Snyder is a top prospect once again
He's only 21, but already Brandon Snyder has been through a lot in pro baseball. He was a hyped first-round draft pick who has had to deal with high expectations.
When he didn't work out as a backstop, he was moved to first base. He had a poor, injury-plagued 2006 season where some fans began to wonder if the first-round pick with all the hype would live up to the potential.
But then came this 2008 season. After a slow start, Snyder's bat has really heated up for the Frederick Keys. And, even though he's one of the younger players in the Carolina League, Snyder has re-established himself as a top O's prospect, letting everyone know that Matt Wieters isn't the only top hitter in the O's farm system.
One way to look at Snyder's progress is to compare his stats to Nick Markakis when he played for Frederick in the Carolina League at 21. Markakis played 91 games for Frederick that season before a promotion to Bowie.
2005-Markakis: 91G, 350 AB's...300-12-62... .379 OBP/.480 SLG
2008 Snyder: 80G, 297 AB's......300-7-50.... .338 OBP/.465 SLG
"I feel great, just trying to stay relaxed and play," Snyder said. "Earlier this year I was pressing a bit, thinking I've got to have a big year. Right now I haven't really changed anything. I know I can hit; I've always been able to hit; I don't need to make a lot of changes. Sometimes the pitcher gets you out and you tip your hat. The last month I've just done everything I can to make it hard to get me out, not giving up any pitch or any at bat."
Snyder has been on a hitting tear, batting .326 in June and .373 in July. He had a 17-game batting streak come to an end Thursday night.
"I've learned so much from the coaches in our system. You keep your mouth shut and your ears open."
It hasn't always been going well for the kid from Centreville, Virginia, who the O's selected with their 13th pick in round one in 2005. The O's wanted to convert Snyder into a catcher and, while he made steady progress, a left shoulder injury in 2006 led to the end of that experiment. Snyder had surgery on that shoulder on August 29 of 2006, performed by Dr. Andrews of Alabama. If pressed, Snyder will admit catching could take a toll and affect his hitting, as well.
"Catching, it's an emergency thing, I can do it if they need it, it's another tool I have. But when you catch, it can cut into the time you work on hitting, when you are catching bullpens and so forth. Late in a game as a catcher you can be a little spent for that last at bat or two," Snyder said.
So after hitting just .234 in 38 games with Aberdeen in 2006, Snyder bounced back last year, batting .283-11-58 in 118 games at Delmarva. Then, he went to the Hawaii Winter League after the season and led the league in batting with an average of .378, and everyone in baseball took notice of that.
"Hawaii was awesome. Facing guys from Double-A with experience and to do well vs. them was great. I learned from other guys in our system and on other teams," said Snyder, who is a roommate in Columbia with other O's prospects Matt Wieters, Brandon Erbe and Jake Arrieta.
Now the young man who can hit to all fields with power, is one of the top hitters in the Carolina League and back on the radar as someone who could be in Baltimore over the next few seasons.
"The rest of this year, I just want to finish strong. I'd love to make the playoffs. There's been no talk about me moving to Double-A that I've heard. It will happen when the time is right."
Snyder called Frederick's season a "roller coaster" of ups and downs and said the Keys have as much talent as any team in the league, but haven't played well enough consistently.
He also plans to play this winter. "I want to play somewhere, I'd love to be picked for the Arizona Fall League--that would be an honor to go there."
Minor League Notes
There are a couple of hot hitters going right now at Delmarva. Infielder Matt Tucker, a 31st round pick in 2007, is hitting .422-2-13 over his last 12 games with 19 hits in 45 at bats. Outfielder Matt Angle, the O's 7th-round pick last year, is batting .379 his last 12 games with 22 hits in 58 at bats.
LHP Chris Salberg is headed back to Delmarva after going 3-1, 2.17 in six starts at Aberdeen. He is 4th in the New York-Penn League in strikeouts. Salberg made two starts with the Shorebirds in May.
IronBirds catcher Caleb Joseph, this year's 7th-round pick, tied the club record with a 5-hit game Wednesday vs. Jamestown. Joseph went 5-5 with two doubles, a homer and 4 RBI. Also, he has thrown out 46 percent of those trying to steal.
RHP Bob McCrory, who pitched in two games for the Orioles in late April, has been assigned to Aberdeen on an injury-rehab assignment. McCrory, who was 1-3, 3.32 at Triple-A Norfolk, has been out with a right rotater cuff strain.
Orioles manager Dave Trembley was asked if the club will call up top prospect Matt Wieters in September.
"I think that's Andy MacPhail's call. There are a lot of considerations that go into that that I'm just learning like service time, arbitration and things related to administrative decisions that come into question."
Wieters has played 69 games this year with Frederick and 22 at Bowie. In the combined 91 games, he is batting .345-18-50 with 14 doubles, 55 walks and 60 strikeouts. He went 0-3 Saturday night to snap a 17-game, Double-A, hitting streak.
Every scout that I've read and heard says Snyder is no longer a top prospect because he now plays 1b and doesn't hit for enough power at that position. The reason he was a top prospect was because he hit enough at Catcher. I stil think he could solve our longstanding DH woes if the O's are smart enough to put him there.