International program's contribution to the elite talent pipeline

International program's contribution to the elite talent pipeline
With a new academy coming in the Dominican Republic and their latest signing class announced yesterday, the Orioles' resurgent international program keeps growing and getting better. The elite talent pipeline, international division, got better as a result. On one Saturday afternoon, the Orioles announced the signings of 24 players and spent their entire pool allotment of over $6.2 million, according to Koby Perez, the club's senior director of international scouting. Where the Orioles once...
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O's add Braylin Tavera at $1.7 million as signing period begins (updated)

O's add Braylin Tavera at $1.7 million as signing period begins (updated)
A new international signing period arrived today in Major League Baseball and the Orioles have announced a class of 24 players. This includes 16-year-old outfielder Braylin Tavera from the Dominican Republic. The 6-foot-2, 175-lb. right-handed hitter agreed to a bonus of $1.7 million, according to MLB.com, and that is the largest ever given by the club to an international amateur. Tavera, who profiles as a speedy center fielder, also features some power potential and gets scouting grades of 50...
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Speed and outfield defense will be important in new Oriole Park left field

Speed and outfield defense will be important in new Oriole Park left field
While we expect Oriole Park at Camden Yards to yield fewer homers in 2022 with the deeper outfield fence coming in left and left-center, the new dimensions and angles of those outfield walls will create more ground to cover for the defenders. Outfield defense in left and center just got more important for the Orioles. The Orioles may now place more of a premium on that outfield defense than before. And an outfield of Austin Hays in left and Cedric Mullins in center with have more frequent...
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Elias and Mejdal on outfield changes at Oriole Park

Elias and Mejdal on outfield changes at Oriole Park
Yes, the Orioles are quite aware that their pitching staffs in recent years have struggled. But the changes underway in left field and left-center field at Camden Yards are more about producing a park that plays more neutral and more toward norms in Major League Baseball. Right now, the club plays in a stadium that produces among the most home runs and runs in baseball - for all pitchers - and this will create a shift in that. Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said...
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New owners for Baysox and Keys, left field construction pics and more

New owners for Baysox and Keys, left field construction pics and more
In a transaction that took effect on Jan. 1, 2022, the Orioles' Double-A Bowie affiliate has a new owner. So does a former O's affiliate, the Frederick Keys. Attain Sports and Entertainment - Maryland Baseball, LLC announced that it has purchased the Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League. Led by owners Greg Baroni, CEO and principal general partner, and Richard Roberts, president and general partner, Attain Sports and Entertainment's mission is to present baseball as...
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O's will take BP program from the minors to the majors

O's will take BP program from the minors to the majors
When the 2022 big league season begins, no doubt, the Orioles' new, young co-hitting coaches, Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte, may have some thoughts on how O's hitters can improve. There may be some methods they eventually want to introduce and/or enhance for the big league hitters. One aspect that the Orioles are now likely to implement at the big league level was the batting practice routine and approach they used on the farm last year. The Orioles had actually intended to begin this...
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Orioles set to make latest splash in the international market

Orioles set to make latest splash in the international market
A new 11-month international amateur signing period begins for major league teams on Jan. 15. And the Orioles are expected to sign several of their key targets, including an outfielder that will be given the largest bonus for an international amateur in club history. In the signing period at this time last year, the club announced its first two seven-figure signings in this marketplace. The Orioles announced the signings of 17 players last year on Jan. 15, including 13 that got six-figure...
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O's 2022 rotation candidate: Keegan Akin

O's 2022 rotation candidate: Keegan Akin
In a season where his ERA ballooned to over 8.00 and ended up at 6.63, the strides lefty Keegan Akin made late last season might fly under the radar, but also should give him reason to be encouraged about his 2022 Orioles rotation chances. Akin didn't make the 2021 opening day roster after a rough spring, but he was pitching for the Orioles by May 12. And because the minor league season didn't start until May, he wound up throwing 97 innings last year - 95 for Baltimore and just two for...
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A look at O's co-hitting coach approach with Ryan Fuller

A look at O's co-hitting coach approach with Ryan Fuller
The Orioles coaching staff, as of late last year, now officially includes co-hitting coaches, and those coaches will work together in 2022. For both, it will be their first season at the major league level. Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller are both just 31 and may work with some hitters in Baltimore that are older than they are. Borgschulte spent the last four years in the Minnesota Twins organization and was at Triple-A St. Paul last year. Fuller has been with the Orioles for two years, spent...
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Recent discussions have included rotation candidates, chasing balls and more

Recent discussions have included rotation candidates, chasing balls and more
Sometimes you never quite know what you may be reading about in this space. Some days it could be potential free agent pitchers the club could sign, 2022 rotation candidates or chasing home run balls in batting practice. Trying to keep it interesting here during a lockout with almost no news taking place can be a challenge. Especially with snow and/or ice on the ground. A challenge to the baseball mood. But before long, spring will emerge, the lockout hopefully ends and a new collective...
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O's 2022 rotation candidate: Dean Kremer

