Saturday’s Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles farm system had a good season

Good morning, Birdland!

It’s difficult to not focus on the Orioles minor leagues right now. The team in Baltimore is kind of tough to watch some nights and they don’t win many games. That is unlikely to change in 2020 or maybe even 2021.

Meanwhile, the clubs in Delmarva, Frederick, Bowie and Norfolk have more than a few players to get excited about. Grayson Rodriguez and D.L. Hall are striking everyone out. Adley Rutschman is one of the biggest names in the minors. Ryan Mountcastle can straight up hit. The organization has overhauled the way they groom pitchers. And the prospects as a whole are garnering more attention throughout the industry.

And that was all just in the first season with Mike Elias in charge. Things should get even better from here. The O’s still have a couple of interesting major league players that could be leveraged in a trade to add more talent to the farm, and the next amateur draft is quickly approach.

Exciting times are ahead!

Links

Orioles Notes: Means, Holt, Bundy - MLB Trade Rumors
This is a Bird Droppings 3-for-1 special. You click this link and it takes you to three more links. Deals like this don’t come around...well, yeah they do.

Three Orioles Players Who Failed To Capitalize - Birds Watcher
How could you narrow it down to just three? While the Orioles saw a few nice surprises (Hanser Alberto, Jonathan Villar), there were still many more players who were flat out bad (Richie Martin, Dan Straily).

Rutschman, Mountcastle soar for Orioles - MiLB.com
Reading about the Orioles minor league success is one of my secret obsessions at the moment. It allows me to dream of the distant future, when a battery of Grayson Rodriguez and Adley Rutschman leads the way while Ryan Mountcastle launches 40 bombs per year.

Wilkerson prepared to work with new outfield instructor - School of Roch
Stevie Wilkerson is a useful player to have in an organization. He can play all over the diamond, including pitching. And he seems to go all out each time. He is not going to be especially productive when he does play, but he may get better as he gets more time in the field at these previously foreign positions.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

Francisco Pena, an Orioles backup catcher for 19 games between 2016 and ‘17, turns 30 today. The once-promising outfielder Nolan Reimold, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Orioles from 2009 to 2013 and then again in 2015 and 2016, is 36 years old. Paul Janish, the defensive specialist turned Rice University baseball coach, is 37. Former right-handed pitcher Leslie Brea, who appeared in a few games for the O’s in 2000 and ‘01, celebrates his 46th birthday. Lefty Sid Fernandez, who spent 15 seasons in the bigs, including two with the Orioles (‘94-’95), is 57. And finally, a melancholy happy birthday to Ray Murray (b. 1917, d. 2003), the late catcher that spent 22 games with the Birds in 1954.

1979 - The Orioles win Game 3 of the World Series 8-4 over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kiko Garcia leads the way with four runs.

2012 - The O’s get knocked out of their first playoff run since 1997. CC Sabathia dominates in a 3-1 win in Game 5 of the ALDS.