Mancini talks Hays and Sisco, Ynoa impresses and prospect rankings

Trey Mancini is a rookie that feels two other rookies on the Orioles are doing very well with their September call-ups. Mancini has played in 144 big league games. Austin Hays and Chance Sisco have played in a combined 18 games with the Orioles.

Mancini got his September call-up last year and has gone where Hays and Sisco would like to go - he's become an everyday player for the Orioles.

For now, the 25-year-old Mancini is pretty impressed with 22-year-old youngsters Hays and Sisco. Mancini was part of the 2013 Orioles draft class with Sisco and they played together on the 2015 Double-A Eastern League championship team with Bowie. He has become Hays' teammate in Baltimore for the first time.

"They've been great," Mancini said. "If there have been nerves, you can't tell. They have handled everything really well. Austin, after his first few at-bats, made some nice adjustments. These guys are not scared or intimidated. I knew coming in they both had the personality and confidence level to be here and that has shown."

When Sisco hit his first major league homer last week at Yankee Stadium, Mancini was there with a big hug for the kid in the O's dugout.

"It was awesome. He and Austin Wynns were the first two guys I met when I got drafted," Mancini said. "We had our physicals at the same time here in Baltimore. Chance was my roommate at the Sheraton here right after we got drafted. So it was pretty neat to be here four years later and see that. I was so happy for him. That was a great moment. I remember what it felt like with my first homer, so it is always cool to be there for other guys."

And no doubt Mancini will always be there for teammates.

"I gave them a little advice and it was what Caleb Joseph told me: Do what got you here," he said. "Your strengths and whatever worked for you in the minors will work here, even if it doesn't right at the beginning. I told them to trust their ability. I'm not too big a source of wisdom, I don't think, but any help I can give, I try to do that."

In last night's game, Mancini singled in a run in the first inning in the Orioles' 3-1 win over Tampa Bay. He now has a career-high 11-game hitting streak. During the run, he is batting .333 (15-for-45).

"I feel good. I'm just trying to put consistent at-bats together, be more relaxed and patient up there and try to get a good pitch to hit, so that's all I'm really focusing on," he said.

Mancini now has 150 hits on the year and that is the third-most by an O's rookie behind only Eddie Murray with 173 and Cal Ripken Jr. at 158.

Ynoa gets it done: Right-hander Gabriel Ynoa got our attention last night with his strong eight-inning outing against the Rays, allowing five hits and one run.

Ynoa is now 2-2 with an ERA of 3.41 in eight games as an Oriole, including three starts. It was his latest chance to make an impression that could carry over for next year.

"Every game I take it as it's the last game of my career," he said through translator Ramón Alarcón. "So I'm just trying to take advantage of these opportunities and show that I can help."

Ynoa threw 94 pitches and averaged 94.6 mph on his fastball with a top of 95.6 mph. He threw 38 sliders with an average velocity of 84.3 mph. Opponents have hit .256 off that pitch this year.

"It's always important to locate it low in the zone to try and get the hitters out. It's always an important thing to get the slider going," he said.

Nice showing: Baseball America released its latest list of the top 20 prospects from this season in the prospect-laden Double-A Eastern League. The Orioles had four players on the list. Hays was the No. 3 prospect behind Boston infielder Rafael Devers and Washington Nats outfielder Victor Robles. Hays is keeping good company there. In Baseball America's 2017 mid-season top 100 list, Devers was ranked No. 6 and Robles No. 8. Hays was No. 99 but later was a finalist for the Baseball America minor league Player of the Year Award and is going to be ranked much higher in the next top 100 over the winter.

The Orioles added three other players in the top 20 with pitcher Tanner Scott No. 14, outfielder DJ Stewart No. 16 and outfielder Cedric Mullins No. 18.

The Orioles and New York Yankees led all teams with four players each in the top 20. Boston, Washington, Colorado and Detroit had two players each. Click here to check out the top 20.

Hays yesterday was named the Orioles minor league Player of the Year and is the winner of the 2017 Brooks Robinson Award. Click here to check out the O's 2017 minor league award winners.

A notable Red Sox at the top but more Orioles than we've seen in past years as well. https://t.co/ddWmP2i019

-- JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) September 21, 2017