Baltimore Orioles: First Arizona Fall League Update

A few days into the 2019 Arizona Fall League, let’s check in on how each of the Baltimore Orioles representatives are kicking things off.

A fantastic season down on the farm may be over for most Baltimore Orioles prospects and their affiliates, however, for seven Orioles prospects, the season continues out in the Arizona Fall League. A six-team league filled with elite prospects from across the country, Mike Elias and the Orioles will look to see how their representatives stack up against the best as they prepare to reach the major leagues as early as next season.

Currently, RHP Dean Kremer, LHP Alex Wells, IF Mason McCoy, IF Rylan Bannon, RHP Cody Carroll, and RHP David Lebron are in Arizona with the Surprise Saguaros, the AFL’s top team at 4-1, as of September 24th. Outfielder Austin Hays is expected to join the Surprise roster after he finishes robbing home runs, crashing into walls, putting on a home run clinic at the plate, and giving Baltimore Orioles fans some of the most exciting baseball of the year.

Other than the league’s Fall Stars game and Championship contest, live video of AFL games aren’t available, so unless we get a highlight clip or the occasional insight from prospect evaluators and minor league baseball enthusiasts live at the games, we have to largely rely on box scores.

Although just five games into the season, all six Orioles representatives have seen some playing time. A big AFL experience for each of these guys could lead to playing time with the major league Orioles next season, so the pressure is on these young players.

Rylan Bannon- Bannon has appeared in three games and is 4-14 (.286) with three RBI, three runs scored, and three strikeouts to no walks. All four of his hits have been singles. Only two other players on the Surprise roster with at least 10 at-bats have more hits than Bannon.

Mason McCoy- McCoy has played in just two games but has made the most of his limited playing time. He’s 5-9 (.556) with one RBI, one double, three runs scored. He’s tied for second on the team in total bases. McCoy spent the majority of his 2019 campaign collecting base hit after base hit with the Frederick Keys and Bowie Baysox, while mixing in a few highlight-reel plays on defense. Depending on how the major league roster shakes out this offseason, McCoy is very likely to make his major league debut in 2020.

Dean Kremer- Kremer has one start under his belt, logging two shutout innings in his lone appearance. He allowed two hits, but struck out three and didn’t walk a single batter. The Orioles could see three pieces of the Manny Machado trade reach the bigs by the end of 2020, with Yusniel Diaz, the cornerstone of the return, being the long shot to make the majors next year (not Rule 5 eligible and missed a lot of time in 2019). After striking out 122 hitters in 113 innings, Orioles fans are sure to see Kremer at Camden Yards soon.

Alex Wells- After taking a step back in High-A ball, Wells dominated all season long with the Double-A Bowie Baysox and put himself back on the map as far as Orioles pitching prospects are concerned. Wells did his thing in his lone appearance thus far, striking out four in two shutout innings (two hits allowed). He also picked up the win in his outing.

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David Lebron- Things haven’t gone as well for Lebron in his first two outings, giving up four runs on six hits in 3.2 total innings. While he has just two strikeouts, he has yet to walk a batter, something he did a lot of with the Frederick Keys this year. Early on in 2019, it appeared as if Lebron could be a fast riser and work as a reliever before too long with the Orioles, but it’s clear he still has a ways to go before he’s major league ready. At 26, Lebron isn’t a prospect, but could still work some relief innings at some point in the near future.

Cody Carroll- This AFL experience is all about just getting innings for Carroll after missing all season with a back injury. His numbers aren’t too important as he attempts to work his way back, but let’s take a look. In two appearances, Carroll has given up one run on one hit (a home run), while walking two and striking out three. It will be interesting to hear about how his pitches look and his thoughts on how he feels as the season rolls along.

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A few days into the 2019 Arizona Fall League, let’s check in on how each of the Baltimore Orioles representatives are kicking things off.

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Schedule