Baltimore Orioles: Who Is Playing Winter Baseball Down South?

A small list of Baltimore Orioles minor leaguers kicked off their winter league seasons this weekend.

One of the more beautiful aspects of baseball is that it never ends. Major League Baseball is winding down, but fall college baseball is in full swing and winter leagues across the globe are off and running, or will be in a few weeks, to hold us over until college baseball and spring training are here. For a number of Baltimore Orioles players, their 2019 seasons aren’t quite over.

As of now, winter leagues in the Dominican Republic and Mexico are underway, with action in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Australia coming up within the next month. You won’t find anyone from the Baltimore Orioles organization in Venezuela this year (or anyone from MLB), but we can take a look at who is currently spending their offseason in the Dominican and Mexico.

LHP Luis Gonzalez– Gonzalez will have the opportunity to pitch for manager Fernando Tatis and his Estrellas de Oriente this winter after splitting time with Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. The 27-year-old lefty pitched to a 6.89 ERA and 1.63 WHIP while striking out 66 across 48 innings. Gonzalez pitched on Opening Night in the Dominican, logging a near-flawless inning, walking one.

RHP Pedro Araujo and RHP Hunter Cervenka– Both Orioles minor leaguers will suit up for the Aguilas Cibaenas this season as they attempt to make their way back to the major leagues. Araujo, a former Rule 5 pick of the O’s, was successful during his time in Bowie, but struggled to keep runners off base when given opportunities in Triple-A. With the Baysox, Araujo was 1-3 with a 3.63 ERA, limiting opponents to a .183 average. In AAA, Araujo allowed six home runs in nine innings, owning a 12.54 ERA and .372 average against.

Cervenka quietly went about his job in Triple-A after joining the Orioles in early August. Making nine appearances, Cervenka went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. He struck out 18 in 12 innings.

RHP Diogenes Almengo– Almengo is teaming up with a few former Orioles in IF Aderlin Rodriguez and OF Jimmy Paredes for the Leones del Escogido. Almengo was a fun arm to watch with the Frederick Keys this season, going 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA and 13 saves 35 appearances. He can run his fastball up into the upper-90s, but command was a major issue in 2019. He walked 40 in 55 innings.

3B Jomar Reyes– Reyes saw action on Opening Night with the Tigres del Licey, going 1-4 with a triple. He spent all of 2019 (minus one game with Bowie before an injury) with the Frederick Keys, his fourth tour of duty in High-A ball. Reyes slashed .283/.320/.406 with eight home runs.

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Interesting side note- joining Reyes is old friend Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez was the Opening Night starter for the Tigres, giving up one run on four hits in five innings. He struck out five and didn’t walk a single batter.

RHP Francisco Jimenez and IF Anderson Feliz– Jimenez saw action at three different levels in 2019, going 8-1 with a 3.12 ERA and logging 83 total innings. He fanned 81, walked 26, and gave up just three earned runs over his final 21 innings. The 25-year-old reliever will look to build off his successful season and go into 2020 with hopes of making his major league debut.

Feliz isn’t a prospect by any means, but he was an exciting player to watch, at times, down on the farm. Despite being in professional baseball since 2009, Feliz has yet to make his major league debut. A career .250 hitter in the minors, his ability to play all over the field has kept him around.

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Certainly not the most exciting group of names, there are still a few arms in the bunch who have the ability to catch fire and log a few innings in the big leagues, especially if Baltimore cycles through pitchers as they did this year.

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