2023 Dugout Edge MLB Awards

American League MVP

Winner: DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels.
Stat line: 44 HR, .304/.412/.654, 20 SB, 180 wRC+, 6.6 fWAR in 135 games.

Stat line: 10-5, 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 4.00 FIP, 167/55 K/BB in 132 innings.
Just when you think Shohei Ohtani can't get any better, he gets better. In fact, if we completely disregarded his pitching, he would still be in serious contention for the AL MVP Award. Even as a DH, he led American League hitters in fWAR and finished fourth in bWAR due to an elite 180 wRC+, nine points ahead of second place Corey Seager (169) who played in sixteen fewer games. Not only did he lead the AL in fWAR in wRC+, but he also did so in home runs, extra base hits (78), on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, wOBA (.433), runs created above average (60.6), and just about every other comprehensive hitting statistic you can think of. It's hard to dispute that Shohei Ohtani was the best hitter in the American League this year, period. But then we also get to consider his pitching. While he wasn't quite the ace we saw last season, he was still a well above average starting pitcher that made 23 starts with a 72 ERA- (28% better than league average) and put up 2.4 more fWAR, bringing his total to 9.0 on the season. Unfortunately we won't get to see him pitch next year, perhaps opening up the AL MVP race a little bit (if he's even in the AL), but for 2023 he deserves to win the AL MVP Award unanimously.

Runner-up: SS Corey Seager, Texas Rangers.
Stat line: 33 HR, .327/.390/.623, 2 SB, 169 wRC+, 6.1 fWAR in 119 games.
After Ohtani, the rest of the AL MVP field is wide open. For me, Corey Seager comes out on top, and the fact that he did so despite spending a couple stints on the IL and playing just 119 games speaks to how good he was when he was on the field. He led all American League hitters not named Ohtani in wRC+, extra base hits (75), batting average, slugging percentage, wOBA (.419), and runs created above average (39.5), the latter of which is a cumulative stat that he compiled in a dozen or more fewer games than his competition. Even when the Rangers slumped, his bat never went cold and he posted an OPS of .885 or higher in every month except October, where he played just one game. All of this, of course, while starting 112 games at shortstop, the most valuable defensive position on the diamond other than catcher. When you're the consensus second best hitter in the league while playing shortstop, there's not much to argue against. It's just the fact that he played only 119 games which makes it close with the rest of the field. Had he played a full season, he'd be competing with Ohtani for the award itself.

Honorable mention: 2B Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers.
Stat line: 29 HR, .276/.348/.478, 14 SB, 124 wRC+, 6.3 fWAR in 162 games.
It's not a traditional MVP stat line, but Marcus Semien deserves to be in the conversation for runner-up alongside his double play partner. Semien gets here on the strength of his defense and durability. A Gold Glove contender at second base, he was fourth among all AL infielders in outs above average and hit much, much better than first place Andres Gimenez (97 wRC+) and third place Maikel Garcia (84) and comfortably bested second place Bobby Witt Jr. (115) as well. Alongside Seattle's Eugenio Suarez, he was one of two American League players to appear in every game this season, while also leading all AL players in plate appearances (753) and runs scored (122). Semien's fingerprints were truly on everything this year for Texas, and always positive. While his 126 wRC+ was only good for twelfth in the league, he was certainly no slouch with the bat, finishing second in the league in total bases to Ohtani (320) and fourth in extra base hits (73). Runs created above average is a cumulative stat and his 24.3 were good for eighth in the AL, putting him in that upper tier of hitters across the league in terms of overall offensive impact. He saved 13.3 runs on defense according to Fangraphs, and none of the seven players on that list saved more than Julio Rodriguez's 5.1. It's the most well-rounded profile in the AL MVP race.

Others

RHP Gerrit Cole (Yankees): 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 3.17 FIP, 222/48 K/BB in 209 IP
RHP Kevin Gausman (Blue Jays): 3.16 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 237/55 K/BB in 185 IP

RHP Sonny Gray (Twins): 2.79 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2.83 FIP, 183/55 K/BB in 184 IP

OF Julio Rodriguez (Mariners): 32 HR, .275/.333/.485, 37 SB, 126 wRC+, 5.9 fWAR in 155 games
SS Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals): 30 HR, .276/.319/.495, 49 SB, 115 WRC+, 5.7 fWAR in 158 games

National League MVP

Winner: OF Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
Stat line: 41 HR, .337/.416/.596, 73 SB, 170 wRC+, 8.3 fWAR in 159 games.
It's really so close between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mookie Betts. Acuña was the better hitter, but not by much. He was also the better baserunner, but his caught stealings eat some of the value from his 73 stolen bases. Meanwhile, Betts' average defense soundly clears Acuña's well below average defense. The counting stats are of course incredible for Acuña, who not only became the first player with 40 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, but also put up the first 40-60 and the first 40-70 season in baseball history. Additionally, he played in all but three games for the Braves, while Betts missed ten games for the Dodgers, and that little bit is enough to give Acuña the tiebreaker. He led the NL in virtually everything, including plate appearances (735), runs scored (149), hits (217), stolen bases, on-base percentage, OPS (1.012), total bases (383), wOBA (.428), wRC+, and fWAR. In fact, the 149 runs scored are the third highest single season total since integration, behind only 2000 Jeff Bagwell (152) and 1949 Ted Williams (150). Especially incredible given his high octane style of play is that he never slumped this season, never posting an OPS below .917 in any month and really turning on the jets as the season closed, slashing .343/.407/.714 in September to seal up the MVP race. Acuña put on a show at the plate, put on a show on the bases and was there performing every single day for Atlanta.

Runner-up: OF Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stat line: 39 HR, .307/.408/.579, 14 SB, 167 wRC+, 8.3 fWAR in 152 games.
Mookie Betts just misses behind Ronald Acuña despite being a better defender and nearly as good a hitter. It was perhaps the most all-around balanced performance in the country, as he didn't lead the NL any single individual stat, nothing, but still put up over eight wins above replacement. He started slowly, hitting just .232/.339/.424 through his first 26 games, but heated up as the season wore on. He was hitting .277/.383/.560 at the end of July, which is very solid but not quite MVP caliber, then went on a tear to hit .455/.516/.839 in the month of August, thrusting himself into the NL MVP race right alongside Acuña. Unfortunately he couldn't quite keep up with his Atlanta counterpart in the stretch run, but it's still a pretty incredible season. He hit for power, coming one big fly short of a 40 homer/40 double season, got on base at a high rate, rarely struck out, ran the bases well, and played a solid right field.

