We’ve gone through the Draft, the initial days of International Free Agency, and several months of play here in the 2019 season. With that, Baltimore Sports and Life (BSL) provides an updated listing of the Orioles top 30 prospects. Here we look at numbers 30-16.
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(#30) Mason McCoy, SS/2B
Grade: 35+ Risk: Follow ETA: 2021
Ht/Wt: 6’0” / 175 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: AA Age (as of July 31, 2019): 24y, 4m
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McCoy transferred to Iowa after two years in JuCO, initially signed as a money saver for just $10K as Baltimore’s sixth-round pick in 2016 after his senior year. The scrappy infielder has already returned on that investment, performing at each minor league stop and named to the Eastern League All-Star Team. He torched the Carolina League (.379/.416/.509) for 27 games to begin 2019 before forcing a promotion to Bowie. McCoy is the epitome of a high-makeup performer, still fitting as a nice 35+/Follow type of prospect given the lack of a carry tool. He has good bat control and won’t strike out much, but there isn’t much power or strength at contact. Likewise, he’s an adequate infield defender, but not enough of an asset with the glove to carve out a big league role on that alone. McCoy likely profiles as upper-level depth with a fair chance at earning a call up, though this is the type of prospect that can overachieve a bit on the strength of instincts and fundamentals.
(#29) Robert Neustrom, OF
Grade: 35+ Risk: Follow ETA: 2022
Ht/Wt: 6’2” / 208 lbs. B/T: L / L Highest Level: A Age (as of July 31, 2019): 22y, 8m
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Neustrom was the team’s fourth-round pick in 2018 from the University of Iowa. He missed time this year with a minor injury, but has otherwise produced a solid line for Delmarva in his first full year of pro ball. Neustrom has prototype physicality and left-handed pop for a corner outfielder, though the expansive confines of the Shorebirds’ home park hide it a bit. This is a risky prospect type, one that has to clear a high offensive bar to have value. He’ll move up this list with convincing offensive showings higher up the minor league ladder.
(#28) Jake Zebron, RHP
Grade: 35+ Risk: Follow ETA: 2023
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 180 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: R Age (as of July 31, 2019): 19y, 5m
A local kid drafted in the 18th round last year, Zebron has pitched well this summer in the GCL. He’s a deep sleeper in this system that’s all projection, flashing three pitches from a clean delivery. His fastball touches 95 mph and sits in the low-90s, backed by a developing mid-70s curveball that shows above-average spin and depth when finished properly. His changeup is a distant third offering, though he’ll wrinkle a few with intriguing separation and late fade. Zebron is still probably best suited to keep developing on the complex for now, but don’t be surprised if he’s a breakout name in Delmarva next year.
(#27) Zach Watson, OF
Grade: 40 Risk: Extreme ETA: 2022
Ht/Wt: 6’0” / 160 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: SS-A Age (as of July 31, 2019): 22y, 1m
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Watson was Baltimore’s third-round pick in 2019 from LSU, where he was a major contributor for all three years. His best tools are speed and defense, a pro-ready CF with plus wheels that allow him to rack up steals. Watson will really have to hit in order to be more than a complimentary FV 40 bench guy, but the batspeed is here to foresee a hitter that will at least hold his own at the plate. With a real offensive surge, this type of prospect can max out in the FV 45 tier—and with a downturn at the plate, Watson could also wind up a FV 35+ depth piece in the upper-minors, too. His well-rounded toolset and center-diamond profile raise the floor, though, and make it unlikely Watson finishes any less than that.
(#26) Cody Carroll, RHP
Grade: 40 Risk: Extreme ETA: 2018
Ht/Wt: 6’5” / 215 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: MLB Age (as of July 31, 2019): 26y, 9m
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Carroll was one of the prospects the Yankees sent Baltimore in the Zach Britton deal. He struggled with his control in a brief big league stint, but averaged an impressive 96 mph on his fastball with a slider that grades at least average. Carroll has yet to pitch in 2019 due to a lower back injury that placed him on the IL in April. He doesn’t have the control or off-speed to pitch leverage innings but could be a viable middle relief piece upon returning. Carroll is already 26-years-old and is more attractive for his floor and proximity than ceiling. He’ll be one of the quicker drops off the back half of this list if injuries or poor performance continue to hold him back.
(#25) Drew Rom, LHP
Grade: 40 Risk: Extreme ETA: 2022
Ht/Wt: 6’2” / 170 lbs. B/T: L / L Highest Level: A Age (as of July 31, 2019): 19y, 7m
Video | Scouting Report
Rom wasn’t a consensus fourth-round talent heading into the 2018 Draft, with some clubs feeling he had interesting feel to pitch but wasn’t pro-ready from a physicality or velocity standpoint. Though he has succeeded with more craft than stuff to date, his performance with Delmarva this year validates the O’s decision to sign Rom straight from high school. He was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star Game after pitching to an ERA south of 2.50 in the first half. Though he’s just 19-years-old, Rom’s stuff and pitchability resemble the type of polished, older arm that runs through Low-A but hits a ceiling against better competition. His fastball works in the 88-to-91 mph range, able to change the shape on a sweepy three-quarters breaking ball at 79-to-83 mph. His changeup has developed into an equalizer, potentially his best pitch long term and something that works to speed up the fastball. Rom’s demonstrated pitching IQ and ability to get outs make him a prospect, but fringy raw stuff will keep him in the FV 40 tier until he performs higher up the ladder.
