Game 96 lineups: Nats at Orioles

Game 96 lineups: Nats at Orioles
This season's edition of the Battle of the Beltways concludes this weekend in Baltimore after the Nationals swept the Orioles in D.C. in May. Manager Davey Martinez has been asked a lot recently about how he can use Josh Bell and Ryan Zimmerman in the same lineup, with Bell getting some reps in left field during batting practice recently and Zimmerman trying to get his swing back from earlier in the year. That won't be a problem this weekend, though, in an American League ballpark. Bell is...
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After limping into break, rested Nats need to start thriving

After limping into break, rested Nats need to start thriving
The Nationals closed out the season's first half with their toughest two-week stretch to date: 14 games in 14 days, all of them against contenders. The goal at the time: Survive and reach the All-Star break in one piece. How'd they do? Things started off swimmingly with three straight wins over the Mets and Rays. Then Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber got hurt just as the Nats were about to face the National League West's three top teams, and they proceeded to lose nine of 11, limping into the...
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O's select righty Dylan Heid in Round 11 of draft (updated)

O's select righty Dylan Heid in Round 11 of draft (updated)
The Orioles started the final day of the First-Year Player Draft by selecting senior right-handed pitcher Dylan Heid from Division II Pitt-Johnstown after he posted some eye-popping stats during the 2021 season. Taken No. 317 overall in round 11, Heid went 7-2 with an ERA of 1.37 in nine starts with four shutouts and six complete games. He allowed 25 hits in 59 1/3 innings with 15 walks and 105 strikeouts. He posted a WHIP of 0.67 and allowed a batting average against of just .126. He was a...
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Day two draft recap with Brad Ciolek and a thrilling derby

Day two draft recap with Brad Ciolek and a thrilling derby
As fans around Birdland noted yesterday that the Orioles have taken just one pitcher so far in this draft, I will take a moment to point out a few things to consider. For one, the Orioles do have several pitchers in the minor league pipeline they like, to include several among their top 30 prospects list and two in overall top 100 lists in Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall. Also - and we have heard this so many times over so many drafts - you don't select for current need in the First-Year Player...
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Mike Rizzo and Kris Kline on drafting Cade Cavalli

Mike Rizzo and Kris Kline on drafting Cade Cavalli
General manager Mike Rizzo and assistant GM & vice president of scouting operations Kris Kline spoke with reporters via Zoom conference call on Wednesday after selecting right-hander Cade Cavalli with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.
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Cade Cavalli excited to join "best organization out there"

Cade Cavalli excited to join "best organization out there"
Oklahoma right-hander Cade Cavalli spoke with reporters via Zoom conference call on Wednesday after being selected by the Nationals with the No. 22 overall pick of the 2020 MLB Draft.
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Nats need to find more success with late first-round picks

Nats need to find more success with late first-round picks
The Nationals built a contender - and ultimately, a World Series champion - on the strength of an impressive run of first-round draft picks who developed into superstars. Ryan Zimmerman. Stephen Strasburg. Anthony Rendon. Bryce Harper and Drew Storen (aside from the champion part). All were top-10 selections during the Nats' first seven drafts. All had a hand in the franchise's ascension. The first three had a major hand in the franchise's title run. But if they want to continue this run of...
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A look at the O's top draft pick with MLBPipeline.com's Jonathan Mayo

A look at the O's top draft pick with MLBPipeline.com's Jonathan Mayo
There could always be a surprise and the Orioles are not going to tip their hand, but for now all signs continue to point to the club taking Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman with the first pick in the First-Year Player Draft on June 3. Good luck finding a mock draft that doesn't have the Orioles making the switch-hitting junior the No. 1 selection. He's having a sensational season. MLBPipeline.com analyst Jonathan Mayo was a guest recently on "O's Xtra" on MASN and said that he feels...
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Elias on draft: "A rare opportunity to get an impact player"

Elias on draft: "A rare opportunity to get an impact player"
We are now less than three weeks from June 3, the first day of the First-Year Player Draft. That is going to be a huge day and night for the Orioles, who will make the first pick in the first round for just the second time in club history. The draft began in 1965. In 1989, the Orioles made LSU right-handed pitcher Ben McDonald the top pick in the first round. The Orioles have never had the No. 2 pick and selected No. 3 just once and took Manny Machado there in 2010. Almost every mock draft...
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Orioles select Arkansas right-hander in round three (with updates)

Orioles select Arkansas right-hander in round three (with updates)
In the third round of the First-Year Player Draft today, the Orioles selected University of Arkansas right-handed pitcher Blaine Knight. He was the No. 87 overall selection. Knight is rated the No. 36 prospect by Baseball America, No. 48 by MLBPipeline.com, No. 55 by ESPN and No. 58 by FanGraphs. This season he went 11-0 with an 2.74 ERA over 16 starts with one shutout. In 95 1/3 innings he allowed 79 hits, including 16 homers, with 22 walks, 88 strikeouts and a .224 batting average against....
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Schoop finishes 12th in AL MVP voting

