Baltimore Orioles: Superlative Winners Bring Hope And Excitement

We decided to have a little fun and hand out five superlatives for the Baltimore Orioles.

Remember back during your high school days how winning “Best Dressed”,  “Most Popular”, or “Most Likely To Succeed” determined your future in life?  Do you ever go back and check in on some of those high school superlative winners to see which ones hit the mark and which were wildly inaccurate? Well, we’re taking that same idea and handing out a few superlatives for the Baltimore Orioles, based on what we saw in 2019.

There are no-brainers, like Hunter Harvey and his “Best Hair” honor or Anthony Santander and his “Most Likely To Become King Of England” superlative (I know how becoming a King works, just go with it), but we decided to have some fun and make up a few more.

Let’s take a trip down to the minor league farm system for our first superlative, “Most Electric Prospect.”

This isn’t necessarily like a “Most Likely To Succeed”, but which Orioles prospect has the most potential to completely amaze you when you sit down to watch him play? This honor belongs to Frederick Keys LHP DL Hall.

Most of the scouting reports from reputable outlets agree that Hall has the potential to be a legit major league starting pitcher with three solid pitches and a noted ability to produce swings and misses.

With two full seasons of minor league ball under his belt, Hall is prepared to take the next step in his development in Double-A Bowie next season, taking with him a career 2.96 ERA and .201 average against in more than 185 innings.

Hall struck out 25.6% of opponents in 2018 with the Delmarva Shorebirds and 33.5% of Carolina League hitters with the Frederick Keys this season. However, his already high walk rate also saw a spike (6.02 BB/9 IP rate in ’19). His struggles with walks have been well documented, but many believe that his delivery and mechanics all lend favorably to cutting that number down.

Other than his high strikeout totals, Orioles fans will also love Hall’s ability to keep the ball in the ballpark. His 0.57 HR/9 IP rate in Delmarva was impressive, but his 0.33 HR/9 IP rate in Frederick was simply fantastic. Home runs tend to fly out of Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick, just not when Hall took the mound.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to catch a DL Hall start live, I highly suggest you make a trip next season. It’s going to be another tough season in the majors and every Orioles minor league affiliate is just a short drive away. No excuses! The lefty was recently named the top prospect in the Carolina League, according to Baseball America.