Honorable mention: 1B Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stat line: 29 HR, .331/.410/.567, 23 SB, 163 wRC+, 7.9 fWAR in 161 games.
All year it was Acuña vs Freeman in the NL MVP race, so when Betts caught fire in August and Acuña closed things out with a strong September, Freeman's merely "solid" finish to the season (.296/.382/.481 in September/October) put him just behind. Still, this is one of the more unique seasons we've seen from a first baseman recently. Playing in all but one game, he put up a 20-20-.400 (HR/SB/OBP) season that's rarely seen from a first baseman, in this case not since Paul Goldschmidt did it twice back to back in 2015 and 2016, and before that, Jeff Bagwell in 1996, 1997, and 1999. Additionally, his 59 doubles tied 2000 Todd Helton for the highest single season total since integration in 1947. Freddie was an on base and extra base hit machine in 2023, and even though he deservedly gets dinged for playing first base, he was a solid defender there and his 23 stolen bases led his position. It was a pretty cool season to watch from the veteran in his fourteenth season. He just beats out Matt Olson, whose 54 home runs were nothing to shake your finger at (while playing in all 162 games to boot), but Freeman was a better defender, a better baserunner, and got on base at a higher clip.

Others
1B Matt Olson (Braves): 54 HR, .283/.389/.604, 1 SB, 160 wRC+, 6.6 fWAR in 162 games
OF Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks): 25 HR, .285/.362/.506, 54 SB, 133 wRC+, 6.0 fWAR in 155 games
OF Juan Soto (Padres): 35 HR, .275/.410/.519, 12 SB, 155 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR in 162 games
SS Francisco Lindor (Mets): 31 HR, .254/.336/.470, 31 SB, 121 wRC+, 6.0 fWAR in 160 games

American League Cy Young

Winner: RHP Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees
Stat line: 15-4, 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 3.17 FIP, 222/48 K/BB in 209 innings.
It took until the end of the season for a pitcher to step forward and take control of the AL Cy Young race, but Gerrit Cole made it happen with a torrid stretch that saw him go 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA and a 52/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 48.2 innings in his final seven starts of the season. In the end, that helped him lead all AL pitchers in innings pitched, ERA, and WHIP, three of the most important traditional stats, while finishing third in strikeouts and fourth in FIP. Additionally, he did so while pitching in a hitter-friendly home park (where his ERA was half a run higher than on the road) and in an extremely competitive AL East. That all points to a pretty clear-cut Cy Young case, though I will note that he had strong defense behind him that recorded six outs above average and helped him outperform his xwOBA by .033, with a .256 real mark against a .289 expected mark. There's a debate nowadays with the advent of expected statistics whether we should consider what a player "could have" done with different defensive outcomes, and while there's merit to that, I still lean towards rewarding what actually happened. It can be a tiebreaker, which you'll see with the next two names, but I won't let it take an award away from Gerrit Cole when he very much earned it.

Runner-up: RHP Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays
Stat line: 12-9, 3.16 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 237/55 K/BB in 185 innings.

It was really, really close between Kevin Gausman and Sonny Gray for second place on this list. I went back and forth multiple times. Gray gets Gausman in ERA, WHIP, and FIP. Gausman struck out 54 more batters while throwing one more inning. Looking behind them, Gray pitched in front of a terrible Twins defense while Gausman was helped by a good Blue Jays defense. Though Gausman didn't really need that defense, because he had all those strikeouts and also gave up many of his runs via the home run, unlike Gray. However, looking at the difference between wOBA and xwOBA (i.e., how "unlucky" each pitcher was), Gray was actually more "lucky" than Gausman despite having a worse defense. So where does that leave us? Pretty much in a tie if you ask me. And I'll give the tie to Gausman because he pitched in a tougher division in the AL East, while Gray pitched for the best team in an extraordinarily weak AL Central. Should he get dinged for that, probably not, but I'm really looking for something to separate the two and I'm going to use it. Now looking to Gausman alone, he really had a tremendous season. His 237 strikeouts led the American League, as did his 5.3 fWAR, while his 2.97 FIP was second only to Gray. He allowed four or fewer runs in 27 of his 31 starts, almost always putting the Blue Jays in a position to win.

Honorable mention: RHP Sonny Gray, Minnesota Twins.
Stat line: 8-8, 2.79 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2.83 FIP, 183/55 K/BB in 184 innings.
I may have Sonny Gray a sliver of a hair behind Gausman, but he had a tremendous season. He led the AL in FIP and put up the second best ERA in the league despite pitching in front of a bad defense, making for the best year of his career. He allowed three or fewer runs in 29 of his 32 starts, outdoing Gausman in that regard with his consistency, though he did average fewer than six innings per start. Otherwise, there's not much to say here that I didn't say in Gausman's column.

Others
RHP Pablo Lopez (Twins): 3.66 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.33 FIP, 234/48 K/BB in 194 innings
RHP Zach Eflin (Rays): 3.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 3.01 FIP, 186/24 K/BB in 177.2 innings
RHP George Kirby (Mariners): 3.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 3.35 FIP, 172/19 K/BB in 190.2 innings
RHP Luis Castillo (Mariners): 3.34 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 3.81 FIP, 219/56 K/BB in 197 innings
RHP Kyle Bradish (Orioles): 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 3.27 FIP, 168/44 K/BB in 168.2 innings

National League Cy Young

Winner: LHP Blake Snell, San Diego Padres.
Stat line: 14-9, 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 3.44 FIP, 234/99 K/BB in 180 innings.
Look, I can point to lots of advanced statistics that show that Blake Snell wasn't the best pitcher in the National League in 2023, and many of them are very real. He pitched in front of an elite Padres defense, outperformed his xwOBA by 34 points (.300 expected vs .266 real), and was incredibly lucky to strand 86.7% of his baserunners, by far the highest number in all of baseball (Gerrit Cole was second at 80.4%). That last number, let's face it, carries luck as a major factor. For all those reasons, you can galaxy brain yourself into picking someone else in the Cy Young. However, this is an award about what really happened, and at the end of the day, Snell got the job done. Yeah, he was lucky to leave all those guys on base, but there is something to being able to bear down and not let things compound. That led to a 2.25 ERA that led the NL by 0.73, a tremendous margin. Sure, his defense helped him a lot, but nobody came close to keeping runs off the board like Snell did. His 234 strikeouts were also good for second in the league, and the guy ahead of him had an ERA more than a run and a half higher. He allowed three or fewer earned runs in 30 of his 32 starts and didn't allow four or more in a start after May 19th. In fact, in those final 23 starts, he went 13-3 with a 1.20 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, the best pitcher in baseball for four and a half months.