(#24) Rylan Bannon, 2B
Grade: 40 Risk: Extreme ETA: 2021
Ht/Wt: 5’10” / 180 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: AA Age (as of July 31, 2019): 23y, 3m
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Bannon was one of the prospects Los Angeles sent to the O’s for Manny Machado. The diminutive infielder packs a surprising punch at the plate, with 50-grade raw power paired with above-average strikeout rates. He isn’t a true shortstop, but moves around the infield otherwise and is known as a high-energy gamer. This type of prospect bumps their head at the 3A/4A line sometimes—lacking the stick for an everyday role in the big leagues and unable to play a true center-diamond position—but Bannon’s sneaky pop and defensive versatility give the upside of a useful bench piece.
(#23) Brenan Hanifee, RHP
Grade: 40 Risk: Extreme ETA: 2021
Ht/Wt: 6’5” / 180 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: A+ Age (as of July 31, 2019): 21y, 2m
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Baltimore’s fourth-rounder in 2016 from a Virginia high school, Hanifee’s athleticism, projection, and control made him among the more interesting arms low in the system the last few years. He has moved steadily up the ladder, now in High-A as a 21-year-old. Hanifee hasn’t quite turned the corner scouts were hoping for and is still largely the same pitcher, something that’s beginning to catch up to him against better hitters. Hanifee’s fastball sits around 90 mph and doesn’t get past the 91-92 mph range. He keeps it around the zone from a clean, repeatable delivery, though his typically strong walk numbers have backed up a good bit in 2019. There’s solid sink and run to the pitch, allowing Hanifee to manage contact and induce ground balls. He has made strides with both a short low-80s slider and fair changeup, though neither off-speed really moves the needle enough to project better than a complimentary pitch. Hanifee still has attributes to keep him on the prospect radar, but the ceiling now looks closer to that of a long/middle relief type than future back-of-the-rotation arm.
(#22) Branden Kline, RHP
Grade: 40 Risk: High ETA: 2019
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 210 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: MLB Age (as of July 31, 2019): 27y, 10m
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Kline’s reemergence as a prospect was one of the heartwarming stories on the O’s farm in 2018. A local kid who attended high school in Fredericksburg, Maryland and was drafted by Baltimore from the University of Virginia, injuries had derailed his career prior to last year. Kline came back from missed time showing the same velocity as he had a few years prior, shaking off rust as the season went on and finishing in Triple-A. He debuted in April of 2019, and while things didn’t go particularly smoothly in a 20-game stint in the big leagues, Kline still shows ingredients of a viable middle innings piece. His upper-90s fastball is a good enough pitch to cover leverage innings, but he lacks the off-speed or control to profile in those situations. The amount of jobs up for grabs on the O’s staff—plus Kline’s remaining options—mean we’re likely to see him in Baltimore again sooner rather than later.
(#21) Alex Wells, LHP
Grade: 40 Risk: High ETA: 2021
Ht/Wt: 6’1” / 190 lbs. B/T: L / L Highest Level: AA Age (as of July 31, 2019): 22y, 5m
Video | Scouting Report
Wells is the unlikeliest of prospects, a relatively unassuming build with pedestrian overall stuff. The Australian southpaw has excellent pitching IQ and control, which pairs with his natural deception enough to get consistent outs. The organization’s pitcher of the year in 2017 with Delmarva—a year where he walked just 10 batters in 140 total innings—Wells was hit harder at times last year in High-A. He has made some adjustment this year with Bowie, however, named to the Eastern League All-Star Game and upping his prospect stock by showing his smoke-and-mirrors approach is still effective against high minors competition. Wells’ fastball rarely cracks 90 mph, but it gets on hitters quickly and spots to all quadrants of the zone. He throws strikes with a shapely low-70s curveball and decent changeup, though no one pitch really turns the needle. The best-case outcome for Wells is a #5 starter, though the lack of stuff might make that a hard role to hold down in a contending rotation. His ability to prevent walks from the left side should get him to the big leagues in some capacity, likely profiling somewhere between a mopup piece and swingman/spot-starter.
