Agent says Povich has "goals and he’s doing everything the right way to get there"

MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospects lists won’t be updated for a few more months. The highest-ranked Orioles pitcher is Chayce McDermott at No. 10. Two-thirds of the group are position players.

Right behind McDermott, the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year, is left-hander Cade Povich, the former third-round draft pick of the Twins who was part of the trade package for reliever Jorge López in 2022.

A lopsided deal, for sure, considering that executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias also got future All-Star reliever Yennier Cano and low minors reliever Juan Nuñez, ranked 28^th in the system. Elias claimed López off waivers in September before the right-hander’s release and signing with the Mets.

Povich, 23, averaged 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings this summer between Double-A Bowie (18 starts) and Triple-A Norfolk (10), but also 4.7 walks. His final numbers, including a 5.04 ERA, didn’t tell the whole story.

Within the inconsistency to Povich’s season are the five scoreless innings against Double-A Akron, Richmond and Harrisburg within his first six starts, and seven shutout innings with one hit allowed, no walks and 13 strikeouts against Richmond on June 15.

Over three consecutive starts, Povich was charged with a total of six runs and struck out 24 batters in 16 innings. He held Charlotte to one run and one hit in six innings in his second start with Norfolk, followed by allowing two runs in five innings against Jacksonville, and surrendered only one run and one hit – though he walked five – on Aug. 22 against Durham.

“I think I definitely learned a lot about myself and, when things are going good, what my mindset was like and how I took that game, versus the times that were going bad or not as good,” Povich said this week. “Just kind of sitting down and looking over stuff throughout the year.”

The season swung up and down, but it also included back-to-back starts with no earned runs allowed and 17 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings on Sept. 10 and 16.

“My last month was probably my best month of the year," he said. "Before that month started, I sort of sat down and looked at everything. I was like, ‘I’m just going to take this new month like a new season and just restart and go game by game,’ and I think that really helped change my mindset. I think it turned out to be one of the best months of maybe the two years I’ve been in pro ball.”

The next step could be big: convincing the Orioles that one of their top pitching prospects is ready for them.

“It’s going to be fun to watch him in the mix there with all the other young talent,” said agent Alex Wilson, a former second-round draft pick who pitched for the Red Sox, Tigers and Brewers in a seven-year major league career before Ballengee Group turned him from client to employee.

“This offseason he’s really just focused on getting more physical, getting a little bit stronger, putting on some weight. As you can tell, he’s a wiry guy. Kind of looks like Max Fried, in my opinion. He’s worked really hard on refining his pitches, as well, over the last couple years, and continuing that. But he’s really dedicated on getting more mass in his body.”

Povich made an immediate impression on Wilson that couldn’t be tracked between the lines.

“He’s a great kid,” Wilson said. “He’s kind of quiet and reserved for the most part, but he works really hard, does everything right. He’s got goals and he’s doing everything the right way to get there. For me, he’s a joy to work with, he’s a joy to work with, which is great.

“There’s never been an issue anywhere with him. Everything’s been by the book, to the point where it’s like, ‘Hey man, go have a beer. It’s OK. Relax a little bit.’ But he’s got his eyes on the prize and he’s doing everything he can to get there and stay there.”

Povich, who took a short break from his gym workout in Minnesota to talk to MASNsports.com, appreciates the insight provided by a former major league pitcher. Not your typical agent.

“It’s huge, honestly,” Povich said. “One of the big reasons I went with him – I mean, there’s a lot of reasons to pick him – is he’s a really valuable resource. He’s easy to reach out to. And there’s been plenty of times this season where either I’ve been in a rough spot or there’s something going on and I’m wondering ‘Why is this happening? Or ‘Why isn’t this happening?’ He’s been through it all, so it’s easy to call or text him. He’s always got an answer.

“He’s got experience with it, obviously, so it’s coming from a reliable source. He’s not just telling you something to make you feel better. He’s telling you how it is and what his experience was like, as well.”

Though he doesn’t run short on motivation, Povich can see the organization’s willingness to keep moving prospects forward as long as they’re viewed as capable of handling the next level. The pace may vary, but the direction’s the same.

“It’s pretty easy to look around and see the talent that’s surrounding you and under you,” Wilson said. “We’ve had talks of, getting to the big leagues is hard but staying there is even harder at times. And once you’re there, everybody’s coming for your job, just like you’re going to take somebody else’s.

“I think he’s very aware of the situation and how it works, but he loves the challenge and is super competitive. Very, very competitive when it comes to his pitching and his game, mentally and physically.”

Analytics are more readily available to Povich than they were to Wilson during his playing days.

“He knows what’s going on, he reads the reports, he tracks everything,” Wilson said. “Sometimes, we can get lost in the numbers rather than, ‘Let’s keep things simple and throw strike one.’ And we had some talks about that this past year, where he had some streaks where the walks picked up a little bit, and that kind of goes hand-in-hand with strikeouts in some ways, but if we can get ahead, the numbers and the depth of where you can go in each individual game, it’s a big dramatic difference.

“We really focused on, at times we need to limit the types of pitches we throw to find that groove and get ahead and work through counts quickly. That way you can get deep into a game rather than throwing your five innings and having eight, nine, 10 strikeouts. The goal is to get seven, eight innings now and be able to do that and carry that into the big leagues, as well.”

Nothing wrong with a first-pitch ground ball.

“Sometimes, it’s your best friend, right?” Wilson said. “You have a long inning and then all of a sudden you get a six-pitch inning and it’s like, ‘OK, I’m back now. Let’s go back to putting it in there and working ahead.’”

Note: Major League Baseball announced its rules modifications for the 2024 season. They include:

* The runner’s lane will be widened to include the dirt area between the foul line and the infield grass.
* The pitch clock is reduced from 20 seconds to 18 with runners on base.
* If a new pitcher steps onto the warning track with less than two minutes remaining on the inning-break clock, it will reset to two minutes rather than 2:15.
* Mound visits will be reduced from five per game to four, and an extra mound visit still will be awarded for the ninth inning if the defensive team has none remaining after the eighth.
* The field timing coordinator will now restart the timer after a dead ball when the pitcher has the ball and play is ready to resume. There will no longer be a requirement for the pitcher to be on the mound.
* A pitcher who is sent out to warm up for an inning must face at least one batter, in addition to any requirements under the three-batter-minimum rule.

Players on the competition committee voted no on the rules changes, but MLB has a majority of seats.