Runner-up: RHP Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves.
Stat line: 20-5, 3.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2.85 FIP, 281/58 K/BB in 186.2 innings.
After Snell (and really including Snell), the rest of the NL Cy Young race is extremely wide open. There are about five names I could put here and feel good about. I'll go with Strider, in no small part because striking out 281 batters in under 190 innings is just incredible. Not just the highest total in the majors, it's the most strikeouts in a season since Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander struck out 326 and 300, respectively, in 2019. And interestingly enough, it's the highest single season total ever for a pitcher who threw fewer than 212 innings – and Strider did it in just 186.2. If you're looking for the next highest total for a pitcher in under 200 innings, that belongs to 2016 Jose Fernandez at 253 in tragically his final season. But the strikeouts aren't just a nice number to look at. It helped him register the lowest FIP in the league, more than a full run lower than his ERA, and while pitching wins don't really matter, winning twenty games is extremely uncommon nowadays. He pitched in front of a mediocre Braves defense that hurt him a bit on balls in play, leading to more baserunners than he could have had, and his 70.3% strand rate (remember that Snell was at 86.7%) means that he was at least partially unlucky that he couldn't spread out his baserunners.

Honorable Mention: RHP Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies.
Stat line: 13-6, 3.61 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.15 FIP, 212/39 K/BB in 192 innings.
Zack Wheeler's profile is very similar to Spencer Strider, if a touch less extreme. While he didn't strike out as many batters, his 212/39 strikeout to walk ratio was actually a touch better than Strider's 281/58, while he also slightly cleared him in ERA and WHIP and fell a touch behind in FIP. He did all this while pitching in front of a terrible Phillies defense that seriously inflated his ERA and WHIP, and he similarly struggled to keep runners from scoring on the rare occasions they reached base. In all, he actually led all MLB Pitchers in fWAR at 5.9, which isn't a huge total but was enough to push to the forefront in a season where no pitcher separated himself in either league. While the 3.61 ERA wasn't great (hurt by poor defense behind him and hits tending to clump together), he was extremely consistent and always gave the Phillies a chance to win, allowing four or fewer earned runs in 30/32 starts.

Others
RHP Logan Webb (Giants): 3.25 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 3.16 FIP, 194/31 K/BB in 216 innings.

LHP Justin Steele (Cubs): 3.06 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3.02 FIP, 176/36 K/BB in 173.1 innings.
RHP Zac Gallen (Diamondbacks): 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 3.27 FIP, 220/47 K/BB in 210 innings.

RHP Kodai Senga (Mets): 2.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.64 FIP, 202/77 K/BB in 166.1 innings.
LHP Jesus Luzardo (Marlins): 3.63 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.55 FIP, 208/55 K/BB in 178.2 innings.

American League Rookie of the Year

Winner: 3B Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Stat line: 28 HR, .255/.325/.489, 10 SB, 123 wRC+, 4.6 fWAR in 150 games.
Gunnar Henderson got off to a bit of a slow start, hitting just .170/.341/.310 into mid-May, but he turned on the jets and hit .274/.321/.528 with 25 home runs and a 131 wRC+ over 117 games from that point on, with his 4.2 fWAR in that span putting him seventh in the AL. Once he shook off that slump, he hit for power, he got on base at a decent clip, and he played solid defense at third base. That's about as well-rounded a profile as you're going to get from a kid who didn't turn 22 until halfway through the season. There were a lot of very good rookies in the AL this year, but none could quite match Henderson's standing as an All Star-caliber regular.

Runner-up: RHP Tanner Bibee, Cleveland Guardians
Stat line: 10-4, 2.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 3.52 FIP, 141/45 K/BB in 142 innings.
Gunnar Henderson may have the Rookie of the Year award wrapped up, but Tanner Bibee was truly exceptional in his rookie season in Cleveland making it closer than you'd think. In a year where we have Cy Young contenders posting ERA's in the mid three's, Tanner Bibee got his under three while finishing second among all AL rookies in innings pitched behind Hunter Brown. He allowed three or fewer earned runs in 23 of his 25 starts, meaning only twice all year did he leave a start where he didn't put the Guardians in a very good position to win the game. He was helped by a pretty good defense behind him, but overall we saw borderline ace-caliber stuff from the 24 year old this season.

Honorable mention: C Yainer Diaz, Houston Astros
Stat line: 23 HR, .282/.308/.538, 0 SB, 127 wRC+, 2.0 fWAR in 104 games.

It's hard to find catchers who can hit. The Astros have been rolling with Martin Maldonado, his elite glove, and his mediocre bat and continue to do so, but in 2023, they got a great complement in Yainer Diaz. He only played 104 games, but he blasted 23 home runs and put up a 127 wRC+ that was sixth among all MLB catchers with at least 300 plate appearances, rookie or not. He started slow, hitting .217/.242/.317 over his first 21 games, but turned it around to slash .295/.322/.583 the rest of the way as one of the best hitting catchers in the game once he got his feet wet. Beyond the bat, Diaz is one of the better catch and throw backstops in the game, controlling the running game and saving his pitchers from passed balls, though his overall defensive stats did get dinged for poor framing. Still, the framing and perhaps an aggressive approach were the only holes in his profile this year.

Others

RHP Yennier Cano (Orioles): 2.11 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 2.84 FIP, 65/13 K/BB in 72.2 innings.

2B Edouard Julien (Twins): 16 HR, .263/.381/.459, 3 SB, 136 wRC+, 2.8 fWAR in 109 games.
3B Josh Jung (Rangers): 23 HR, .266/.315/.467, 1 SB, 110 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR in 122 games.

RHP Grayson Rodriguez (Orioles): 4.35 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 3.93 FIP, 129/49 K/BB in 122 innings.

RHP Bryce Miller (Mariners): 4.32 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.98 FIP, 119/26 K/BB in 131.1 innings.

