Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle Remains Hot In Norfolk

Baltimore Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle has been on an absolute tear recently with the Norfolk Tides.

Ryan Mountcastle is off to a roaring start with the AAA Norfolk Tides this season. So much so, it begs the question- when is he going to force the hand of Baltimore Orioles’ leadership?

The 22-year-old corner infielder has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games and is currently batting .333 and leading the International League with 41 hits. After a brief adjustment period to AAA pitching and Harbor Park, Mountcastle has made himself comfortable with the Norfolk Tides.

The second-ranked prospect in the Orioles’ organization and the No. 63 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline is also slugging .528 with an .887 OPS and has 13 extra-base hits with 22 RBIs in just 30 games.

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He is listed as a third baseman on MiLB.com but has only played third four times this season and has posted a measly .818 fielding percentage. He has seen most of his time at first base and has been leaps and bounds better at his new position. Mountcastle is showing good range at the position, the ability to pick the ball, and has shown much better confidence at the position, especially on tough plays.

Mountcastle’s fielding is one reason the organization is keeping him in AAA, for the moment. Orioles’ general manager Mike Elias has been adamant against rushing prospects to the big leagues. Why not give him more time to develop his fielding skills? Also, Mountcastle is just 22 years old. While several organizations have decided to promote their top prospect talent to the big leagues, don’t expect the Orioles to pull the trigger quickly with Mountcastle.

There isn’t a place in the infield for him now. The Orioles have a first baseman in Chris Davis who is not going anywhere with his massive contract. There’s also Trey Mancini and Mark Trumbo who could eventually find his way back to the active roster this year. Bringing up another 1B/DH player isn’t going to happen this early in the season.

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However, it will be tough for the organization to keep Mountcastle in AAA if he keeps up his current hitting. If he keeps swinging the bat the way he is, by June or July, expect the organization to give him a call. Especially if the Orioles are active at this year’s trade deadline, as many assume they will be.

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