The four Orioles full-season minor league affiliates are all in action as of Friday. The play of the major league team through the first couple of weeks of the MLB season might end up having everyone far more focused on the farm than we wanted to be this season. Whether the big league club improves or not, Paul Folkemer and I will be here every Tuesday morning to recap the last week of minor league action.
These updates focus on the team’s top prospects, particularly those on Camden Chat’s composite
top 20 Orioles prospect list from before the season. They also include other guys who interest us who might develop into prospects over time. I do not tend to spend much time on non-prospect journeymen, though one never knows who might turn into the next Jeremiah Jackson. Not that we know whether turning into Jackson has any kind of medium-term positive impact on the franchise.
Here’s how things went this week:
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
- Last week: 1-5 at Memphis (Cardinals)
- Coming week: vs. Jacksonville (Marlins)
- Season record: 3-6, t-7th place (5 games back) in International League East
This is a very unfortunate time to emulate the MLB team. The top Orioles affiliate has done it, with Norfolk starting out 2-1 and then going 1-5 over the past six games.
What makes the Tides roster interesting to begin the season is the presence of three starting pitching prospects on whom hopes are pinned to turn into something in the near future. That’s Nestor German, Trey Gibson, and Levi Wells. This was a poor week for two of those three guys. German struggled with command, walking five guys in only three innings; he was lucky to have just four runs allowed after having a WHIP of 3 for the game. Gibson was socked around, allowing nine hits in four innings, with four runs (three earned) in that time. Gibson’s first start also stunk, as did most of his starts in AAA last year. German’s was better.
Wells, on the other hand, had a nice start this week, allowing a run over five innings. He largely scattered four hits and two walks, picking up three strikeouts along the way. If one really wants to nitpick, one will want to see more strikeouts over time. For now, hey, it’s better than for those other guys.
Not as much of interest here for hitting prospects as the year begins. There’s Enrique Bradfield, who some people already want to see in Baltimore while others are more in tune to his need for further Norfolk development. Bradfield made a catch against the outfield wall on Thursday and was removed from the game early. Media was provided the information that this was “as a precaution.” Would you like to guess who didn’t play on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? That’s right: Enrique Bradfield! As of this writing, no injury has been announced and Bradfield remains on Norfolk’s active roster.
Others of interest
- RHP Dean Kremer – Not a prospect, obviously. Probably has a role to play for the 2026 Orioles, and it’s weird they didn’t promptly summon him to fill that role when Zach Eflin got hurt. Three runs allowed in 4.2 innings.
- 2B Jackson Holliday – Being eased back into action while rehabbing his surgery for a broken hamate bone. 5-17 over four games, with a pair of doubles.
- C/1B Creed Willems – Nobody wanted him in the Rule 5 draft. He’s got two dingers and a 1.025 OPS in his first seven games.
- OF Jud Fabian – For those who just can’t quit him: He went 4-14 this week, drawing five walks and striking out six times.
Double-A Chesapeake Baysox
- Last week: 1-2 at Hartford (Rockies)
- Coming week: vs. Erie (Tigers)
- Season record: 1-2, t-4th place (2 games back) in Eastern League Southwest
These articles will typically cover six games at a time. For Double-A, High-A, and Low-A, it was only a half-week with three games played, so there’s even less to say about it. No need to panic about three bad games for anybody. I’d say this even if my guy Aron Estrada wasn’t on this list: two hits, none for extra bases, in his first nine at-bats.
On the other hand, outfield prospect Thomas Sosa ripped up the ball over these first three games, hitting 6-13 with five of the six hits going for extra bases. That’s a 1.539 OPS across three games. I dig it.
One of the team’s top pitching prospects begins the season here with the Baysox. That’s Luis De León. I’d like to report to you a good first outing from him. However, the reality is that he walked three guys and allowed four earned runs in four innings. Oh well.
Others of interest
- SS Brandon Butterworth – The highest-level position player acquired from the Padres last July, Butterworth went 4-9 at the plate in two games.
- IF Griff O’Ferrall and IF Ethan Anderson – Two of the cursed 2024 draft picks start here. Anderson took an 0-for in his two games. O’Ferrall had one hit in two games.
High-A Frederick Keys
- Last week: 2-0 at Hub City (Rangers); one game postponed
- Coming week: at Winston-Salem (White Sox)
- Season record: 2-0, t-2nd place (0.5 games back) in South Atlantic League North
For my money, or rather for my blogging on this website, the most interesting of the Orioles affiliates to begin the 2026 season is the newly-returned Frederick team. With Wehiwa Aloy, Nate George, and Ike Irish all in the lineup, and Vance Honeycutt for the morbidly curious, plus spring breakout guy Joseph Dzierwa on the rotation, there is excitement to be had on this roster.
Even better news: I can say good things from these first two games about every one of the bolded names in the previous paragraph! Well, not Honeycutt. His spring training did not immediately transfer to the regular season and he struck out four times in eight at-bats while notching just a single hit. That was a fun dream for a little while there.
We’re all going to have to learn how to spell Dzierwa’s name if he keeps pitching like this. The 21-year-old lefty, making his pro debut here after being taken in the second round by the Orioles last year, torched the competition in his first real game outing. He struck out nine guys over six shutout innings, with just one hit and one walk allowed. Here’s a guy who may be rapidly building some prospect heat for himself.
Aloy, George, and Irish each played in just one game, and if you want to freak out in a good way about Aloy getting a double and two walks, be my guest.
L0w-A Delmarva Shorebirds
- Last week: 1-2 at Salem (Red Sox)
- Coming week: vs. Augusta (Braves)
- Season record: 1-2, t-5th place (2 games back) in Carolina League North
It’s a young team and nobody’s had more than three games to make much of an impression, so I don’t even want to point out any 0-fors. One guy who hit well over these first three games is 2024 sixth round pick DJ Layton, a shortstop who’s just 19 years old. Layton had three hits, including a double and a triple, plus three walks over the first three games. That’s a cool 1.667 OPS.
The most interesting pitching prospect here to begin the season is Esteban Mejia. His first outing saw him give up only one hit in 4.1 innings. The downside is he walked three guys, and the team defense let him down a little in surrendering three runs (but only one earned). He, too, is only 19, and his development will hopefully be worth following as the season goes along.
Shorebirds season-to-date stats.
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Past seasons have allowed us to present a poll where readers are able to choose their minor league player of the week. Unfortunately, technical changes outside of our control no longer allow us to embed polls the way we could before and we cannot track winners as the season goes along.
Rather than a poll, the comments are up for discussion. Who were the standout efforts for you over this past week? Whose early minor league performance has you concerned? Who are you excited to follow as the season goes along? Let us know in the comments below.
