Steve Melewski

Elias on Hyde, Mancini on leaderhip, Ruiz on his second half

February 11, 2020, 12:41pm

Orioles

Elias on Hyde, Mancini on leaderhip, Ruiz on his second half

Orioles pitchers and catchers will hold their first official workout of spring training today at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla. By next Monday, the full complement of nearly 70 players should be in camp. The first spring game is on Feb. 22, when the Orioles play in North Port at the Atlanta Braves' new spring home. By the way, Orioles minor league pitchers and catchers report to the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twins Lakes Park on March 4, and position players report March 8. There is...

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Hays and Mountcastle ready for season, ready to make their marks

February 10, 2020, 2:11pm

Orioles

Hays and Mountcastle ready for season, ready to make their marks

Orioles outfielder Austin Hays has had an interesting ride since the club drafted him out of Jacksonville University in round three of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. A huge 2017 season and he was a finalist for national Player of the Year by Baseball America. Atlanta's Ronald AcuÃ±a Jr. was the winner. But parts of Hays' 2018 and 2019 seasons were impacted by injuries and his stats fell off. Who knew what to expect when Hays got a callup to the Orioles last Sept. 7? But over 75 plate...

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Sig Mejdal on more technology for hitters coming in 2020

February 09, 2020, 5:00pm

FREDERICK, Md. - Orioles vice president and assistant general manager of analytics Sig Mejdal, said it was a fair observation. That is, there was more technology for pitchers than for hitters in the Orioles farm system last season. The hitters were not without some data and technology to help them try to get better. But pitchers had more. That showed in some of the results. Of the Orioles' top six farm teams, four clubs led their leagues in ERA in 2019. That was at Double-A Bowie, Single-A...

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O's Mike Elias on spring, prospects and more at Birdland Caravan

February 08, 2020, 4:19pm

Orioles

O's Mike Elias on spring, prospects and more at Birdland Caravan

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - The bus has been rolling throughout Maryland. The Orioles have been coming to their fans during two days of the Birdland Caravan that continues with more stops today in Westminster and Frederick. Over two days, O's players, coaches and staff have made their way to Aberdeen, Fallston, Timonium, White Marsh, York, Pa., Annapolis, Bowie, Ellicott City and Fort Meade. I've watched fans cheering on the Orioles at the Green Turtle in White Marsh on Friday and yesterday at...

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Elias on quest for more pitching during Birdland Caravan stop

February 08, 2020, 2:44pm

Orioles

Elias on quest for more pitching during Birdland Caravan stop

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - It seems for most teams in baseball, acquiring pitching is a never-ending process. The same applies to the Orioles. Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias talked pitching and other topics today during the second day of the Birdland Caravan. The last stop today for players and club officials was at a packed Calvert Brewing Company here. It's just a few miles from Prince George's Stadium, home of the club's Double-A Bowie affiliate. And many...

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More on the Orioles' international efforts with Koby Perez

February 07, 2020, 6:05pm

Orioles

Yes, that was the Orioles represented on a top 100 international prospects list recently published by Baseball America. It was a list of the top 100 international prospect signings for the period that began July 2, 2019 and will end on June 15. The Orioles had two players on this top 100. The author of the list saw some players play in the Tricky League, where some international amateurs play right after signing. It runs concurrent with the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, but is not a...

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After rough year, David Hess looks for 2020 turnaround

February 06, 2020, 3:15pm

Orioles

After rough year, David Hess looks for 2020 turnaround

He ranks third on the Orioles with 33 starts the last two seasons. He trails only Dylan Bundy (61) and Andrew Cashner (45). But as of right now he may be a longshot to significantly add to that in 2020. That is because right-hander David Hess took a big step backwards last year, going 1-10 with a 7.09 ERA in 23 games of which 14 were starts. The Orioles went 2-12 in those starts. It was just a year before that when Hess pitched much better and ended his season with a solid finish. In 2018, the...

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Pondering some more spring questions and topics

February 05, 2020, 3:27pm

Orioles

Pondering some more spring questions and topics

With Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting next Tuesday to spring training, we're less than a week away now. The first spring game is just over two weeks away on Feb. 22. So with that all coming fast, let's take a look today at a few more random spring questions. They may not be the biggest facing the team, but just a few questions and topics to be considered over the next few weeks and leading into a new season. Earlier we looked at a few spring topics in this entry to include a discussion...

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Will the Orioles offense improve in 2020?

February 04, 2020, 2:45pm

Orioles

Will the Orioles offense be better in 2020? Full seasons from players including Anthony Santander and Austin Hays and others could help that. While the Orioles offense was better in the 2019 second half, it ranked mostly from 11th to 13th in the American League in various categories for the full season. Here is a look at some of them with Major League Baseball average and where the Orioles ranked in the American League: Runs per game: MLB average was 4.83, O's at 4.50 (11th in AL). Batting...

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Another look at the Orioles' recent international signings

February 03, 2020, 4:27pm

Orioles

The Orioles have now signed a total of 34 players in an international amateur signing class that is the biggest in team history and has a chance to grow even larger. The Orioles announced 27 signings on July 2 and on Jan. 24 they announced seven more 16-year-old players signed out of the Dominican Republic. The totals now show 23 players from the Dominican Republic, eight from Venezuela and one each from Aruba, the Bahamas and Colombia. Of the 34, the Orioles have signed 19 pitchers (14...