(#20) Luis Ortiz, RHP
Grade: 40 Risk: High ETA: 2018
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 230 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: MLB Age (as of July 31, 2019): 23y, 10m
Video | Scouting Report
One of the prospects returned from Milwaukee last year in exchange for Jonathan Schoop, Ortiz has scuffled so far in Baltimore. He was hit hard during his big league cups of coffee in both 2018 and 2019, otherwise struggling mightily in Triple-A this season. He was placed on the IL in July and has not pitched since as of this writing. A former first-round pick and highly regarded prospect, Ortiz appeared in the Futures Game as recently as 2018. His sturdy frame and heavy sinker checked the boxes of a potential back-of-the-rotation arm at the time, but Ortiz’ stuff and durability have both backed up since. He has consistently battled weight throughout his pro career, and once again was on the losing side of that fight in 2019. His fastball is down a tick as a result, with reason to wonder if physical conditioning is a factor in his injury woes. There are likely better days ahead for Ortiz than what he has shown this year, though there’s a chance he finishes more of a swingman/spot-starter type than regular rotation piece.
(#19) Dillon Tate, RHP
Grade: 40 Risk: High ETA: 2020
Ht/Wt: 6’2” / 195 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: AA Age (as of July 31, 2019): 25y, 3m
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Tate went fourth overall in the 2015 Draft from the college ranks, but it has been a fairly bumpy ride since. He was dealt to the Yankees shortly after being drafted by the Rangers, reaching as high as Double-A in New York’s system before coming to Baltimore in the trade that sent Zach Britton to the Bronx. A longtime candidate to move to relief, Tate has finally transitioned to the bullpen with Bowie in 2019. His fastball works in the 94-to-97 mph range aired out in short stints, though it plays down a bit given inconsistent ability to place the pitch down. Similarly, his mid-80s slider shows like a big league offering at best, but backs up and gets slurvy at times. The 25-year-old isn’t likely to wind up more than a middle innings option at this point, but still has a shot at the big leagues in a smaller capacity.
(#18) Zach Pop, RHP
Grade: 40 Risk: High ETA: 2020
Ht/Wt: 6’4” / 220 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: AA Age (as of July 31, 2019): 22y, 10m
Video | Spotlight
Pop proved to be a nice addition to the Manny Machado deal, continuing his extremely strong performance in 2018 after moving to the Orioles organization last July. A pure relief prospect, his best attribute is a bowling ball sinker in the 95-to-98 mph range that racks up big ground ball totals. Pop’s slider is a solid second pitch, giving the overall upside of a solid 7th inning ‘pen arm that can come in with runners on for a double play. He was off to an excellent start in 2019 before going down for the season with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Pop’s FV grade and place on this list have been adjusted to reflect the increased risk, but we think he’s one of the more likely prospects from this 40/High group (all clustered between #16 and #22 on this list) to contribute in the big leagues if he comes back from injury.
(#17) Blaine Knight, RHP
Grade: 40 Risk: High ETA: 2021
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 165 lbs. B/T: R / R Highest Level: A+ Age (as of July 31, 2019): 23y, 1m
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The Orioles liked Knight’s projection and arm-strength at the University of Arkansas, prompting the club to select the righty with their third-round pick in 2018. There were concerns about how his lanky frame would hold up under the pro grind at the time, and those questions have been proved valid given Knight’s performance in his first full pro season. After four sharp starts against less advanced competition in Delmarva to begin the year, Knight’s control and ability to miss bats both cratered upon moving up to High-A Frederick. Though his fastball will still scrape 94-95 mph early in most starts, it falls to the low-90s as games progress and settles in at 90-91 mph. There’s still some room for optimism, though, as the 23-year-old righty flashes sharp action on his curveball and slider with glimpses of a developing changeup. Knight’s prospect stock is trending down, but he wouldn’t be the first college starter to initially slump in pro ball and get some velocity back in year two. In the event it just doesn’t click as a starter, Knight’s past flashes of velocity and sharp spin make him a bullpen candidate.
(#16) Kyle Stowers, OF
Grade: 40 Risk: High ETA: 2022
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 200 lbs. B/T: L / L Highest Level: SS-A Age (as of July 31, 2019): 21y, 6m
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Stowers was the 71st overall pick in this year’s draft, one of two Stanford players—and three college outfielders—Baltimore took in the first 10 rounds. He put himself on the map with a strong sophomore campaign in 2018, showing his power played with wooden bats by putting up numbers in the Cape Cod League during the summer of 2018. Stowers’ ability to drive the ball is his calling card, with plenty of natural leverage through a whippy uppercut. There’s length to his swing and exploitable holes, especially against lefties. Though he played some CF in college and in his pro debut with Aberdeen, it’s most likely the 6-foot-3 outfielder moves to a corner long term. The most likely ceiling is a righty-mashing role player, though Stowers could move up Baltimore’s prospect list if he produces enough at higher levels to get chances at an everyday
A native of Washington, D.C., Adam will be periodically contributing scouting pieces on Orioles prospects for Baltimore Sports and Life. Currently, he’s the Assistant Director of Professional Evaluation at 2080 Baseball. Previously, Adam worked in the Baseball Operations departments of the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers after serving as a Senior Prospect Writer for Baseball Prospectus. You can follow him on Twitter: @2080adam. Adam can be reached at amcinturff@2080baseball.com for all podcast and media requests.