National League Rookie of the Year

Winner: OF Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stat line: 25 HR, .285/.362/.506, 54 SB, 133 wRC+, 6.0 fWAR in 155 games.
Corbin Carroll put together one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory. Playing in nearly every game for the Diamondbacks, he finished second in all of baseball with 54 stolen bases while adding 25 home runs, 30 doubles, and ten triples, making for arguably the best power/speed combination in the game behind Ronald Acuña Jr. Not only that, but by getting on base at a .362 clip, he was more or less the complete hitter and put himself into down ballot MVP consideration. One of the fastest runners in the game, his big time speed helped him overcome some otherwise rough edges in his defensive game and play a solid center field as well. All together, his 6.0 fWAR were the most of any rookie not just in 2023, but since Aaron Judge put up 8.8 in 2017. There are other NL rookies that put up standout seasons, but Carroll's stands out above the rest. 

Runner-up: RHP Kodai Senga, New York Mets
Stat line: 2.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.63 FIP, 202/77 K/BB in 166.1 innings.
You could argue Kodai Senga was the best rookie pitcher in baseball this year, holding an ERA under 3.00 while qualifying for the ERA title, a rarity nowadays, and striking out over 200 even if he was a bit wild. Even more impressive is that ERA's were up among the best pitchers in the game this year, so Senga's 2.98 mark was fifth in all of baseball among qualified pitchers. He got better and better as the season moved along and didn't allow more than three runs in a start after June 23rd. These days, there are fewer and fewer reliable, durable starting pitchers who can keep runs off the board and stay on the mound, and Senga provided one in his first go around.

Honorable mention: CF James Outman, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stat line: 23 HR, .248/.353/.437, 16 SB, 118 wRC+, 4.4 fWAR in 151 games.
It's hard to be quiet on a national brand like the Dodgers, but James Outman quietly put up one of the best seasons of any rookie in either league. Playing in 151 games, he blasted 23 home runs, walked at a high rate to push his OBP up over .350, swiped a few bags, and played standout defense in center field. In all, that's an elite defensive center fielder that was an 18% better hitter than league average and played almost every game, not too shabby for a rookie. Of course, this stat probably means nothing due to the small sample size, but he was one of the more "clutch" hitters in the game this year slashing .378/.472/.822 with five home runs in 53 plate appearances in the ninth inning or later.

Others
LF Nolan Jones (Rockies): 20 HR, .297/.389/.542, 20 SB, 135 WRC+, 3.7 fWAR in 106 games.
RHP Bobby Miller (Dodgers): 3.76 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 3.51 FIP, 119/32 K/BB in 124.1 innings.
1B Spencer Steer (Reds): 23 HR, .271/.356/.464, 15 SB, 118 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR in 156 games.
C Francisco Alvarez (Mets): 25 HR, .209/.284/.437, 2 SB, 97 wRC+, 2.7 fWAR in 123 games.
SS Matt McLain (Reds): 16 HR, .290/.357/.507, 14 SB, 128 wRC+, 2.8 fWAR in 89 games.

2020 Prospect Depth Chart: Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles' system is just night and day better than it was just a year and a half ago. Before the Manny Machado deal, the system was pretty much barren, but while acquisitions like Dean Kremer, Yusniel Diaz, Rylan Bannon, and Bruce Zimmermann have been nice, it's actually been homegrown talent that has given this system such a complete makeover. They've done a really good job with the recent group of college pitchers they've drafted, and now that group of Keegan Akin, Zac Lowther, and Michael Baumann, in addition to guys like Kremer, Zimmermann, and Alex Wells, looks like it can impact the non-existent Orioles rotation as soon as 2020. A pair of first round high school arms in DL Hall and Grayson Rodriguez look like they could be better than that whole group above them. On the offensive side, Adley Rutschman is clearly the headliner, and Ryan Mountcastle has been around forever, but a few other recent draftees like Adam Hall, Gunnar Henderson, Zach Watson, and Kyle Stowers look like they could become a nice offensive core down the line.

Affiliates: AAA Norfolk Tides, AA Bowie BaySox, High A Frederick Keys, Class A Delmarva Shorebirds, short season Aberdeen IronBirds, complex level GCL and DSL Orioles

Catcher
- Adley Rutschman (2020 Age: 22): Rutschman was just drafted first overall back in June, but he's probably already the top catching prospect in the game despite an unremarkable pro debut where he slashed .254/.351/.423 with four home runs and a 27/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 37 games between the complex level Gulf Coast League, short season Aberdeen, and Class A Delmarva. There's really nothing not to love with his all-around skill set. The switch hitter has plenty of pop from both sides, and he has no problems getting to it with excellent plate discipline and feel for the barrel. That leads to an easy projection of 25-30 home runs annually, or more, with high on-base percentages which could make him a Buster Posey type of catcher with more power. Defensively, he has both the arm strength and overall glove work to be a true asset behind the plate, and he comes with all the work ethic and leadership skills you look for in a catcher. Of course, nobody is a sure thing, but there are really no holes in Rutschman's profile and he should work his way to the upper minors by the end of 2020 and be in the big leagues by 2021. For those who remember all the hype behind Matt Wieters coming up, Rutschman is easily the better prospect.
- Keep an eye on: Brett Cumberland, Maverick Handley

Corner Infield
- Ryan Mountcastle (2020 Age: 23): The bad news is that Mountcastle has tumbled down the defensive spectrum over the years, getting drafted as a shortstop before moving to third base and eventually to first base/outfield, but the good news is that he's kept on hitting along the way and his OPS has gone up each year in the minors, giving him enough bat to profile as a 1B/OF type. In 2019, he slashed .312/.344/.527 with 25 home runs and a 130/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 127 games at AAA Norfolk, and he should be big league ready in early 2020. The book is pretty clear on Mountcastle at this point, as he uses his 6'3" frame to generate good power from the right side, and his advanced feel for the barrel helps him get to it consistently and hit lots of singles and doubles in addition to his home runs. He has an aggressive approach at the plate that limits his walks, so his high batting averages only translate into average on-base percentages, but he also doesn't strike out a whole lot and it hasn't affected his overall production at this point. There will likely be a learning curve as major league pitchers exploit that approach a bit at the next level, but I'd fully expect Mountcastle to hit 20-25 home runs annually with decent, batting average-driven on-base percentages.
- Andrew Daschbach (2020 Age: 22): The Orioles are really shallow at the corners behind Mountcastle, which could give 2019 eleventh round pick Andrew Daschbach the chance to break through. Daschbach, who signed above-slot out of Stanford, slashed .222/.349/.329 with three home runs and a 47/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 47 games at short season Aberdeen, showing off a patient approach at the plate but not much else at this point. He's got a lot of power in his 6'3" frame, which enabled him to hit four home runs in a college game against Cal Poly back in May, and he's a patient enough hitter that he should be able to tap it consistently in pro ball. He will, however, have to cut down on his strikeouts, and as a first baseman-only, he'll have to hit consistently in order to have a shot. I doubt he ends up a starter, but he could be a useful platoon bat down the line.
- Keep an eye on: Jomar Reyes, J.C. Escarra, Jean Carlos Encarnacion