Schoop finishes 12th in AL MVP voting
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop, already chosen in September as Most Valuable Oriole, capped off his career season by placing 12th in voting for the American League's Most Valuable Player award. The announcement came tonight on MLB Network. Schoop appeared on seven ballots distributed to members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He received two votes for sixth place, two for eighth and three for 10th to give him 19 total points.. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve finished ahead...
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Orioles will not sign their fourth-round draft pick

Orioles will not sign their fourth-round draft pick
Today is the final day to sign selections from the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. The deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern time. But the Orioles are not going to sign their lone remaining unsigned top 10 pick, right-hander Jack Conlon from Clements (Texas) High School in Sugarland, Texas. He was taken in the fourth round with the 128th overall selection. Had the Orioles signed Conlon, they would have reached agreements with their all of their first 16 selections over the first 15 rounds. So far, they have...
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Nats expect to finalize deal with top pick Romero today

Nats expect to finalize deal with top pick Romero today
The Nationals and left-hander Seth Romero are expected to finalize a deal before today's 5 p.m. EDT deadline, ensuring the organization's first-round draft pick can begin his professional career in short order. Romero, the 25th overall selection of last month's draft, has - like many first-round picks - delayed signing until deadline day, but he's expected to come to terms on time, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Terms of Romero's expected deal aren't known, but the...
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When it comes to draft pick signings, O's have moved fast

When it comes to draft pick signings, O's have moved fast
When the Orioles announced two more draft pick signings on Thursday afternoon, that brought their total to 29 signed picks out of the 41 they selected in the recent First-Year Player Draft. That is an impressive total to have wrapped up this soon. This will definitely benefit the individual players. By signing fast, they can get their pro careers started sooner and begin learning the pro game and impressing their new organization faster. Signing quickly is almost always good for the player. So...
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Rendon out of lineup but works out on field; 25 draft picks sign

Rendon out of lineup but works out on field; 25 draft picks sign
MIAMI - Anthony Rendon is out of the Nationals lineup tonight, his neck still sore after an awkward diving play that forced him out of Monday night's series opener at Marlins Park. Rendon suffered a neck "stinger," according to manager Dusty Baker. It's not a typical baseball injury, and because the Nationals third baseman has never experienced it before, there seems to be less certainty about how much time he'll need to recover than more standard ailments. "I asked him if he ever played...
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O's Gary Rajsich on the draft and top pick DL Hall

O's Gary Rajsich on the draft and top pick DL Hall
When the First-Year Player Draft began on Monday night, Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich did not expect the first round to end with high school left-handed pitcher DL Hall being selected by the Orioles. He expected Hall to be gone by the time the Orioles selected at No. 21. But Hall wasn't gone and the Orioles gladly pulled the trigger on a pitcher that they clearly had very highly ranked and were delighted to get. Rajsich explained how it all went down. "We targeted pitching and...
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Today's draftees include Baker's son, Cousins' cousin (Nats lose 13-2)

Today's draftees include Baker's son, Cousins' cousin (Nats lose 13-2)
On the final day of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, the Nationals took a couple of kids with awfully recognizable last names. The Nationals drafted both Darren Baker (Dusty's son) and Jake Cousins (Kirk's cousin) amid their flurry of third-day picks that spanned 30 rounds. Darren Baker, 18, is an infielder who hit .396 with a .476 on-base percentage at Jesuit High School in suburban Sacramento, Calif. He has already committed to play for the University of California and is expected to...
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Nats continue to go for pitchers in First-Year Player Draft

Nats continue to go for pitchers in First-Year Player Draft
The Nationals made pitchers their pick in nine of their first 10 selections in the first two days of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. Assistant general manager & vice president, scouting operations Kris Kline said that was by design. "We wanted to fortify our system with pitching," Kline said. "That was the goal going in." Kline said this draft had a good mix of pitchers with "a lot of velocity and guys with secondary stuff." The Nationals selected six right-handers and three...
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Nationals "comfortable" Romero's maturity won't be an issue

Nationals "comfortable" Romero's maturity won't be an issue
In making Seth Romero their first-round draft pick this year, the Nationals know they're getting one of the most talented amateur left-handers out there, with an arm they believe is big league-ready right now. They also know they're getting perhaps the first-rounder with the biggest question mark attached to his name. In the end, general manager Mike Rizzo, vice president of scouting operations Kris Kline and the rest of the Nationals front office believe the immense talent Romero brings to...
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Nats take chance with first-round pick of expelled lefty Romero

Nats take chance with first-round pick of expelled lefty Romero
The Nationals have been willing to take risks with first-round draft picks in the past. They've never taken a risk quite like this, though. With their first pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft, the 25th overall selection, the Nationals selected University of Houston left-hander Seth Romero, a big left-hander with a big arm who could reach the big leagues quickly but has a major red flag attached to his name: He was kicked off his college team after twice being suspended for various...
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