In 2021, this lefty elevated his game on O's farm

In 2021, this lefty elevated his game on O's farm
On the Orioles farm this season, this lefty had a Minor League Pitcher of the Year kind of season. He led the organization in wins and innings. He was among the best in ERA and had a low walk rate. He pitched well at two levels and ended the year on a roll, pitching well in the Double-A playoffs. But Grayson Rodriguez was better and any O's farm pitcher could have said that after the 2021 season. So, yes, that was a given, but for lefty Drew Rom, 21, it was a banner season. One that began at...

Overcoming adversity: Lamar Sparks gets it going with Aberdeen

Overcoming adversity: Lamar Sparks gets it going with Aberdeen
ABERDEEN - When they drafted him from a high school in Katy, Texas, in the fifth round in 2017, the Orioles could look into the future and foresee a day where young outfielder Lamar Sparks would fill out his 6-foot-2 frame and turn into an athletic player with a lot of pop in that bat. That day could still be coming, but it's at least been delayed for Sparks, the No. 158 overall pick that year. A pitcher in high school, Sparks first felt shoulder pain on the high school showcase circuit. As an...

Amid big roster attrition, Aberdeen pushes for winning year

Amid big roster attrition, Aberdeen pushes for winning year
ABERDEEN - On the surface, one could see the high Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds' record at 54-51 and feel like they've had a decent year, posting a winning record on the farm. But it you look deeper at all the players the club has moved up to Double-A Bowie this year - players that have the Baysox in a playoff hunt where Aberdeen is not - it tells you the IronBirds players and staff have done a real nice job during the 2021 season. Their season-opening rotation of Grayson Rodriguez, Garrett...

O's have played 31 games vs. clubs currently with winning records

O's have played 31 games vs. clubs currently with winning records
The Orioles schedule takes a turn beginning today. A turn away from American League East games. Thus far, they have played 23 of their 43 games and seven of 14 series within the division. After playing 54 percent of their current schedule against the AL East, the Orioles will play none of their next six series against the AL East. They go to Washington beginning tonight, followed by a trip to Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox. After that, they come home to face Minnesota, Cleveland and the...

A look at the rotation that led Aberdeen to a 5-1 start

A look at the rotation that led Aberdeen to a 5-1 start
For the high Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds, it was a stunning run of outstanding pitching to start the year. They won their first five games at Wilmington last Tuesday through Saturday, allowing just eight runs total. And Aberdeen's starting pitchers - led by national top 100 prospect Grayson Rodriguez - allowed just one run over 23 innings during the 5-0 start. Rodriguez was the IronBirds' opening night starter and returned for Sunday's game, allowing one run over 3 1/3 innings, but the...

Tyler Nevin on joining Orioles and relationship with father

Tyler Nevin on joining Orioles and relationship with father
Tyler Nevin finished a round of batting practice last month in Orioles camp and caught the eye of executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, who offered a hint at how the organization viewed him in the field. "I got here and I was hitting and Elias was behind the cage watching," Nevin recounted this morning in his Zoom conference call. "I got out and rolled around the cage and he goes, 'Hey, did you bring all your gloves?' I said, 'Yep,' and he goes, 'OK, you're going to need...

Kyle Moore on spring training life in the other camp

Kyle Moore on spring training life in the other camp
The reformatted 2021 spring training camp in Sarasota, Fla. has spread out some players to the Twin Lakes side in order for the Orioles to follow health and safety protocols. To avoid overcrowding at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. This is a deviation from the usual minor league setup with the reduction in bodies. Players at Twin Lakes can be summoned to the major league complex. The traffic moves in both directions, but proper spacing will remain the priority. Nothing that's...

More on Mansolino and some minors mumblings

More on Mansolino and some minors mumblings
When the Orioles made the decision to remove José Flores as third base coach and infield instructor, they didn't rush through the process of finding his replacement. They didn't react as though they were on the clock. There was a slow build to the composition of the final list of candidates, with the Orioles more interested in making an outside hire rather than shifting one of their coaches into a new role and further reducing the staff. They replaced pitching coach Doug Brocail with Chris...

For this player, expectations will be high in 2020

For this player, expectations will be high in 2020
He may not see the Orioles roster at all in the 2020 season. But at a time when expectations will be very low for the team in the standings, they will remain very high for at least one player in the organization come next season. That player is catcher Adley Rutschman. In June, the Orioles made him just the second overall No. 1 draft pick in team history. He was then signed to a record $8.1 million bonus and there is almost no way to temper expectations at this point. While fans greatly...

A look at how one O's minor league pitcher used technology to improve

A look at how one O's minor league pitcher used technology to improve
For the Orioles, the progress in 2019 of young pitcher Ryan Wilson had to be a real positive development. The 23-year-old lefty was moved from a bullpen role to starting and he had a big season for Single-A Delmarva. His year flew under the radar a bit as he pitched in a rotation with pitchers like Grayson Rodriguez, Gray Fenter and Drew Rom, but Wilson made 17 starts for the Shorebirds. He went 6-5 with a 2.80 ERA. Over 93 1/3 innings he allowed 73 hits and gave up just six homers with 29...