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Pondering a few random spring training questions and topics

February 02, 2020, 1:58pm

Orioles

Pondering a few random spring training questions and topics

Next week, Orioles pitchers and catchers will report to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., for spring training. Late next month, a new regular season will begin. It's coming fast. Today we ponder some random questions and topics that will be getting scrutiny in spring training. Will Alex Cobb be healthy?: The answer seems to be most definitely yes. Now the Orioles need to keep it that way and see if they can get Cobb pitching as he did in the second half of the 2018 season. Unable to pitch on...

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Upon further review ...

February 01, 2020, 2:19pm

Orioles

Today, on Super Bowl Sunday, let's talk some baseball. Seems appropriate even on such a big day for football as Orioles pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota, Fla., a week from Tuesday. Today we're looking back at a few stories published here in recent weeks. Feel free to post some comments on those stories and/or present any other O's comments and questions. The crack of the bat will soon be heard under the Florida sun. In this story, published Jan. 1, we began the new year looking ahead...

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Another look at a couple of O's top 100 pitching prospects

January 31, 2020, 2:48pm

Orioles

Another look at a couple of O's top 100 pitching prospects

When the Orioles and their fans dream on a better future for the team - one that includes that elite pipeline - they surely dream of having some young pitchers come to the majors and hit it big. Any pitcher who contributes is important - starter or bullpen - but all teams covet young pitching that can become top-of-the-rotation starters. If you can produce a true No. 1 starter you've hit the jackpot. No doubt fans are hopeful that young pitchers such as 21-year-old left-hander DL Hall and...

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One Houston fan's reaction to the Astros' cheating scandal

January 30, 2020, 6:10pm

Orioles

One Houston fan's reaction to the Astros' cheating scandal

By now, many fans have probably heard about what another fan did. That fan is 54-year-old Tony Adams and he is a Houston Astros fan. In an effort to get more information about the sign-stealing scandal, he went through 58 of the Astros' 2017 home games and cataloged the sound of a trash can being hit. Banging on a trash can was one way Houston players tipped teammates at the plate as to which pitch to expect. Someone would watch the catcher's signs on a television monitor, and before the...

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Another look at left-hander Wade LeBlanc

January 29, 2020, 3:33pm

Orioles

Another look at left-hander Wade LeBlanc

When the Orioles agreed to a minor league deal Tuesday with lefty Wade LeBlanc, they added a veteran with good command and an ERA that from 2016-2018 was just a bit better than league average. The Orioles assume little risk here with a minors deal and one that will reportedly pay LeBlanc $800,000 in the majors. The Athletic reported he has an opt-out clause for March 19. On that date he can ask for his release and the Orioles would have 48 hours to add him to the 40-man roster or release...

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An interesting name on the non-roster invite list, plus other notes

January 28, 2020, 5:46pm

Orioles

An interesting name on the non-roster invite list, plus other notes

When the Orioles released their list of 23 non-roster spring training invitees yesterday it included a name from their farm system that has flown under the radar. He was doing it to an extent even yesterday when bigger names and higher-ranked prospects were listed. But there with Adley Rutschman, Zac Lowther, Yusniel Diaz, Alex Wells and the rest was the name of pitcher Cristian Alvarado. The right-hander, who turned 25 on Sept. 20, had a breakout season in 2019 in the Double-A Bowie Baysox...

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Could search for rotation help lead O's back to Andrew Cashner?

January 27, 2020, 1:30pm

Orioles

Could search for rotation help lead O's back to Andrew Cashner?

Could the Orioles' pursuit of rotation help lead them back to signing right-hander Andrew Cashner as a free agent for the second time? Before the 2018 season, they signed him to a two-year deal worth $16 million with an option for 2020. The Boston Red Sox acquired him from the Orioles in a trade in July and did not pick up that option. Cashner is available and can be an Oriole again. The Birds could be encouraged to sign him when they look at how well he pitched for the Orioles last summer. Or...

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More opposite-field homers could make Chris Davis more productive

January 26, 2020, 12:16pm

Orioles

More opposite-field homers could make Chris Davis more productive

During a 17-minute interview Thursday night on 105.7 The Fan's "Orioles Hot Stove Show," Chris Davis talked about ways he is trying to get his bat productive again. During that interview, Davis told us he has not overhauled his swing, but has gotten bigger and stronger over the winter in an attempt to improve his game and drive the ball better. In 2019, over 352 plate appearances (his fewest since 2011), Davis hit .179/.276/.326 with nine doubles, 12 homers, 36 RBIs and 139 strikeouts. He...

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Orioles get four on the MLBPipeline.com top 100 list

January 25, 2020, 2:33pm

Orioles

Another major outlet released its national top 100 prospects list on Saturday afternoon. During a live telecast on MLB Network, MLBPipeline.com unveiled its new top 100, and the Orioles have placed four young players on the list. Catcher Adley Rutschman, taken with the No. 1 overall draft pick last June, ranks No. 4 on this list. The only players ranked higher were Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco at No. 1, Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux at No. 2 and Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis...

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Out of the top 100, but not out of the O's future

January 24, 2020, 2:41pm

Orioles

Out of the top 100, but not out of the O's future

With some excitement in the Orioles organization for young talents like catcher Adley Rutschman and pitchers Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall, who have made the Baseball America top 47, and with Ryan Mountcastle closing in on the majors, what's going on with outfielder Yusniel Diaz? He is far from forgotten, although he did drop out of the Baseball America list of national top 100 prospects that was released this week. Diaz was the centerpiece of the five-player trade in July 2018 that sent Manny...