Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Baby Birds Roundup - 5/24/11

Delmarva Shorebirds

OF Kipp Schutz is hitting .425/.455/.600 over his last 10 games. His OPS for the season is 1.016. He's 23 and he's not being challenged....get him up to Frederick.

IF Ty Kelly has found his power stroke with .381/.435/.500 with a couple doubles and a homer over his last 10 games.

I won't bore you with yet another Jonathan Schoop recap but he's still hitting well.

Righty reliever Clayton Schrader hasn't given up an earned run over his last 7 appearances spanning 18 innings. For the season, 22 IP, 38 Ks, 13 BBs and a lone homer.

Over his last 10 games, 1B Mike Flacco has hit .474/.523/.763 and was named Sally League player of the week.


Frederick Keys

Speaking of honors, SP Bobby Bundy was named Carolina League pitcher of the week. Over his past two starts, he has thrown 14 innings while striking out 11 while walking just 2 and allowing just one earned run.

3B Buck Britton (and brother of Zach) was OPSing .938 in Frederick and finally got a promotion to Bowie this week. He walked more than he struck out (8 BBs to 7 Ks) and he just turned 25. It was time.


Bowie Baysox

After a slow start, CF Xavier Avery is hitting .308/.400/.410 over his last 10 games with 4 doubles. Still just 21, it would be great if Avery build on this nice run.

Lefty reliever Cole McCurry has given up just one earned run this season. One. In 25.1 IP in AA this season, he has 32 strikeouts and just 7 walks.


Norfolk Tides

Most of the talent worth talking about is in Baltimore right now.

LHP Troy Patton probably should be. With all the poor pitching going on in the Baltimore pen, Patton has a 2.60 ERA over 17.1 innings in AAA (15 Ks, 5 BBs, 0 HR).

And after a rough start to the season, LHP Mark Hendrickson has a 1.91 ERA over his last 28.1 innings. (15 Ks, 4 BBs, 2 HR) Surely Hendrickson and Patton offer something better than Mike Gonzalez right now.

Righty reliever Pat Egan has found his control over the last 6 appearances and as a result, he has allowed no runs over his last 12.2 innings.

8 comments:

Jeff said...

Didn't realize Zach Britton's brother was in the minors too. The O's love siblings. Also saw a scout say Dylan Bundy was the best HS pitcher/arm they've ever seen. I'm still beating the Dyland Bundy drum. Hard.

Also Dan Klein. That is all.

DempseysArmy said...

Yep.Keep hearing Zack Greinke comparisons with Dylan Bundy as a very polished guy, a HS hurler who may as well be a college guy. Starting to think he won't fall that far...

Dan Klein is slightly irritating since he's 3rd round pick that was supposed to be stretched out to a starter this year. That's not happening...so it appears we spent a 3rd round pick on a reliever?

Jeff said...

Understand the frustrations, though the rotation is filling up to some degree and other promising youngsters are gonna be looking at the bullpen too (Ryan Berry, Cameron Coffey - a personal favorite, Hobgood, Spoone, etc.). I think Klein could be a lockdown Soria type of closer, and God knows the O's could use one of those.

DempseysArmy said...

Yeah..but using a 3rd round pick on a reliever is a far bigger reach than taking Hobgood where he was selected.

But you're right, it could be academic if the young guys stay healthy...bullpen may be the way to go for now anyway.

Anonymous said...

I don't see how a 3rd round pick on a reliever, if he's really polished and talented, is necessarily a reach. Off the top of my head, I know Drew Storen, Ryan Perry, and Aaron Crow were all drafted in the 1st round... those picks were certainly very debatable, but I don't have a big problem with picking one in the third round.

DempseysArmy said...

If you select a guy in the first 3-4 rounds with the thought he's going to be a reliever, that's a reach to me. If you think the guy's a starter and then he kind of flames out and it turns out he's better in relief, fine. But that pick's too valuable to waste on a guy who will be a reliever from the get go.

The O's said they wanted Klein to be a starter. IMO, they gave up on that plan waaay to soon.

And just because other teams wasted 1st round picks on relievers, doesn't mean the O's should. Cheaper ways to fill your relief corp.

aj said...

He will move alot faster as a reliever, and he fits better for the long term as a reliever at this point based on what the O's currently have. Let um move and be a cheap end game arm we desperately need and dont have.
Unless you advocate them to keep doing what they have been doing with relief at the ml?~

DempseysArmy said...

I'm not going to get all worked up over Klein's role but...they said when they drafted him, it was as a starter. It was considered a reach because most scouts thought he would be a reliever.

But overall, I am for developing cheap arms in the minors (obviously), I just don't want to start spending valuable draft picks (above, say, the 5th round) on players who project to be relievers, no matter how good you think they might be.