) and Davis lost it, having to be held back by multiple teammates. He was pulled from the game and went home early so he didn’t have to talk to reporters. I will be shocked if he isn’t released in the offseason.

Renato Nunez – .158/.200/.211 (.411), 1 double, 19 AB

My guess is Nunez is back on the 3 up list in the next week or two. Hes been ice cold for two weeks so if his season trend stays true he will be red hot for a couple weeks sometime soon. I’m not sure why some players are so streaky, whether its a mechanical issue or a mental thing, but the closest way I can relate is shooting three pointers in basketball. Sometimes it feels like you can make every shot no matter how you put it up but other times you can’t get a shot to fall for anything. Not sure whats better, a guy who has an OPS around .800 every month or a guy who alternates OPS’ of .600 and 1.000 but Renato falls more in the latter category.

Tayler Scott – 0-0, 27.00 ERA, 3.2 IP, 4 BB, 2 K, 3.55 WHIP

Thats Tayler, not Tanner Scott. I’ve heard it can be tough to tell the difference when looking at the box score. Its also confusing that he has yet to give up a run with AAA Norfolk over 13 innings, has 17 strikeouts to one walk, and a 0.77 WHIP but seemingly can’t get anyone out at the major league level with the Orioles. In five appearances he has a 25.41 ERA with the O’s including more walks than strikeouts. Very Dan Straily of him. Maybe the Phillies are interested.

Orioles Top 30 Prospects – August 2019

1. Adley Rutschman (1)

Rutschman is finally playing in games. Hes off to a slow start with the bat for Short A Aberdeen but a long layoff combined with a bout of mono could certainly be playing a factor in that. Behind the plate he has been perfect throwing runners out.

2. DL Hall (4)

The walks are still high, and they may always be, but Hall has really started to put it together since the month turned to July. A 1.77 ERA over 20.2 innings and 28 strikeout for the month and a great first outing in August (6 IP, 1 R, 2 BB, 10 K) plus he had a great appearance at the MLB futures game showing off his fastball and slider. Grayson Rodriguez may be a surer bet to make it into the Orioles rotation but Hall has the higher ceiling.

3. Grayson Rodriguez (2)

Rodriguez’ ERA has gotten a little bit worse every month which isn’t necessarily a huge surprise considering it is the 19 year old’s first full season. Its mainly come down to consistency. Hes still striking guys out at a high rate but whereas I thought he might make the jump to A+ Frederick in the second half, I could see him finishing the year in Delmarva and starting with Frederick next season.

4. Ryan Mountcastle (3)

Mountcastle has been hitting consistently all season and July was no different (.895 OPS). He doesn’t walk and doesn’t have a position but starting in September I think we’ll see this guy in the middle of the Orioles lineup for years to come.

5. Yusniel Diaz (5)

Diaz ended the month on the injured list with a quad injury. According to quotes from Mike Elias it doesn’t sound like a serious injury which is good because Diaz has been great since returning from a previous hamstring injury. Hes a prime candidate to play in the Arizona Fall League and start 2020 with AAA Norfolk.

6. Austin Hays (6)

Hays is another guy who will probably play in the AFL since hes had an injury riddled couple seasons and hasn’t been able to put together a sustained hot streak in AAA. It wouldn’t take much to earn a shot at center field for the Orioles but the production just hasn’t been there to justify that at this point.

7. Dean Kremer (7)

Kremer hasn’t been as great as he was last season but hes still had a very solid season as part of what I imagine has to be one of the best pitching staffs in all of the minor leagues with AA Bowie. Hes gotten better as the year has gone on with a 2.48 ERA in June and a 2.10 ERA in July.

8. Michael Baumann (10)

Baumann was promoted to AA Bowie after putting up pretty good numbers at A+ Frederick but the stuff and his peripherals indicated a better season than his 3.83 ERA. He justified that quickly by throwing a no hitter on July 16th, pumping 98 mph fastballs late in the game. He is the pitcher that has improved his stock the most in a season filled with great performing pitchers.

9. Gunnar Henderson (9)

Henderson is playing in the GCL. The numbers aren’t great over a small sample size but hes very young and making his professional debut. Hes taking walks but the main thing is hes getting at bats against older competition.

