Baltimore Orioles: 2019 Minor League Award Winners

The Baltimore Orioles announced their 2019 Player Development Award Winners.  One may come as a bit of a surprise to some.

Last week, the Baltimore Orioles announced the organization’s 2019 Player Development and Scouting Award Winners.  Norfolk (AAA) infielder and Baltimore’s #4 ranked prospect, Ryan Mountcastle was named the Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year  and for the second year in a row two pitchers, Bowie’s (AA) Michael Baumann and Delmarva’s (A-Low) Grayson Rodriguez, will share the Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award

Mountcastle, the International League’s MVP for 2019, spent the entire year in Norfolk where he slashed .312/ .344/ .527/ .871 over 127 games for the Tides.  Playing third base for the majority of the season, the 2015 round one draft pick tallied 25 home runs, 81 runs scored and 83 RBI while striking out 130 times and walking just 24 times.  He led the entire organization in doubles with 35, home runs and RBI.

Additionally, Mountcastle was named to both the International League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star teams and was also the Birds Watcher’s MiLB Hitting Prospect of the Year.  2019 was a banner year for the 22-year-old; he was certainly deserving of the organization’s highest MiLB award.  The only question remaining is, will he follow this honor up with a spot in Baltimore in 2020?

Baumann, the organization’s #9 ranked prospect, earned his share of the Pitcher of the Year Award for a season split between Frederick (A-Adv.) and Bowie in which he compiled a 7-6 record with a 2.98 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 142 strikeouts in 24 appearances (22 starts).  His strikeout total was good for second in the organization behind Bowie teammate and 2018 Jim Palmer Co-Pitcher of the Year Zac Lowther.

Baumann, the Orioles 2017 third-round draft pick, realized his greatest success in Bowie where he pitched both a no-hitter and a complete game shutout.  He was named to the Carolina League Mid-Season All-Star team and started the game, which was held in Frederick, before being promoted to Bowie.

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While not the organization’s winningest MiLB pitcher, Baumann was arguably one of the organization’s most dominant and thus deserves his share of the year-end award.

Rodriguez, the Orioles 2018 first-round draft pick and #2 ranked prospect, was just as dominant in Delmarva in 2019.  The 19-year-old right-hander made 20 starts for the Shorebirds and posted a 10-4 record while pitching to a 2.68 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while striking out 129. His win total was good enough for second in the organization behind Lowther’s 13 and his strike out total was fifth-best as well.

Rodriguez earned a spot on both the South Atlantic League’s Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star teams as well as a spot in the Sirius/XM All-Star Futures Game.  He, along with Mountcastle and Baumann, shows that the farm system is on the upswing.

Frederick pitcher Cameron Bishop earned the Elrod Hendricks MiLB Community Service Award for his volunteer work in the Frederick community, his work with the Keys youth baseball camps and his befriending of a young man named Ryder from the Maryland School for the Deaf.  He also earned Frederick’s Spirit Award for his community service.

Delmarva pitching coach Justin Ramsey, who oversaw a pitching staff that won 90 games and set the South Atlantic League strikeout record with 1,389, was the recipient of the Cal Ripken, Sr Player Development Award.

Thom Dreier, the Orioles area scout who signed Grayson Rodriguez was named the Jim Russo Scout of the Year.

Congratulations to all of these worthy award winners!