Middle Infield
- Rylan Bannon (2020 Age: 24): Bannon is a little guy, listed at just 5'7", but he hits for plenty of impact nonetheless and slashed .266/.345/.421 with eleven home runs and an 86/50 strikeout to walk ratio over 130 games at AA Bowie and AAA Norfolk in 2019. Acquired from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado deal, Bannon makes his power play up with a big leg kick and an all out, but under control, swing, and his advanced plate discipline helps him unload on the right pitches and maximize his hit tool. He might be a little stretched at shortstop, but he can handle both second and third base well and has a good shot at cracking the Orioles roster in 2020 given how shallow they are, well, everywhere. His profile might be more conducive to a career as a utility man, but I like him as a prospect and I wouldn't be surprised if he broke through for a little bit more.
- Mason McCoy (2020 Age: 25): McCoy was a sixth round senior sign out of Iowa in 2017, then after an unremarkable first full season in 2018 (.266/.331/.369 at Class A), he broke out with the bat in 2019 to put himself firmly in the Orioles' future infield picture. He slashed .379/.416/.509 with a pair of home runs and a 16/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 27 games at High A Frederick, earning a quick promotion to AA Bowie and holding his own with a .266/.326/.343 line, two home runs, and an 84/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 105 games at the higher level. McCoy clearly does not have a ton of power, but he puts the bat on the ball consistently and uses his speed to add another dimension to his offensive game. He's also a strong defender that could stick at shortstop, but he'll more likely end up in a utility role where he fills in all around the infield with a light but playable bat. Even with the Orioles signing Jose Iglesias while I wrote this article, he should be able to crack the roster at some point in 2020.
- Adam Hall (2020 Age: 20-21): The Orioles took Hall in the second round out of an Ontario high school in 2017 with the expectation that he'd move slowly, which he has, but he's also hit well along the way. In 2019, he slashed .298/.385/.395 with five home runs, 33 stolen bases, and a 117/45 strikeout to walk ratio over 122 games at Class A Delmarva, a fitting line given his current skill set and a big improvement from where he was when he was drafted. Hall doesn't project for a ton of power, but the Orioles have streamlined his swing and he's getting better and better with his pitch recognition. That's helping him use his plus speed more, and he's now stolen 55 bases over the past two seasons. He's a good defender at shortstop, too, though with a limited ceiling with the bat, the Orioles are banking on him tightening up his strike zone judgement even more in hopes that he can eventually become a leadoff type.
- Gunnar Henderson (2020 Age: 18-19): Henderson was more of a first round talent, and though the Orioles drafted him with the first pick of the second round out of his Alabama high school, they gave him a first round bonus of $2.3 million to sign. As you might expect for a player coming out of rural Alabama, especially one a bit young for his draft class, he's understandably raw as a player, but he was making real progress as his senior year progressed and the Orioles loved his upside. He's extremely athletic at 6'3" and finds the barrel consistently from the left side, and once he fills out his frame, he'll likely hit for good power as well. Defensively, he's improving and could stick at shortstop, but he should still have the bat to profile at third base if he has to move there. Overall, it's hard to peg down exactly what he'll turn into, but that could be a shortstop with 20-25 home run power and high on-base percentages in the best case scenario. As a kid who won't turn 19 until June, he'll probably take significant time to get through the minors.
- Keep an eye on: Cadyn Grenier, Wilbis Santiago, Joseph Ortiz, Darell Hernaiz