Digging deeper into the hiring of Rosenbaum and Rowe

Digging deeper into the hiring of Rosenbaum and Rowe
The new hires and reassignments in the Orioles' minor league system that were made public yesterday in a press release included a batch of names from outside professional baseball. As expected and, in some cases, already reported. Tim Gibbons, the hitting coach at Double-A Bowie, worked as director of hitting at Elite Sports Training. Ryan Fuller, the hitting coach at Single-A Delmarva, comes from Power in Training. These aren't affiliates. There are recent interns, trainees and apprentices....

Taking a look at two unheralded players who helped Delmarva

Taking a look at two unheralded players who helped Delmarva
When I interviewed 2019 Single-A Delmarva manager Kyle Moore recently, we discussed his Shorebirds being named the Minor League Baseball team of the year by Milb.com. But we also discussed a few players who flew under the radar on that team, which went 90-48 this season and became the first South Atlantic League team with 90 or more wins since 2006. One was lefty hitting corner outfielder Robert Neustrom, the Orioles' fifth-round pick out of the University of Iowa in 2018. The 2019 year was...

Delmarva honored, plus a look at a pitcher eligible in the Rule 5

Delmarva honored, plus a look at a pitcher eligible in the Rule 5
Earlier this week, the Orioles' Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds affiliate was named the Minor League Team of the Year by Milb.com. Delmarva went 90-48 and earns this honor for the first time in its 24-year club history. The Shorebirds topped the previous team high for wins by seven (83 in 1996) and became the first South Atlantic League team to win 90 or more since the 2006 Augusta GreenJackets. That team featured future major league All-Stars Pablo Sandoval and Sergio Romo. Stretched out over a...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Padres' decision to hire Jayce Tingler as their next manager had a ripple effect that nudged Buck Britton into a new set of responsibilities. Britton, who spent the 2019 season managing Double-A Bowie, has replaced Tingler as manager of Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League. Tingler was working for the Rangers as major league player development field coordinator. Britton was expecting to serve in a coaching capacity with Escogido. Gilbert Gómez become quality control coach...

Is bullpen best for Brooks?

Is bullpen best for Brooks?
Let's take another shot this morning at addressing one of the litany of questions facing the Orioles before opening day 2020. Funny how so many of them lead to the pitching staff, whether it's the rotation or bullpen. What should the Orioles do with Aaron Brooks? The numbers make the decision appear to be simple. He's been much more effective as a reliever than as a starter, and the Orioles need to improve in both areas. The Orioles claimed Brooks off waivers from the Athletics on July 6,...

Is Mallee a candidate to join Orioles?

Is Mallee a candidate to join Orioles?
The Orioles handled the task this week of notifying three coaches that they wouldn't have their contracts renewed for the 2020 season. The first steps toward making changes. Steps that were bound to happen, though the challenge was identifying the impacted members of the staff. Up next are interviews with candidates that should begin in a couple of days. A procedure that's keeping manager Brandon Hyde in Baltimore. What's known at the present time is that first base coach/outfield instructor...

Mountcastle, Baumann, Rodriguez among Orioles award winners

Mountcastle, Baumann, Rodriguez among Orioles award winners
Ryan Mountcastle didn't squeeze onto the Orioles' expanded roster this month. However, he's going to be at Camden Yards this weekend. His name won't be in the lineup, but it's etched with the past recipients of the Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year Award. Mountcastle has been chosen as the organization's top position player and will be honored in an on-field ceremony before Saturday's game against the Mariners. Joining Mountcastle are right-handers Michael Baumann and...

Fenter dazzles with 13 strikeouts, but Delmarva offense sputters in 1-0 loss

Fenter dazzles with 13 strikeouts, but Delmarva offense sputters in 1-0 loss
SALISBURY, Md. - Single-A Delmarva manager Kyle Moore didn't worry when the Shorebirds offense was a little slow out of the gate Friday night in Game 2 of their South Atlantic League semifinal series against the Hickory Crawdads. The way Gray Fenter was dealing gave the bats ample time to adjust and wake up. "Our offense does that, has done that a lot," Moore said. "They kind of feel them out the first three innings and so we usually beat teams in the fourth, fifth and sixth. So I wasn't...

Veteran hitting coach Radison energizes Shorebirds - and vice-versa

Veteran hitting coach Radison energizes Shorebirds - and vice-versa
SALISBURY, Md. - Beneath the third base stands at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, the sound of bat meeting ball is keeping beat with Waka Flocka Flame's epithet-rich "50K Remix." Before each swing, Dan Radison's right arm snakes around a screen, feeding a pitch to a waiting batter. Over and over, Radison simulates a low, drivable offering, and over and over, faux line drives are sprayed across an oblong cavernous chamber surrounded by a mesh screen that offers little in the way of...

Mills on his first year managing and uncertain future

Mills on his first year managing and uncertain future
Alan Mills became the third manager of an Orioles minor league affiliate to earn an award for his work in 2019. And he's still uncertain about his future, wondering if he's going to stay with them, the obvious preference, or be searching for a job. Mills was chosen as the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League's Manager of the Year after leading the rookie-level Orioles to the top record at 38-15. The season was cut short due to the threat posed by Hurricane Dorian and the playoffs were...