As is our Tuesday tradition here at Camden Chat, it’s time for our recap of the last six days of minor league baseball, with a particular focus on Camden Chat’s top 20 Orioles prospects.
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
- Last week: 1-4 at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees)
- Coming week: vs. Syracuse Mets
- Second-half record: 2-9, last place (7.0 GB) in International League East
- Overall season record: 30-56
The second half started only two weeks ago and the Tides are already a distant last place in their 10-team division. A big reason is that the Tides’ offense is riding the struggle bus. They erupted for nine runs in their lone win of this series, but were held to three or fewer runs in their four losses.
At least the
guys you’ve heard of had decent weeks, most notably Heston Kjerstad, who went 7-for-18 with two home runs. He’s raised his OPS 100 points since June 20, up to .743. Maybe it’s not too late for Kjerstad to become an intriguing hitter again, but there’s no obvious spot for him in the majors since he’s basically unplayable in the outfield, and his trade value is probably close to nil. I’m curious to see what the Orioles will do with Kjerstad if he continues to hit well.
Elsewhere, Enrique Bradfield Jr. (#7 prospect) had six hits and four steals this week, but his .258/.323/.342 slash line still needs some improvement before he’ll be considered for a call-up. Creed Willems played only two games before landing on the 7-day injured list with a left hamstring injury.
Tides starting pitchers fared well this week, including righties Nestor German (#11), Trace Bright, and Christian Herberholz, each of whom worked five or more innings and allowed one or no runs. Not so successful was Cade Povich, who recently completed his O’s rehab assignment and was optioned back to Triple-A. Povich gave up three runs and seven hits in 4.1 innings. He and Brandon Young both started this year as depth rotation options for the Birds, but while Young has made the most of his opportunity, Povich has stalled.
Double-A Chesapeake Baysox
- Last week: 5-1 at Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)
- Coming week: at Akron RubberDucks (Guardians)
- Second-half record: 7-4, tied for second place (3.5 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
- Overall season record: 36-43
The Baysox rattled off a five-game winning streak after losing the series opener. The player to watch here, as always, is lefty Joseph Dzierwa (#14 prospect), one of two O’s prospects who will represent the Orioles in the All-Star Futures Game this Sunday. Dzierwa was his typical dazzling self this week, striking out seven in 4.2 scoreless innings.
Dzierwa was one of many impressive pitchers for Chesapeake, whose 2.38 ERA this week led the Eastern League. Fellow southpaw Sebastian Gongora tossed a quality start (six innings, two runs) to lower his ERA to 3.18 in 16 games. Lefty prospect Luis De León (#9) struck out nine in 6.2 innings over two appearances. Righty Juaron Watts-Brown (#15) gave up two runs in 5.1 innings. And let’s not forget a stellar bullpen, where Micah Ashman, Zane Barnhart, Alex Pham, and Juan Rojas combined for 11.2 scoreless, hitless innings, with 19 strikeouts.
The Baysox lineup was led by prospects Aron Estrada (#13) and Ethan Anderson, who both had an excellent series. Estrada led the team with nine hits and six RBIs, posting a 1.119 OPS for the week. The 21-year-old Venezuelan has gotten better every month, recovering from a .624 OPS in April to post .860, .883, and 1.167 marks in May, June, and July, respectively. Anderson, meanwhile, has been scalding the ball all season. His two homers this week give him 17 for the year, along with an .889 OPS, as he’s emerged as one of the Birds’ best offensive prospects.
Infielder Frederick Bencosme, who was a fringe top-20 O’s prospect a few years ago before struggling through a couple of unproductive seasons, was 8-for-19 this week to boost his OPS to .815. The 23-year-old is in his third season at Double-A and finally seems to be getting the hang of it.
High-A Frederick Keys
- Last week: 3-2 vs. Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets)
- Coming week: vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)
- Second-half record: 8-6, third place (2.5 GB) in South Atlantic League North
- Overall season record: 49-29
The Keys’ chance to win this series was interrupted by rain, as Sunday’s finale was suspended at a 2-2 score in the eighth inning. This week also brought news that 2025 first-round pick Ike Irish (#4 prospect) will head to the Futures Game in Philadelphia, joining Dzierwa. The game is at noon on Sunday. Irish celebrated by collecting seven hits this week, including two homers.
Fellow 2025 first-rounder Wehiwa Aloy (#6) had a double and triple among his six hits this week. Newly acquired first baseman Randal Diaz, who was picked up last week in the Orioles’ first-ever trade with the regional rival Nationals, made a good first impression with a homer in his debut, and also drove in a run in the suspended Sunday game. And catcher Yasmil Bucce, who put up big numbers in Low-A last season, has six homers in 22 games this year, including two this week. Bucce didn’t debut until late May due to a hamate injury, but he’s making up for lost time.
Lefty Caden Hunter, a sixth-round pick last year, has been getting some buzz lately, and he delivered another strong outing: five shutout innings, six strikeouts, no walks. Hunter’s K/9 between two levels is a sensational 13.9, leading all O’s minor leaguers, and he has added 2-3 mph on his fastball since being drafted. Color me intrigued.
The Keys have put together a pretty interesting rotation, with Hunter joined by ranked prospects Boston Bateman (#10) and JT Quinn (#19) and the unranked Yeiber Cartaya and Twine Palmer. None besides Hunter had particularly noteworthy outings this week, but all five of them have sub-4.00 ERAs for the season, and all are averaging more than a strikeout per inning.
Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds
- Last week: 2-4 vs. Charleston RiverDogs (Rays)
- Coming week: vs. Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox)
- Second-half record: 6-9, fifth place (3.0 GB) in Carolina League North
- Overall season record: 29-52
Sometimes it’s a struggle to figure out what to say about the Orioles’ Low-A affiliate. In a month or so, they’ll be boosted by the arrivals of the Orioles’ top picks from this Saturday’s MLB Draft, but until then, they’re muddling through with the roster they’ve got. That includes independent league signings like lefty Stephen Still, who was torched for 11 runs (10 earned) in two innings. His season ERA shot up nearly three points from 3.68 to 6.32.
The Shorebirds’ top pitcher at the moment is righty Christian Rodriguez, a 2024 tenth-rounder, who made two starts this week and gave up just one earned run in 10.2 innings, fanning 13. Rodriguez has a 3.01 ERA and 9.93 K/9 in 16 games (15 starts) for the Shorebirds. At 24, he’s two years older than the average Low-A player, so it’s probably time to test him against more age-appropriate competition.
Delmarva’s offense, such as it is, has been paced by outfielder Braylon Whitaker and infielders Jaiden Lo Re and DJ “Professor” Layton. Whitaker shined this week, with a team-leading seven hits and four walks to push his season OBP over .400. Lo Re and Layton each had six hits, including three doubles by Lo Re, who’s slashing .340/.436/.453 in 44 games in his first professional season.
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Last week’s player of the week poll brought our first repeat winner, Ike Irish, who garnered an overwhelming 65% of the vote in a five-player field. Previous winners include Victor Figueroa, Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Caden Hunter, Wehiwa Aloy, Jaiden Lo Re, and Joseph Dzierwa. We’re going to add another first-timer to that tally this week. Who gets your vote?
