Conversion projects: O's move two draft picks from the field to mound

Last year, when they played in college, right-handers Ruben Garcia and Matt De La Rosa were position players that pitched for just a few innings. But after being drafted by and signed by the Orioles, they are now full-time pitchers.

They are basically conversion projects similar to right-hander Mychal Givens, now a fixture in the Orioles bullpen. Givens was a second-round pick in the 2009 draft (No. 54 overall) and played shortstop from 2010-2012 on the O's farm. In three seasons, he never advanced past Single-A Delmarva, batting .247/.331/.311. Then Givens - who, like Garcia and De La Rosa, had pitched briefly as an amateur - moved to the mound in the pro ranks. Clearly, that moved paid off and the Orioles staff did a good job developing Givens as a pitcher.

No one is saying the same will happen with Garcia and De La Rosa, but in their first pro seasons as pitchers this summer, they produced decent results.

The Orioles drafted Garcia in round 14 out of Eastern Florida State College, a junior college program. As a third baseman-outfielder, he hit .286/.340/.385. On the mound, he pitched three scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

But in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League this summer for the Orioles, the 20-year-old Garcia went 0-1 with a 1.76 ERA. Over 11 games and 15 1/3 innings, he allowed just five hits with four walks to 21 strikeouts with a .100 average against. The O's might have drafted him lower, but they were intrigued by his arm and Florida players are scouted pretty heavily. Concerned someone else might soon draft him, they picked Garcia in round 14. In the GCL, he showed a fastball that touched 96 mph.

The 22-year-old De La Rosa hit .357/.459/.605 in 51 games as the shortstop at Lenoir-Rhyne. In 5 1/3 innings on the mound, he gave up six hits and five runs. He has thrown just 8 2/3 career innings. But he showed a fastball that worked between 90 and 94 mph and the ability to throw two breaking balls. Then the Orioles selected him in the 28th round.

In the GCL, De La Rosa went 1-0 with a 2.49 ERA. In 21 2/3 innings he gave up 22 hits and 15 walks with 22 strikeouts and a .247 average against.

All teams hope to find some gems down in the draft. With Garcia and De La Rosa, the Orioles took two shots on lightly-used pitchers who thus have fresh arms and showed some potential.