10. Keegan Akin (8)

A 8.25 ERA over 12 July innings is the main reason for Akin slipping two spots. After an excellent May he hasn’t been very good. The new AAA ball makes it hard to judge the numbers but the walks have been high all season.

11. Zac Lowther (11)

Lowther continues to be consistently good for AA Bowie. He has a 2.62 ERA over 110 innings with 106 strikeouts. Next season will be exciting when all of the guys in Bowie’s rotation (Lowther, Kremer, Baumann, Alex Wells, Bruce Zimmermann) are in AAA Norfolk because if they put up numbers anywhere near what they have this season they will be knocking on the door to the majors.

12. Adam Hall (12)

Hall has been consistent all season with an average hanging around .300 and OPS around .800. He has 21 doubles and 25 stolen bases. On pace to start 2020 as A+ Frederick’s starting shortstop.

13. Hunter Harvey (13)

Harvey’s transition to the bullpen hasn’t gone as smoothly as I’m sure the Orioles had hoped but hes still making progress. Hes given up three runs over his past 7.1 innings with nine strikeouts and only one walk. I think we may see him in Baltimore in September if he can finish the minor league season strong.

14. Drew Rom (14)

Rom has had some struggles over his past few starts but just like Grayson Rodriguez hes a 19 year old kid making his first foray through a full season. The numbers are still great (2.35 ERA over 76.2 innings with 99 strikeouts).

15. Bruce Zimmermann (15)

Zimmermann is the first of the Bowie rotation to get promoted to AAA Norfolk and he didn’t have a great first start. But he did rebound nicely with six strong innings his last time out. It’ll be interesting to see how August goes for him.

16. Zach Pop (16)

Out for the season.

17. DJ Stewart (17)

Stewart missed a chunk of time due to an ankle injury but is back with AAA Norfolk picking up pretty much where he left off. He’ll be back with the O’s at some point before the season is over.

18. Alex Wells (23)

Wells has the worst stuff in the Bowie rotation but the best numbers (outside of strikeouts) and the most consistency. Hes sitting at 8-2 with a 2.12 ERA over 106.1 innings with 81 strikeouts and only 19 walks.

19. Ryan McKenna (24)

McKenna has improved consistently from month to month while playing great defense in center field. He has speed and some pop, if he can improve the consistency of his hit tool he can still be a fringe starter or at least a valuable fourth outfielder at the major league level.

20. Cody Sedlock (29)

Probably the minor league comeback player of the year for the Orioles. He was promoted to AA Bowie after posting a 2.36 ERA over 61 innings with 66 strikeouts with A+ Frederick. After the promotion he threw 11 straight scoreless innings out of the bullpen before having a rough outing on August 3rd. But still he has a 2.63 ERA over 13.2 innings with 18 strikeouts.

21. Kyle Stowers (20)

Stowers is struggling a bit in Short A Aberdeen but I’m not sure how much stock to put into performance for these players coming right out of the draft. Obviously its better to put up impressive numbers right away but I think a full off-season and spring with a player development plan is when you can start to get a good read on how these guys are performing. We’re still looking at relatively small sample sizes and maybe things look better from a scouting perspective rather than just looking at the numbers.

22. Rylan Bannon (22)

Outside of a .650 OPS in May Bannon has been really solid with an OPS around .800. With good defense and some versatility he is a guy that should get some major league time over the next couple seasons.

23. Blaine Knight (18)

Knight’s season has been baffling to me. After starting off so strong with A Delmarva (which is to be expected for an advanced college arm) he has been really bad in A+ Frederick. Only very recently has he started to turn things around with back to back strong starts to end July. Maybe repeating the level in 2020 will be better.

24. Gray Fenter (28)

Continues his strong season with a 1.95 ERA over 78.1 innings with 103 strikeouts. Hopefully he finishes the year strong in Delmarva and can pitch with less restrictions next season in Frederick.

25. Zach Watson (NR)

I kept the Orioles third round pick off of this list until now but he has shown enough power and defense in center field for me to feel good about him. He was quickly promoted from Short A Aberdeen to A Delmarva which speaks to the team’s confidence in his skills.