O's 2022 rotation candidate: Dean Kremer
It was September 2020 and the shortened 60-game season was nearing its end. On Sept. 6, right-hander Dean Kremer, a key player in the Orioles' trade of Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers, made his major league debut. It went quite well. Over six innings he gave up just one run and one hit versus the New York Yankees as he got his first big league win and the Orioles beat New York, 5-1. Six days later he faced the same team and allowed just one run on five hits. A few days later he faced...
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In pursuit of a baseball, the real fun is in the chase

In pursuit of a baseball, the real fun is in the chase
When I came across this article recently, the prevailing feeling was jealousy. This guy has caught 81 home run balls during big league games over the years. Over the years, before I began to work in the media and more than a few years ago, I attended hundreds and hundreds of games. My home run caught count is zero. Yep, only 81 behind and my days in the stands hoping to catch a homer are pretty much over. I think there are stories out there of fans claiming to have caught thousands of baseballs...
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Another look at some of the solid offense on the farm

Another look at some of the solid offense on the farm
When you look at the various lists of Orioles top prospects, most of them will have more hitters than pitchers among the top 10. That is certainly true of MLBPipeline.com, which ranks hitters as six of its top nine prospects for the Orioles, and Baseball America, which ranks hitters in six of the top eight spots. And these include high draft picks the club has made since executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias and his staff took over before the 2019 season. He has been here for...
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Looking to add some velocity to the pitching staff

Looking to add some velocity to the pitching staff
According to stats on FanGraphs.com, Orioles pitchers collectively averaged 93 mph with their fastball velocity in 2021. At one time, that number may have been among the best in the majors, but it only ranked tied for 20th last season. The New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox tied for the major league lead, averaging 94.7 mph per fastball. Among O's pitchers throwing 20 innings or more last season, just four averaged 95 mph or more. 96.8 mph - Tanner Scott 95.9 mph - Connor Greene 95.5 mph -...
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Which way to go with the rotation for next season?

Which way to go with the rotation for next season?
While we have taken some space here in recent days to begin to size up 2022 Orioles rotation candidates - and will continue to do some of that moving forward - let's take a look at the bigger picture today. That is, the rotation as a whole and how should team management approach it this coming season? Plan A: The club has reached an agreement with right-hander Jordan Lyles. At a minimum, they hope he can eat some innings allowing younger pitchers more time to get minor league seasoning...
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A look at another 2022 rotation candidate: lefty Alexander Wells

A look at another 2022 rotation candidate: lefty Alexander Wells
In recent years, there were not many players signed as international amateurs by the Orioles that made it all the way to the majors. But Aussie Alexander Wells pulled that off during the 2021 season, making his big league debut in late June. The soft-tosser had four stints on the roster, beginning with his initial recall from Triple-A Norfolk on June 25. Over 11 games (eight starts), he went 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA. Over 42 2/3 innings, he allowed 53 hits and 10 homers with 16 walks and 26...
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A look at what we could see during the 2022 season

A look at what we could see during the 2022 season
The new year arrives. We break out the new calendars. And it's also a good time to take a look ahead at what might be coming. As it relates to baseball, getting a new collective bargaining agreement worked out before the scheduled start of spring training would be a great start. So fingers crossed that we see that early during 2022. But once the season does begin, what could 2022 hold for the Orioles? Will the team begin to turn the corner?: This would be big for a suffering fan base that has...
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Amid the losses, there were indeed high notes

Amid the losses, there were indeed high notes
During a season that ended with 110 losses, there were still some things that were positives and/or just plain fun about the 2021 season. And it's not that starting next year that we won't still look back. We will. But today, on the final day of the 2021 calendar, we take another look back at the Orioles season. Here are some of the best things we saw, wrote about and talked about this year. No. 1 - Trey Mancini played in 147 games: After dealing with cancer and chemotherapy treatments, Trey...
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Sizing up one 2022 rotation candidate

Sizing up one 2022 rotation candidate
Right-hander Mike Baumann, still one of the Orioles' top pitching prospects, had a cameo in the big leagues last September. There were two outings without an earned run allowed and two where he gave it up. But there was not much to judge or analyze off a 10-inning small sample. But Baumann ended 2021 making it to the big leagues. And that was a success since his season began amid lingering injury concerns and a two-inning outing on May 15 at low Single-A Delmarva. His early numbers were not...
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News has been expectedly slow in Birdland

News has been expectedly slow in Birdland
This time of year is usually pretty slow in baseball. And with the lockout on top of that, it's been real slow. And things may not speed up for a while, but hopefully it won't be too far into the new year when we get some better news on that front. Today I want to wish every reader and your family a merry Christmas and happy holidays! I appreciate this community today and every day. Just a short entry today to look back at a few recent items of news and feel free to leave any comments. But...
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