Outfield
- Austin Hays (2020 Age: 24-25): Hays first reached the majors in 2017 and has played 41 games for the Orioles, but he's still two at bats shy of the rookie threshold and technically remains a prospect. It feels like a lifetime ago that he hit 32 home runs and slashed .329/.365/.593 in the minors back in 2017, as multiple injuries have kept him from establishing himself as a major leaguer at this point. In 2019, Hays slashed .248/.299/.464 with 17 home runs and an 83/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 87 games across four levels, and overall in his 41 major league games he's slashed .266/.312/.453 with five home runs and a 29/9 strikeout to walk ratio. He might not have quite as much power as we thought he did in 2017, but there's no question he can impact the ball consistently and against high level pitching. He rarely walks, but he also doesn't strike out a ton, and the key to his success will be channeling that innate feel for the barrel and continuing to lift the ball consistently. If he can consistently impact the ball in the air, I think he'll find success and be a 20 homer bat for the Orioles. If pitchers can get him to roll over and force him into ground balls, he's probably more of a fourth outfielder. On his side is defense, as he's strong in right field and can handle center as well.
- Yusniel Diaz (2020 Age: 23): The Dodgers signed Diaz for $15.5 million out of Cuba in 2015 and had to pay an additional $15.5 million in penalty taxes, then they shipped him to the Orioles in the Manny Machado deal in 2018. 2019 was up and down for Diaz, as he slashed .265/.341/.464 with eleven home runs and a 75/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 85 games, mostly at AA Bowie. He started slowly and missed time with a few injuries, but he started to heat up as the season went along. He's hit over power, but his big swing helps him get the most out of his power and he should be at least somewhat of an over the fence threat at the major league level. He finds the barrel easily and consistently, though the strike zone did get away from him occasionally in 2019 a bit more than it did in the past, and the key for him going forward will be tightening it up like he's capable of. He's also a good defender who should handle right field well, and he could push Hays over to center field if he hits like he's capable of. It feels like the common theme here is "like he's capable of," and that's intentional, because the real simple scouting report is that he's extremely talented but hasn't quite put it together yet. So we'll see, he'll be 23 for all of 2020.
- Ryan McKenna (2020 Age: 23): McKenna was a fourth round pick out of high school in eastern New Hampshire in 2015, and as you'd expect from a kid from the frozen north, it took him a little bit of time to figure things out. He busted out with the bat in 2018 by slashing .377/.467/.556 over 67 games at High A before a promotion up to AA, though he hasn't quite figured that level out yet. He slashed .239/.341/.338 in 60 games there in 2018, then in 2019, he slashed .232/.321/.365 with nine home runs, 25 stolen bases, and a 121/59 strikeout to walk ratio over 135 games, all with AA Bowie. He's a compact player at 5'11", but he's the kind of guy who gets the most out of what he has with a line drive approach and a knack for hard contact. His best tool is his speed, which helps him on both sides of the ball, and overall it's a really nice fourth outfielder package. If he can recapture just a little bit of whatever he did at High A in 2018, he should get there.
- Zach Watson (2020 Age: 22-23): Watson is one of the latest in a really talented group of outfielders to come through LSU recently, which also included Mikie Mahtook and prospects Jake Fraley (Mariners), Greg Deichmann (A's), and Antoine Duplantis (Mets). Drafted in the third round in 2019, he slashed .224/.295/.431 with five home runs and a 30/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 36 games at short season Aberdeen and Class A Delmarva in his pro debut. He's an extremely skinny kid with a lot of wiry strength and the feel for the barrel that enabled him to post high batting averages against quality pitching in the SEC and in the Cape Cod League, and the Orioles had him focus on turning that hard contact into playable power in his pro debut by putting the ball in the air.
- Kyle Stowers (2020 Age: 22): Stowers was actually drafted eight picks before Watson, in the second competitive balance round out of Stanford, and he went on to slash .216/.289/.377 with six home runs and a 53/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games at short season Aberdeen. He was drafted for his bat, namely his power, as his game is pretty unspectacular everywhere else. He has an aggressive approach at the plate and had some swing and miss questions earlier in his Stanford career, but he improved in that regard in 2019 and shouldn't have a problem handling pro pitching. His power has been a bit streaky, so the Orioles will hope they can help him tap it more consistently without causing the strikeout rate to go up, which is entirely doable in my opinion. He has the upside of a guy who could hit 25-30 home runs annually, albeit with lower on-base percentages and fringe-average defense in left field.
- Johnny Rizer (2020 Age: 23): Rizer was a seventh rounder TCU in 2019, the culmination of an up and down college career that saw him start at Louisiana-Lafayette as a freshman, transfer to Blinn College in Texas, then struggle as a junior at TCU before catching his stride as a senior. He then slashed .308/.365/.456 with four home runs and a 45/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 63 games at short season Aberdeen and Class A Delmarva. His extremely successful debut showcased his innate ability to find the barrel from a quick left handed swing, though he'll likely never be a power hitter and will instead settle for line drives in the gaps. It's a fourth outfielder profile, but he's a definitely a sleeper given his lack of loud tools combined with his ability to make the most of what he has – not too dissimilar to Ryan McKenna, but without the plus speed.
- Keep an eye on: T.J. Nichting, Cole Billingsley

