New Delmarva skipper can ask dad, brother about managing

New Delmarva skipper can ask dad, brother about managing
He is from a famous baseball family and proud of the Alou name. His dad played and managed in the majors, and his brother managed in the big leagues the last two seasons. There is family experience to draw on as the Orioles' Felipe Rojas Alou Jr. gets ready for his first season as a professional manager. The younger Alou will skipper the Orioles' low Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds this year, following in the footsteps of both his dad, Felipe Alou, and his brother, Luis Rojas, who managed the...

Analyst bullish on DL Hall, but future role is a question

Analyst bullish on DL Hall, but future role is a question
There is no doubt that the combination of an injury that limited him to seven starts last season and trouble at times in his career with control and command have dropped Orioles lefty pitching prospect DL Hall a bit on some top 100 prospects lists. But he hasn't dropped on all of them, and on one list, he actually moved way up, even though the outlet feels he could end up pitching in the bullpen in the majors. This is an interesting guy for publications to rank. Before 2021, Baseball...

One analyst's take on O's No. 1 farm rankings

One analyst's take on O's No. 1 farm rankings
When FanGraphs.com placed six Orioles among its top 69 prospects this week in their ranking of the top 100 in baseball, it was certainly an impressive haul for the O's. But they were not the first outlet to rank six Orioles in the top 100, as ESPN beat them to it by a few days and the O's placed a half-dozen players among the top 98 in baseball. Six Orioles were in the ESPN top 100: 1 - Adley Rutschman 8 - Grayson Rodriguez 74 - Colton Cowser 94 - DL Hall 96 - Gunnar Henderson 98 - Coby...

Piggyback pitching on the farm and Kjerstad close to pro debut

Piggyback pitching on the farm and Kjerstad close to pro debut
Especially at low Single-A Delmarva, but possibly at other affiliates as well, the Orioles could use a piggyback pitching system in some minor league games again this year. Last April in this story, we told you about this coming to the O's farm in advance of the start of the 2021 minor league season. It is essentially where one of the affiliates gets two starting pitchers or starting rotation candidates into the same game, with one going the first part of the contest and the other the second...

New Aberdeen skipper ready for the challenge of pro ball

New Aberdeen skipper ready for the challenge of pro ball
When you talk to Roberto Mercado, a new member of the Orioles front office and player development staff, his excitement to work for the club in 2022 comes through. It's going to be a big adjustment for the 42-year-old Mercado. He was the head coach of New Britain (Conn.) High School from 2011-2021 with a record of 139-80 and dean of students at the school since 2004. But his baseball experience also includes time spent as an assistant coach in the summer wood bat Cape Cod League, one of the...

A look at the O's haul of prospects on FanGraphs' list

A look at the O's haul of prospects on FanGraphs' list
Another outlet released a top 100 list (actually 114) on Wednesday, and this time the Orioles produced their strongest representation yet when they placed six players in the top 69 on the list released by FanGraphs.com. Adley Rutschman was yet again rated as the top position prospect and overall No. 1 prospect in baseball, as he was earlier by Baseball America, The Athletic and ESPN. But this time right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez achieved his highest ranking ever, at No. 3. He had been...

Will some prospects have a chance to play at three levels in 2022?

Will some prospects have a chance to play at three levels in 2022?
There were a few players on the Orioles farm that played at three levels last season. They got promoted twice, in other words, and that was impressive. Could we see more of that in terms of promotions coming in 2022? "I think last year was a unique situation," O's director of player development Matt Blood said this week from Sarasota. "We didn't have as much information to go off of (with no minors games in 2020). I think this year will be a little more normal in regard to those type of...

Non-drafted JD Mundy swung a potent bat in 2021 season

Non-drafted JD Mundy swung a potent bat in 2021 season
During my series of interviews with the four full-season Orioles minor league managers, I talked with 2021 high Single-A Aberdeen manager Kyle Moore and we discussed a few of his players from last season. Today we'll take a closer look at first baseman JD Mundy. In this recent entry, we discussed pitchers Garrett Stallings and Jake Prizina. Among the 28 Orioles on the farm last season who had 300 or more plate appearance, Mundy was an impressive first in OPS at .926. Adley Rutschman was second...

As rookie farm manager, Mercado can draw on Cape experience

As rookie farm manager, Mercado can draw on Cape experience
Earlier this year, the Orioles did, in fact, hire someone who this summer will make the big jump from manager of a high school team to manager of the high Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds. That is an accurate statement. But another accurate statement is that calling him a high school coach doesn't begin to provide the full story of the baseball experiences for 42-year-old Robert Mercado. In his new role as Aberdeen skipper, Mercado will draw often on his time, from 2014 to 2021, as an assistant...

It's been busy during prospect ranking season

It's been busy during prospect ranking season
During a lockout, we can't say it's baseball season yet. Hopefully, sooner than later. But we can say it is prospect ranking season. Multiple outlets have been coming out with player and team rankings. Today let's review what we have seen so far. Six Orioles were in the ESPN top 100: 1 - Adley Rutschman 8 - Grayson Rodriguez 74 - Colton Cowser 94 - DL Hall 96 - Gunnar Henderson 98 - Coby Mayo Five Orioles were in the Baseball America top 100: 1 - Rutschman 6 - Rodriguez 52 - Hall 57 -...

