Pitchers They Have and Pitchers They Need

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The MLB Draft finished today as the 40th round came to a close. The Orioles made 38 draft picks this year after not having a pick until the third round due to offseason acquisitions.

Many of the names are not familiar with the majority of Orioles fans. There is an exception for Notre Dame fans and live in the Baltimore area who know Pat Connaughton very well from his time with the Notre Dame Basketball team.

Here is the list of Baltimore draft picks in a nutshell.

Position

Pitchers: 27

Infielders: 6

Outfielders: 5

Level of Play

College: 30

High School: 8

Top-Quality Talent

Top 500 Prospect (as voted by Baseball America): 13

Other: 25

It is safe to say the Orioles were interested in drafting pitchers throughout this draft. As many baseball analysts on television channels like ESPN and MLB Network have said, Major League clubs are more interested in drafting pitchers as of late because it is less of a risk factor than that of position players.

Although there can be position players who have all the makings of a future “all star,” it is easier for a scout to tell whether a pitcher has it or does not rather than if a position player can read a pitch, has the bat speed, etc.

My personal opinion is the Orioles have done a great job this draft. The pick I was most excited about was Connaughton. I think he fits the Orioles pitching mold well. He reminds me of  Bud Norris‘ demeanor on the mound. Although there is some work to do with Connaughton’s off-speed pitches, he has the mindset of a Major League pitcher and if he decides to leave college early, he will be one of those players in the Baltimore farm system for fans to keep their eye out for.