Starting Pitching
- Dean Kremer (2020 Age: 24): Kremer grew up in Stockton, California, but he's likely to become the first Israeli citizen to play in the majors. Originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 14th round out of UNLV in 2016, he came over in the Manny Machado deal and has been excellent in the Orioles' system, and in 2019 he posted a 3.72 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a 122/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 113.2 innings at High A Frederick, AA Bowie, and AAA Norfolk. He has an ideal pitchers' frame at 6'3", and he sits in the low to mid 90's with his running fastball. He also adds a great curveball with a ton of movement as well as a distinct slider and a changeup, and he commands everything adequately enough. He probably needs either a little bit more refinement in his command or of his changeup in order to really succeed as a major league starter, both of which are entirely doable, but the Orioles will give him every chance to prove himself and he has a good shot at cracking the rotation at some point in early 2020 with mid-rotation upside.
- Keegan Akin (2020 Age: 25): Akin was a second rounder out of Western Michigan in 2016, and in 2019 he posted a 4.73 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP, and a 131/61 strikeout to walk ratio over 112.1 innings at AAA Norfolk, a hitter-friendly context. He's a 6' lefty that sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a good, lateral-breaking slider and a changeup, all of which play up because of the angle he can put on them with his delivery. His command can be inconsistent but tends to be pretty sturdy, and overall it's probably a #4/#5 starter profile without a ton of upside. He might fit better in the bullpen long term, but the Orioles don't have too many major league starters at present and he'll get every chance to land in that rotation until he's perhaps bumped by some of the other advanced arms they have coming up through the system.
- Zac Lowther (2020 Age: 24): Lowther is a very similar prospect to Akin, just a year younger, and he was drafted in the second competitive balance round out of Xavier 2017. He's dominated ever since he reached pro ball with a career 2.26 ERA, and in 2019 he had a 2.55 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 154/63 strikeout to walk ratio over 148 innings at AA Bowie. Lowther, like Akin, is a stocky lefty with a low 90's fastball, though his is maybe a tick slower than Akin's, and like Akin, he relies more on the way the ball comes out of his hand than on pure stuff. He adds a good dropping curveball and a solid fading changeup, which he can command pretty well, and he gets really good extension from his 6'2" frame coming towards the plate that makes his stuff play up. I'd give Lowther the exact same projection as Akin, except he might have a bit higher of a ceiling/chance to stick in the rotation just based on the fact that he's had such consistent success throughout his time in the minors.
- Michael Baumann (2020 Age: 24): Baumann is more of the Dean Kremer cut, and he's had plenty of minor league success since being drafted in the third round out of Jacksonville in 2017, where he was teammates with Austin Hays. In 2019, he had a 2.98 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and a 142/45 strikeout to walk ratio over 124 innings at High A Frederick and AA Bowie, a nice follow-up to the strong year he had in A ball the year before. Baumann sits in the mid 90's with his fastball, and it plays quicker due to his extension and 6'4" frame. He adds a slider, a curve, and a changeup, with the slider perhaps sticking out, though for the most part he uses his secondaries to play off of his fastball. His command has been a bit inconsistent, but it's improving and it's probably safely average at this point, so the last step for him is probably to just get more consistent with his secondary stuff and that command. He has some of the better upside between these top five, though he also carries some relief risk and could be an effective fastball/slider reliever who mixes in a changeup.
- Brandon Bailey (2020 Age: 25): Bailey has already changed organizations twice since being a sixth round pick out of Gonzaga in 2016, first from Oakland to Houston for Ramon Laureano in 2017 then onto Baltimore in the Rule 5 draft. That means he'll have to stick on the 26 man roster or be sent back to Houston in 2020, which means he might see time as both a starter and a reliever. In 2019, he had a 3.30 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a 103/41 strikeout to walk ratio over 92.2 innings in AA, showcasing pretty average stuff across the board but not true weak spots. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball, adds a full set of secondaries that look good but not great, and commands it well enough. That's your basic #5 starter package, so the key to sticking in the rotation will be staying on top of that command, while a bump to the bullpen could mean his stuff would play up in shorter stints. Either way, you'll see a lot of him in 2020.
- Alex Wells (2020 Age: 23): Wells has moved slowly through the Orioles' system since signing for $300,000 out of Australia in 2015, but he's also been effective every step of the way and posted a 2.95 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 105/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 137.1 innings at AA Bowie in 2019. He doesn't throw that hard, sitting in the upper 80's, and his soft curveball isn't much of a weapon either, though it does have nice downer movement. However, he gets his outs due to excellent command, and it also pays to have a very good, fading changeup to keep hitters off balance. His margin for error keeps getting smaller as he works his way up through the minors, but he just continues to get tighter and tighter with that command and he could end up a #4 or a #5 starter, though I'd still prefer some of the names ahead of him on this list.
- Bruce Zimmermann (2020 Age: 25): Zimmermann is a hometown guy, having graduated from Loyola Blakefield High School in Towson before attending Towson University for two years, though he then transferred to Mount Olive College in North Carolina. Acquired from the Braves in the Kevin Gausman deal, he posted a 3.21 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a 134/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 140 innings at AA Bowie and AAA Norfolk in 2019, and now he's knocking on the door to the bigs. He's not too dissimilar to Wells, actually, sitting around 90 with his fastball and adding a decent slider and a changeup with good command. Wells is probably the slightly better prospect due to the tighter command, but Zimmermann does have #5 starter potential and he'll compete for a spot in 2020.
- DL Hall (2020 Age: 21): Hall was a first round pick out of a Georgia high school in 2017, and his stock remains about where it was when he was drafted. In 2019, he put up a 3.46 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and a 116/54 strikeout to walk ratio over 80.2 innings at High A Frederick, certainly impressive numbers for a 20 year old at that level. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds a great curveball that acts as his strikeout pitch, and he's come along nicely with a changeup that is an effective pitch in its own right. However, despite the success he's had so far in his minor league career, he still looks much more like a prospect than a big leaguer. His command remains spotty and in need of further refinement, and he has yet to throw 100 innings in a season, showing the need for improved durability. There building blocks are absolutely there for the 6'2" lefty, he just needs significant further refinement to put them together. The good news is that he'll play all of 2020 at 21 years old and he could make those breakthroughs at any point.
- Grayson Rodriguez (2020 Age: 20): Rodriguez might be a level behind Hall, but he's probably the better prospect at this point and I wouldn't be surprised if he beat him to the majors. A first rounder out of an East Texas high school in 2018, Rodriguez posted a 2.68 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and a 129/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 94 innings at Class A Delmarva in 2019. He's a big, 6'5" righty with a power low to mid 90's fastball and a pair of distinct, great breaking balls in a hard biting slider and a downer curveball, as well as a developing changeup. His arsenal, as well as his ability to command it decently, were enough to completely overwhelm Class A hitters. That command can be a bit inconsistent, but he also pitched all of 2019 at 19 years old, and I don't see it as much of an issue at this point. He does still have one other thing to work on, that being a deep arm plunge that might give more advanced hitters a good look at his pitches. The Orioles also held him on a short leash, giving him just 94 innings over 20 starts, so he'll have to prove his durability.
- Kyle Bradish (2020 Age: 23): Copied from the Angels' system report before he was shipped to Baltimore in the Dylan Bundy deal: A fourth round pick out of New Mexico State in 2018, Bradish didn't pitch professionally that year but skipped all the way to High A Inland Empire for his pro debut this year. The results weren't spectacular, but he still exceeded expectations with a 4.28 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and a 120/53 strikeout to walk ratio over 101 innings against advanced competition in a hitters' league. Originally projected as a reliever, he delayed that potential move with his performance this year and by doing a better job of maintaining low 90's heat late into his starts. While nothing he throws grades out as a plus, his tilt and go delivery makes everything play up as it's hard to time and see his pitches. His command was a bit better than expected in 2019, and while a move to the bullpen is still possible due to the effort in his delivery, he might just be able to throw enough strikes to stick as a potential #4 starter.
- Drew Rom (2020 Age: 20): Drew Rom was a fourth round pick out of a Cincinnati-area high school in 2018, then quietly put up a great season in 2019 with a 2.93 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a 122/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 95.1 innings at Class A Delmarva. It's hard to say exactly what led to his success – the lefty sits around 90 with his fastball and adds a decent slider that flashes plus and a nice splitter, which he commands adequately, a truly average all-around game. Somehow, though, South Atlantic League hitters could not figure him out. I was considering writing up Brenan Hanifee or Blaine Knight in this spot, but both were inconsistent in High A this year, and Rom hasn't been hit hard yet so he gets the spot. At 6'2", he's projectable and could sit in the low 90's down the road, which combined with his slider, splitter, and hopefully gains in his command, could make him a sleeper to become a quality starting pitching option.
- Keep an eye on: Luis Ortiz, Tom Eshelman, Blaine Knight, Brenan Hanifee, Ofelky Peralta, Gray Fenter, Leonardo Rodriguez, Zach Peek

