Top O's MiLB performers this week
With the Orioles' Minor League system now ranked the fifth-best in baseball by MLB Pipeline, it's time to pay attention.
All summer at orioles.com, we’ll be keeping tabs on the top performers from each rung of the Minor League ladder with weekly Sunday roundups. Think of it as a way to track the rebuilding process in real time.
Here are the O’s top Minor League performers, plus some additional news items, from the past week (all stats as of Sunday morning):
Triple-A Norfolk
Pitcher: LHP Alexander Wells
Prospect ranking: Club No.17
Wells spent 2020 in his native Australia. He was slowed by an oblique injury this spring and struggled in his first few starts. But it’s been a different story of late, with Wells holding opponents to one run over nine innings in his past two starts at Norfolk. Known for his control, Wells has issued only four walks in 22 2/3 total innings this season.
Position Player: 1B Tyler Nevin
Prospect ranking: Club No. 21
Nevin hit .370 (10-for-27) in eight games since returning to Norfolk from Baltimore on June 2, and has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games with the Tides. He leads Norfolk batters in home runs (5) and RBIs (15) this season.
Additional news: The Orioles reinstated No.16 prospect Jahmai Jones from the injured list after he was sidelined for nearly a month with an oblique strain. The second baseman is slashing .263/.370/.635 with more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) through 10 total games at Norfolk.
The Orioles also placed right-hander Evan Phillips on the 7-day injured list with a right lat strain. Phillips made 44 big league appearances with Baltimore from 2018-20.
Double-A Bowie
Pitcher: RHP Grayson Rodriguez
Prospect ranking: No. 22 overall, club No. 2
Rodriguez had little left to prove in High-A, going 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings before his June 1 promotion. The big right-hander picked up right where he left off once at Bowie, going 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 10 innings over his first two starts for the Baysox.
Position Player: C Adley Rutschman
Prospect ranking: No. 2 overall, club No. 1
Rutschman continues to rake after a slow start, with a .293/.362/.561 slash line and three home runs over the past 10 days. He’s hitting .283 with 10 home runs and .975 OPS in 33 games overall. Rustschman leads all Orioles Minor Leaguers in homers.
Also worth mentioning: SS Joseph Ortiz
Known primarily as a glove-first shortstop, Ortiz hit four home runs in his first 11 games for the Baysox after his May 29 promotion. Ortiz did not homer at High-A Aberdeen in his first 19 games of the season.
High-A Aberdeen
Pitcher: LHP Drew Rom
Prospect ranking: Club No.25
The O’s fourth-round pick in 2018 enjoyed strong results in his first two seasons of pro ball, and is picking up right where he left off this season at High-A, going 3-0 with a 2.60 ERA over his first six starts. Rom held opponents to three earned runs in 11 innings over his past two starts, most recently firing six innings of one-run ball at Bowling Green on June 8.
Position Player: OF Zach Watson
Prospect ranking: Unranked
The Orioles’ third-round pick out of LSU in 2019 is showing more power in his second season of pro ball. Three of Watson’s five homers this season came last week: he hit two in the Ironbirds’ 7-5 loss at Bowling Green on June 9, and another in their 5-3 loss at Bowling Green on June 11. He’s tied with No. 22 prospect Kyle Stowers for the team lead in homers.
Low-A Delmarva
Pitcher: RHP Brandon Young
Prospect ranking: Unranked
Signed as a non-drafted free agent after the 2020 Draft, Young has pitched to a 2.59 ERA over his first seven appearances (five starts) in pro ball. He’s struck out 30, walked 13 and allowed just two homers in those outings. Delmarva is 5-0 in his starts.
Position Player: SS Gunnar Henderson
Prospect ranking: No. 97 overall, club No. 5
The Orioles have gone out of their way to draft shortstops over the past few years, and so many are playing well this season it’s difficult to highlight them all. The main reason is Henderson, who continues to shine brightest as a 19-year-old at Low-A. Henderson slashed .353/.389/.559 with four extra-base hits over the past 10 days, and continues to lead the Shorebirds in nearly every major offensive category.
Also worth mentioning: SS Darrel Hernaiz
The Orioles were thrilled with the physical progress Hernaiz made in the year since they drafted him in the fourth round out of the East Texas high school ranks in 2019. He’s currently riding a 25-game on-base streak at Delmarva, with a .309/.337/.392 slash line with two homers and 15 RBIs while playing three different infield spots.