26. Mason McCoy (19)

McCoy is a guy who has to perform in order to maintain as high as spot as I was giving him last month and unfortunately he just hasn’t. He had a .222 average and .532 OPS in July. Hopefully he can find his swing again and end the season on a high note.

27. Cody Carroll (25)

Still yet to play in 2019 with a back injury.

28. Ofelky Peralta (26)

Since being promoted to A+ Frederick Peralta has been lit up to the tune of a 8.44 ERA over 21.1 innings. If it was up to me he would already be transitioning to the bullpen since it seems inevitable that he is going to end up there.

29. Jean Carmona (27)

I thought Carmona might be a breakout candidate with Short A Aberdeen but instead hes spent most of the season on the injured list and has a .511 OPS over 47 at bats.

30. Brenan Hanifee (NR)

Hanifee has been confusing this season. Hes been inconsistent and also hasn’t struck many batters out (only 63 in 107 innings) but hes also shown flashes of greatness including a nine inning shutout on July 14th. He only turned 21 in May and is more of a groundball pitcher so we’ll see how he develops as he most likely repeats the level next season.

Orioles Roster Power Rankings – August 2019

1. Trey Mancini (Last Month: 1)

Only batted .217 in July but was still third on the team with a .801 OPS thanks to five doubles and seven homeruns.

2. John Means (2)

Had a 5.24 ERA over 22.1 innings in July and ended the month on the injured list but hes still clearly the best pitcher we have.

3. Hanser Alberto (3)

Hit .295 with a .714 OPS for the month, continues to rake against left handed pitching.

4. Jonathan Villar (4)

Showed off all of his skill sets in July with seven steals and three homeruns to go along with a .298 average and .769 OPS.

5. Anthony Santander (9)

Second on the team in OPS for July (.872), he hit .320 with six doubles, a triple, four homeruns, and 18 RBI.

6. Renato Nunez (5)

Team leader in OPS for the month (.955) with four doubles, seven homeruns, and a team leading 19 RBI.

7. Pedro Severino (7)

.273 average and .746 OPS bolstered by back to back four hit games towards the end of the month.

8. Dylan Bundy (8)

A trip to the IL and a 6.75 ERA over 18.2 innings wasn’t his best work but his track record keeps him in the top 10.

9. Asher Wojciechowski (23)

Quickly became one of the Orioles best pitchers with a 3.60 ERA over 30 innings with 37 strikeouts and a 0.93 WHIP.

10. Shawn Armstrong (13)

Two saves and a 4.09 ERA over 11 innings in July.

11. Mychal Givens (11)

Three saves and a 2.79 ERA over 9.2 innings with 11 strikeouts for the month.

12. Paul Fry (15)

1.08 ERA over 8.1 innings and 10 strikeouts in July.

13. Miguel Castro (16)

3.38 ERA over 10.2 innings with 14 strikeouts last month.

14. Chance Sisco (10)

Fell off with a .196 average and .578 OPS in July.

15. Gabriel Ynoa (14)

3.86 ERA over 18.2 innings with 10 strikeouts.

16. Richard Bleier (17)

2-0 with a 5.40 ERA over 8.1 innings with five strikeouts.

17. Stevie Wilkerson (19)

.704 OPS in July and the first ever save by a position player.

18. Jace Peterson (NR)

.509 OPS in his first 25 at bats of the season in July.

19. Tom Eshelman (NR)

6.35 ERA over 22.2 innings with 17 strikeouts for the mid-80’s fastball throwing youngster.

20. Aaron Brooks (NR)

7.07 ERA over 14 innings with nine strikeouts in July.

21. Branden Kline (NR)

11.57 ERA over only 2.1 innings for the month.

22. David Hess (NR)

10.80 ERA over 6.2 innings with nine strikeouts in July.

23. Jimmy Yacabonis (22)

7.94 ERA over 11.1 innings with 12 strikeouts.

24. Richie Martin (24)

.233 average and .585 OPS for July, his best month yet.

25. Chris Davis (25)

Actually had a .709 OPS in July over 54 at bats but still struck out at a 50% rate.