The Orioles made the right call on D. Bundy

After Buck Showalter's pregame comments today about sending Dylan Bundy to instructional league when that starts on September 12, it now appears that Bundy will not get a September call-up to Baltimore. I think the organization is making the exact right call. While Bundy is 9-3 with a 2.08 ERA at three levels this year, it is amazing enough for him to have advanced three levels and be ending this season in Double-A at age 19. You just don't see many 19-year-old pitchers reaching the Double-A level. Bowie is now within one win of qualifying for the playoffs and Bundy could make some postseason starts for the Baysox to work toward his 125-inning limit that the club had set for him months ago. Right now he is at 103 2/3. Bundy's command has not been at its best with Bowie and he has walked eight over 16 2/3 innings. In the couple of starts I saw him pitch in person, he had stretches where he would struggle for several pitches with his fastball command, but then be able to get back locked in. Also, Bundy's stats versus left-handed batters have not been great. In the Carolina League, right-handed batters hit just .193 off him but lefties batted .339 with an OPS of .960. Those numbers are .269/.791 in three Eastern League starts. So much for the rumor that, not only would the O's call up Bundy, but they'd start him against the Yankees. That didn't ever sound like a good idea. None of this is any knock on the kid, who is the lock to be the Orioles' minor league Pitcher of the Year and will end this season considered as the best, or at least one of the best, pitching prospects in the sport. There is no knock on a kid not making the majors his first year out of high school, even one as good as Bundy. Some of the O's brass just didn't think he was quite ready for this step. That is what it came down to. He has played to rave reviews from all three managers and coaching staffs that worked with him this year. His work ethic and, as Showalter would say "want to," is off the charts good. This has been a brilliant season for Bundy. The fact that it is going to continue and likely end in the Eastern League and not the American League is just fine. His day with the Orioles is coming. Just apparently not this season.