Rookies in rotation reason to respect September baseball in 2020

The drudgery of September baseball for a team out of contention or barely visible is spiced by the arrival of prospects.

The legitimate types rather than the fringy, "it's the best we've got" collection.

The Orioles are carrying the developmental process from their alternate camp site in Bowie to the majors, another unique feature of 2020 baseball. Gains are possible with the final month more closely resembling mid-summer baseball.

Active rosters aren't expanded to the maximum 40 players, with bullpens busting at the seams. More teams are in contention and the Orioles keep running into them - the Blue Jays, Yankees, Braves, Rays.

There's an intensity that's uncommon over the last few weeks. So why not move players away from intrasquad games at the alternate camp site and evaluate them in the majors?

Under pre-pandemic conditions, the Orioles would have promoted pitchers Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer and Bruce Zimmermann and outfielder/infielder Ryan Mountcastle to the majors during the summer. Outfielder Yusniel Diaz also was expected to make his debut. The arrivals staggered and highly anticipated.

Only Diaz is left on the outside after being denied games at the Triple-A level due to the cancellation of the minor league season.

Left-handers Wade LeBlanc and Tommy Milone were placeholders and potential trade chips after signing minor league deals. LeBlanc sustained an elbow injury and Milone was traded to the Braves.

Asher Wojciechowski had a chance to convince management that he deserved a roster spot through the rebuild, but couldn't miss enough bats and was designated for assignment after a brief move to the bullpen.

Manager Brandon Hyde and pitching coach Doug Brocail can put eyes on the trio of rookie starters beyond spring and summer camps. They can get a feel for whether the prospects are viable candidates to break camp in the rotation in 2021.

The answer is "yes" for Akin and Kremer. There's no debate as long as they stay healthy.

Zimmermann is a sixth man at the moment with the Orioles also starting Alex Cobb, John Means and Jorge López - the latter also under evaluation. The piggyback approach is an intriguing idea with Zimmermann, but Hyde and Brocail have to plot how to make it work.

The Orioles played a doubleheader last night and are off Monday. It's a scrambled picture.

Akin could return Tuesday in Boston on an extra day's rest. Kremer and Zimmermann would be doing the same Wednesday.

Kremer is definitely going to start against the Red Sox, as Hyde confirmed after yesterday's Game 1.

Cobb's next turn would be Thursday, followed by López on Friday against the Blue Jays in Buffalo and Means on Saturday.

Which back would Zimmermann hop onto?

López is the only Orioles starter to complete seven innings this year. Kremer tossed six innings in his debut. Means has gone six in each of his last two outings. Cobb worked 6 2/3 against the Blue Jays on Aug. 17.

Yesterday marked the first Orioles doubleheader started by rookies since Ryan Meisinger and Jimmy Yacabonis on Sept. 26, 2018 at Fenway Park, according to STATS research. The Orioles lost the opener 19-3 - Meisinger was charged with five runs in one-third of an inning - and won the nightcap 10-3.

Infielder Jace Peterson pitched the eighth inning of Game 1 and allowed four runs and six hits. Means came out of the bullpen in the third for his major league debut and allowed five runs in 3 1/3.

The 2018 season featured three doubleheaders started by rookies. Yacabonis and Yefry Ramírez were paired on July 9 against the Yankees and Aug. 11 against the Red Sox.

Remember when people were excited about Ramírez?

The last Orioles sweep with rookie starters occurred on Sept. 21, 1983 in Detroit with Mike Boddicker (6-0) and Bill Swaggerty (7-3).

Other rookie pairings, if you're in a nostalgic mood, include the following:

* Jose Mesa and Eric Bell on Sept. 20, 1987 against the Red Sox. Orioles were swept.

* Pete Harnisch and Dave Johnson on Aug. 1 1989 in Boston. Orioles were swept.

* Bob Milacki and Pete Harnisch on Aug. 11, 1989 against the Red Sox. A split.

* John Parrish and Jay Spurgeon on Sept. 12, 2000 in Texas. Orioles were swept.

* Travis Driskill and Rick Bauer on Aug. 24, 2002 against the Blue Jays. Orioles were swept.

* Daniel Cabrera and Erik Bedard on May 13, 2004 in Chicago. A split.

* Garrett Olson and Alfredo Simon on Sept. 23, 2008 against the Rays. Orioles were swept.

* Steve Johnson and Wei-Yin Chen on Sept. 24, 2012 against the Blue Jays. A split.

* Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright on May 28, 2015 against the White Sox. A split.

Zimmermann was the third Orioles starter to make his major league debut this summer. The 2018 team had five rookies make a start: Ramírez, Meisinger, David Hess, Josh Rogers and Luis Ortiz.

Meisinger and Ortiz each started only one game and Rogers started three.

Thomas Eshelman (four) and Chandler Shepherd (three) made starts last summer, but also worked out of the bullpen.

The 2012 trio of Chen, Johnson and Miguel Gonzalez were together in the rotation in late September and early October.