Baltimore Orioles: Six Prospects Likely To Debut in 2020

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BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 13: The Oriole Bird celebrates after the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays during game one of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 13, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

Keegan Akin will be with the Baltimore Orioles very soon.

When it comes to minor league baseball, I wouldn’t call myself a fan of most teams, except for the Norfolk Tides. I spent much of my childhood at Harbor Park and love being able to watch the Tides on a nightly basis on MiLB.TV.

It was hard to watch most games in 2019, but not when Keegan Akin took the mound. It’s difficult to take much away from Triple-A numbers, thanks to a juiced baseball, but Akin is ready to make his major league debut after a full season in the highest level of the minors.

Just seven qualified pitchers in the International League recorded an ERA under 5.00 last season, with Akin being one of those. He finished the year with a 6-7 record, 4.73 ERA (4.13 FIP), a career-low 0.80 HR/9 IP rate, and an International League-leading 131 strikeouts.

Armed with a low-90s fastball, a slider, and a changeup that could become a decent weapon in his arsenal, Akin has a high-floor and the opportunity to hold his own in the backend of a major league rotation. At worst, he’s a long man out of the pen, a position the Orioles will be looking to fill in 2020.

Walks and flyballs are issues to pay close attention to, but his strikeout rate jumped from 9.28/9 IP in Double-A to 10.50/9 IP in Triple-A and he was successful at navigating his way through a record-breaking offensive season in the IL.

Akin likely won’t make the roster out of spring training, but it won’t be long before he puts on a Baltimore Orioles jersey for the first time.

Next up, another lefty who could crack the Opening Day roster?

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