Double-A skipper Roberto Mercado on several of the 2024 Baysox

During my interview in this space recently with Orioles Double-A Bowie (now Chesapeake) manager Roberto Mercado, he spent some time talking about his work in the Arizona Fall League and the O’s players he managed there.

But he also spent some time talking about his 2024 season with Double-A Bowie and some of the notable players he managed there this year. We’ll feature this in two parts and check in on a few players today and more in a few days.

Right-handed pitcher Alex Pham, age 25, was not added to the O’s 40-man roster and was available to any team in the recent Rule 5 draft.

Pham, a 19^th-round draft pick from the University of San Francisco, had a solid year for Bowie and he spent all of the 2024 season with the Baysox, making 27 starts.

Pham, who pitched to an ERA of 2.57 in 2023 between High-A Aberdeen and Bowie, went 7-4 with a 4.24 ERA for the Baysox this season. Over 119 innings he allowed 97 hits, had a 1.24 WHIP with a .221 average against and .669 OPS against. He walked 3.78 per nine and fanned 10.44.

Ranked as the O’s No. 25 prospect by MLBPipeline.com, Pham pitches at 92 and 93 mph, touching 95 and 96. He gets 50 grades across the board for his fastball, curveball, slider, cutter and changeup.

After pitching out of the bullpen in college and for his first two years in the pros, he’s a starting pitcher now.

Mercado on Pham: “I thought his year was great. Considering he has been transitioning from a reliever to a starter (which began before the 2023 season). He’s picked it up quickly. He’s very routine-oriented. And has been figuring out how to get himself prepared each day.

“He had a tremendous year. The swing and miss was there, the strikeouts were there. Performed at a very high level. He was fun to have all season. He definitely impressed us throughout the season.”

Mercado, what gains did Pham make this year?: “Developing a routine of understanding what it takes to be a starter. Honestly, it felt like every time he pitched there was rain, a delay or something happened. He was able to navigate those things very well. He made some adjustments and got himself ready. Kid really competes and will give you 100 percent every single time.

“He’s got the big curveball, as well as a hoppy heater (to get his strikeouts). He was getting a ton of swing-and-miss on that. Those are two real weapons that helped him get his strikeouts.”

By the way, Pham had a strong finish to his 2024 season, going 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA over his last eight starts. In that span, he allowed a .169 batting average and .522 OPS over 39 2/3 innings.

Another quality pitcher that was at Bowie last year had a winless record. But right-hander Trace Bright is the O’s No. 12 ranked prospect via MLBPipeline.com. He is considered to have some potentially high-end stuff and he has this edge on Pham – he’s 6-foot-4 and Pham is a bit undersized at 5-foot-11.

But Bright, who pitched less than five innings in 23 of his 27 Baysox starts, went 0-11 with a 4.18 ERA. Once again, he only had four outings where he even pitched long enough to qualify for a win. Over 112 innings he allowed 106 hits with a .253 average against and .755 OPS. He walked 4.82 per nine and fanned 9.64, well down from his 13.27 strikeout rate of 2023.

Mercado on Bright: “I mean, the win-loss record is kind of difficult. Guys, depending on their pitch count may not get that deep into games. He had some good outings for sure. And we tried to get him that win later in the year and it never seemed to work out. He’d pitched 4 2/3 or there was an error that cost him. He reached his count and you have to pull him. That’s part of it.

“I think mentally he was in a great space, especially late in the season. Just kind of dealing with some adversity and this was a great year for him in learning how to manage his emotions and dealing with the ups and downs of the game. I thought he did a tremendous job for us all year.”

Bright, who pitched for the Orioles in March in the Spring Breakout game versus the Pirates, was the O’s fifth-round pick in 2022 out of Auburn.

His fastball sits 92-95 mph and he gets a 55 grade from MLBPipeline.com while his curve is his best secondary, with a 60 grade.

Mercado on the quality of his Bright's pitches: “The stuff is real. It’s more about executing all of his pitches and at times not abandoning maybe that changeup where he could utilize it to get more outs. Just learning his repertoire and how to use it efficiently. But the stuff is solid.” 

Outfielder Dylan Beavers played 119 games this season for Bowie and the last six of the season moved to Triple-A Norfolk, where he will likely start next year.

He is a top 10 O’s prospect, ranked No. 6 by MLBPipeline.com and No. 7 via Baseball America. Beavers was a Competitive Balance Round A pick in 2022, taken No. 33 overall out of California.

For the 2024 Baysox, he hit .241/.343/.413/.756 with 19 doubles, five triples, 15 homers, 31 steals (in 34 tries) and 50 RBIs. He went 5-for-20 at the end of the year for Norfolk.

Beavers finished fifth in the O’s organization among minor league players in steals and tied for sixth in homers.

He provides an intriguing speed-power combo with a plus arm.

Mercado on Beavers: “Over the long season he had his ups and downs but I thought he managed himself really well. At times he can be hard on himself. But I didn’t want him to beat himself up.

“Defensively he got better throughout the season and his arm got better. On offense, you can see what he can do. Plenty of doubles and he’s got some power. He gets on base and can turn a single into a double by stealing a bag for you. Special talent.”

Beavers posted a 13.2 walk percentage last year with a 22.6 strikeout percentage with the Baysox. Baseball America gives him 50 grades for hit tool and power and fielding and 60 grades for running and arm. This season he played 60 games in right field for Bowie, 27 in center and 18 in left field.