The birthday boy could still take his offense to a higher gear

The birthday boy could still take his offense to a higher gear
Ryan Mountcastle turned 25 on Friday. As he gets ready for his third big league season, let's take a look at a few ways he can take an impressive 117 career OPS+ and maybe even do a little better. After 140 plate appearances in his 2020 debut season, Mountcastle finished eighth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting and was still rookie-eligible in 2021. And he finished sixth in the voting after last season. Over 144 games and 586 plate appearances last season, he batted...

Orioles sign Long to minor league deal

Orioles sign Long to minor league deal
The Orioles made their first transaction of 2022 that didn't involve the international market, with an industry source confirming that they've signed Shed Long Jr. to a minor league deal. The lockout prevents moves that impact the 40-man roster. The Mariners outrighted Long, 26, in October after he batted .198/.258/.360 with four doubles, a triple and four home runs in 34 games, and he elected free agency. Long underwent surgery in September 2020 to repair a stress fracture in his right...

Baseball moves Marrow back to Maryland as minors coach

Baseball moves Marrow back to Maryland as minors coach
Troy Marrow didn't begin his life in the Baltimore area, but he feels like he's back home. Though the seeds were planted in New York, where he learned to cheer for the Yankees with his father, Glenn, a Brooklyn native, the roots run deep here. They keep latching onto him. The Orioles hired Marrow as fundamentals coach in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, returning him to the area once again before the minor league season begins. The pull is always so strong. Marrow, 29, moved to...

Kjerstad recounts his small world moment

Kjerstad recounts his small world moment
Heston Kjerstad won't claim that he never forgets a face, but the young outfielder was certain that he recognized one of the players who showed up in Sarasota last month to work out at the minicamps for hitters. The stranger wasn't at the fall instructional camp. He wasn't in the organization until January. Who was this guy? A little detective work revealed his identity and proved again that it's a small baseball world. Kjerstad already lived the coincidence of being teammates with...

Nothing normal about Hyde's first three seasons with O's

Nothing normal about Hyde's first three seasons with O's
Orioles pitchers and catchers are supposed to report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in less than a week. Six days, to be exact. With forecasted temperatures reaching the upper 60s. Cold by Sarasota standards, but not as icy as the talks between Major League Baseball and the players association. Everyone is waiting for official word that the start of spring training is delayed. Hammering out a new collective bargaining agreement and making the necessary arrangements to get players into camp...

Who's the best guess for Orioles breakout player in 2022?

Who's the best guess for Orioles breakout player in 2022?
Before we can toss out ideas for an Orioles breakout player this season, we first need to rummage through the qualifications. Cedric Mullins made it easy in 2021. The April demotion in 2019 and inability to claw his way back to the majors. No assurances that he'd hold onto the center field job last spring. The first 30/30 season in franchise history, along with an All-Star berth, Silver Slugger Award and ninth-place finish in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League. And so on and...

O's will take BP program from the minors to the majors

O's will take BP program from the minors to the majors
When the 2022 big league season begins, no doubt, the Orioles' new, young co-hitting coaches, Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte, may have some thoughts on how O's hitters can improve. There may be some methods they eventually want to introduce and/or enhance for the big league hitters. One aspect that the Orioles are now likely to implement at the big league level was the batting practice routine and approach they used on the farm last year. The Orioles had actually intended to begin this...

Orioles set to make latest splash in the international market

Orioles set to make latest splash in the international market
A new 11-month international amateur signing period begins for major league teams on Jan. 15. And the Orioles are expected to sign several of their key targets, including an outfielder that will be given the largest bonus for an international amateur in club history. In the signing period at this time last year, the club announced its first two seven-figure signings in this marketplace. The Orioles announced the signings of 17 players last year on Jan. 15, including 13 that got six-figure...

O's 2022 rotation candidate: Keegan Akin

O's 2022 rotation candidate: Keegan Akin
In a season where his ERA ballooned to over 8.00 and ended up at 6.63, the strides lefty Keegan Akin made late last season might fly under the radar, but also should give him reason to be encouraged about his 2022 Orioles rotation chances. Akin didn't make the 2021 opening day roster after a rough spring, but he was pitching for the Orioles by May 12. And because the minor league season didn't start until May, he wound up throwing 97 innings last year - 95 for Baltimore and just two for...

A look at O's co-hitting coach approach with Ryan Fuller

A look at O's co-hitting coach approach with Ryan Fuller
The Orioles coaching staff, as of late last year, now officially includes co-hitting coaches, and those coaches will work together in 2022. For both, it will be their first season at the major league level. Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller are both just 31 and may work with some hitters in Baltimore that are older than they are. Borgschulte spent the last four years in the Minnesota Twins organization and was at Triple-A St. Paul last year. Fuller has been with the Orioles for two years, spent...