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Baltimore Orioles minor league system
analysis - UPDATE Nick Markakis, OF- Markakis made the Orioles opening day roster by bludgeoning his way onto the team with a spectacular spring training. After opening the year as the Orioles starting left fielder, Markakis began the season hitting .333. As the year progressed, his batting average regressed until it hit bottom April 28, when he went 0-4 against Seattle and his BA settled at .175. Since then, he has made adjustments and is back above the Mendoza line with at .214. Rumors surfaced that he was headed to Ottawa so he could gain some traction for a later recall, however the Orioles thin depth in the OF kept him in the majors. The best way to describe his situation is that he is learning at the major league level. Jeff Fiorentino, OF Began the year at AA Bowie and is hitting a mere .209. However, he does have six home runs in 110 at bats, way below his career minor and major league batting averages. He did suffer an ankle injury in April. Brandon Snyder, C Last year's number one pick seems to be struggling with Low A pitching. He is currently batting .228 with no home runs at Delmarva. Strikeouts seem to be plaguing him as he has fanned 33 times in 92 at bats. Nolan Reimold, OF Looks to be the best of the best for the Baby Birds so far this year, currently hitting .319 with six home runs and 13 doubles. Too bad he is putting these numbers up at Frederick --- if it were AA Bowie, he might be looking at a shot at Camden Yards this year. I am betting he shows up in the AFL this season and fast tracks to Baltimore. Nate Spears, 2B A guy you have to like. He was part of the deal which sent Corey Patterson to the Orioles this off season. He is hitting just .213 with the Daytona Cubs. As a side note, the Orioles also sent pitcher Carlos Perez to the Cubs along with Spears; he is Spears' teammate and is 0-1 with a 8.44 ERA. Val Majewski, OF Continued his return from a torn labrum at AAA Ottawa. He was briefly recalled to Baltimore when David Newhan broke his leg, so for one day he was a major leaguer again. Made the switch to first base as his throwing arm was not yet fully recovered from surgery. Majewski was hitting .162 with two home runs when he went on the DL himself with a strained oblique muscle. Adam Loewen, LHP Big Adam continues his climb through the minors. He started this year at AA and has flirted with a no hitter while compiling a 4-2 record with a 2.72 ERA. He has struck out 55 and walked only 26 hitters in 49.2 innings pitched. Due to Hayden Penns appendicitis attack, young Adam has been called to the bigs and will pitch tonight at Safeco field in Seattle. Hayden Penn, RHP What a year! Started at extended spring training, moved to AAA Ottawa where he went 2-2 with a 1.48 ERA and 1.05 WHIP! Dominating! He did so well, he was called to the majors to fill in for injured Daniel Cabrera, only to show up at Safeco field poised to make a start and come down with appendicitis. Instead of saving the Orioles, he is in a Seattle hospital with a surgically induced hole in his lower abdomen. Garrett Olson, LHP Pitching at High A Frederick in the Carolina League, I saw him earlier this season at Potomac and it looked as though he might have been just missing the strike zone as he could not finish off several batters when he got ahead in the count. My feeling was it was the replacement umps! Currently has a 3-3 record with a 3.47 ERA. His WHIP is a average 1.40. He has however struck out 46 hitters in 49 innings while walking only 16. Clearly, he is around the plate with his pitches. James Johnson, RHP Another top Orioles prospect, he started the season at AA Bowie. He sports a 4-2 record with a 4.18 ERA. He has struck out 48 batters and walked 19 in 51.2 innings. Brandon Erbe, RHP In his second professional season, the fireballing Erbe is 2-2 and has struck out 60 batters in only 44 innings pitched. Brandon Fahey is playing second base in Baltimore and doing a very nice job of filling in for Brian Roberts. Tripper Johnson is hitting a mere .176 at AA Bowie. His teammate, Ryan Hubele has become the Orioles top catching prospect after his AFL breakout last year, even though his batting average is .216. Walter Young was released by the Birds in the off-season and although he still casts the largest shadow, he was released by the Padres after hitting only .200 at AAA Portland. He did however hit three home runs in his 35 ABs with the Beavers. Currently, he is hitting .278 with one HR for the Astros AA team in Corpus Christi. One of Big Walt's teammates is former Pirates farmhand, J.R. House, who is also trying to make a comeback from surgery. Aaron Rakers is on the DL and will miss the season. Chris Ray is a bright spot for the Birds, successfully closing every game he as pitched in. John Maine is now a Met. He was traded with Jorge Julio this off season for Kris & Anna Benson. Kris is having a terrific season so far and Anna has been seen only one time at Camden Yards, much to the chagrin of Orioles fans. Radhames Liz is tearing up the Carolina League. He and three other Keys pitchers combined for a no hitter earlier in the season, and in one grand stretch of time, Liz fanned 33 batters in just 15 innings of work. Right now, he has a ERA of 1.48 while holding opponents to a .160 batting average. Richard Stahl and Beau Hale have moved back onto the Orioles radar with their bullpen work at Bowie. Chris Britton and Sendy Rleal are pitching out of the Baltimore bullpen while Cory Morris had a cup of coffee in Baltimore. --- John
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