Relief Pitching
- Hunter Harvey (2020 Age: 25): Harvey was a first rounder out of a North Carolina high school in 2013, so he's been a prospect forever; that 2013 draft has already produced Kris Bryant, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger, among others, so it's amazing that Harvey is still a prospect. Injury after injury has kept him from throwing even 90 innings in any single season, and from 2015-2017, he threw a total of just 31.1 in three years. In 2019, Harvey posted a 5.00 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and an 83/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 75.2 innings at AA Bowie and AAA Norfolk, and he finally reached the major leagues and posted a 1.42 ERA and an 11/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 6.1 innings in relief. Arm troubles aside, there's no question about the talent, as he sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds a really good curveball that gets a lot of swings and misses. With all the missed time to injuries, the rest of his game is still inconsistent, and at this point the fastball/curveball combination will play really well in the bullpen, especially with all the pitching prospects near the top.
- Cody Sedlock (2020 Age: 24-25): It's been a weird few years for Sedlock, who rode a breakout junior year at Illinois to a back-of-the-first-round selection in 2016, but struggled in both 2017 and 2018 and looked like a fringe-prospect. However, he bounced back in 2019, posting a 2.84 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and a 100/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 95 innings at High A Frederick and AA Bowie after having a 5.11 ERA in 2018 and a 5.90 ERA in 2017. He's never really regained the stuff he had that junior year in college, which now looks like more of a fluke than anything else, but he's learned to pitch with more average stuff and that drove his breakout. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a full set of secondaries, with his slider and changeup in particular looking very effective when he can hit his spots with them. He still needs to tighten in his command a bit more, but I think he's low enough on the starting pitcher depth chart that he'll move to the bullpen anyways, where he might be able to combine re-improved stuff with his knew knowledge of pitching and become an effective long reliever.
- Kyle Brnovich (2020 Age: 22): The Angels drafted Brnovich in the eighth round out of Elon in 2019, but he didn't pitch afterwards and was shipped to Baltimore in the Dylan Bundy deal, so he never threw a pitch in their organization. He's a really interesting pitcher because he only sits in the upper 80's with his fastball, sometimes bumping the low 90's, but his bread and butter is a wicked slider that just dives towards the left handed batters box and just keeps on diving and diving. He can also get some nice fade on his changeup and his pitches can play up because of a little hop in his delivery that adds deception, but make no mistake about what makes Brnovich notable. The Orioles will try to develop him as a starter for now, but my guess is he ends up in the bullpen where he could just pitch off that slider and miss a ton of bats.
- Keep an eye on: Dillon Tate, Isaac Mattson, Zach Pop

2019 Draft Review: Baltimore Orioles

First five rounds: Adley Rutschman (1-1), Gunnar Henderson (2-42), Kyle Stowers (CBB-71), Zach Watson (3-79), Joey Ortiz (4-108), Darell Hernaiz (5-138)
Also notable: Maverick Handley (6-168), Andrew Daschbach (11-318), Dan Hammer (13-378)

Obviously, this draft is going to be headlined by Adley Rutschman, possibly the best college catching prospect ever, or at the very least since Florida State's Buster Posey in 2008. For those who remember the Matt Wieters hype, Rutschman is easily better at the same stage of his career and should be a future All Star with power, high on-base percentages, great defense, and leadership. Moving past Rutschman, though, there's a lot to like elsewhere in this draft. Gunnar Henderson provides a ton of upside and guys like Kyle Stowers, Zach Watson, and Dan Hammer seem like they could take a big step forward with pro coaching. It was also a Stanford-themed draft, as the Orioles took Stanford position players in the second Competitive Balance round, the sixth round, and the eleventh round.

1-1: C Adley Rutschman (Oregon State, my rank: 1)
Adley Rutschman is not short on praise, and it's well deserved as one of the best draft prospects of the decade, perhaps the best since Bryce Harper in 2010. Simply put, he's the complete package as a player. The Portland-area native slashed just .234/.322/.306 as a freshman at Oregon State in 2017, then put himself firmly into the first overall conversation after a huge sophomore year where he slashed .408/.505/.628 as a sophomore. Somehow, he got even better in 2019, finishing with a .411/.575/.751 line, 17 home runs, and a 38/76 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games. Despite going through the rigors of catching and playing in a tough Pac-12 conference, Rutschman led all college baseball players in on-base percentage (.575), OPS (1.326), and walks (76) while finishing fifth in batting average (.411) and sixth in slugging percentage (.751). As you might figure from those stats, he has an excellent feel for hitting between great plate discipline (28.6% walk rate, 14.3% strikeout rate) and great feel for the barrel, and that helps him get to his plus power very consistently. Defensively, he's a superb catcher with both a strong arm and a great glove, and he comes with all of the desired leadership skills you look for in a catcher. Together, that helps Rutschman project for 30 or more home runs per season with high on-base percentages and borderline Gold Glove defense, or as some would call it, "MVP caliber." He draws a lot of comparisons to Buster Posey, which is natural given that Posey was the game's most recent elite catcher, though Rutschman looks to have more power. No pressure or anything, Adley, but the expectations are sky high. He'll inevitably have his ups and downs working through the minors and breaking into the majors, but given his power, competency for hitting, defense, and work ethic, it's hard to see him becoming anything but a star. He signed for a record $8.1 million, which was still $320,000 below slot, and he's slashing .176/.282/.294 with a home run and a 4/5 strikeout to walk ratio over ten games between the complex level Gulf Coast League and short season Aberdeen.

2-42: SS Gunnar Henderson (Morgan Academy [AL], my rank: 25)
After saving money on Rutschman, the Orioles dipped into the high school ranks to spend that extra money on Gunnar Henderson. Henderson hails from Selma, Alabama, and you don't see too many players from these small towns in the Deep South get drafted this high out of high school. Henderson is the exception, having been a late riser on many boards with a great senior year at John T. Morgan Academy, and while he's still raw, he's improved considerably as of late. He's 6'3" and is very athletic, which helps him on both sides of the ball, and he has shown both power and feel for the barrel this spring. He has a quick bat solid raw power, and he has been getting to it more frequently, albeit against mediocre competition in Central Alabama. He's also getting it figured out defensively, with his strong arm and athleticism making him a virtual lock to stay on the left side of the infield, possibly at shortstop if he can refine his game a little bit, but if not, definitely at third base. He also didn't turn 18 until June, and he has the upside to hit 20-30 home runs per season with good on-base percentages and good defense. However, unlike Rutschman, he will need a lot of time to develop and probably won't move through the minors very quickly at all. Committed to Auburn, he instead signed for $2.3 million, which was $530,000 above slot, and he's slashing .240/.339/.280 with a 15/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 14 games in the Gulf Coast League.

CBB-71: OF Kyle Stowers (Stanford, my rank: 67)
Kyle Stowers is a bit of a polarizing player because of the way his numbers have fluctuated, but I think pro coaching can really help him. The San Diego-area native showed power from an aggressive approach when he slashed .286/.383/.512 as a sophomore at Stanford in 2018, but that approach didn't hurt him when he went on to the elite Cape Cod League and slashed .326/.361/.565 with six home runs and a 34/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 34 games there that summer. Then in 2019, he was a different player; this year, he slashed .303/.369/.523 with nine home runs and a 31/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games in a lineup that also included 2019 Orioles draft picks Maverick Handley (6th round) and Andrew Daschbach (11th round). Stowers' strikeout rate dropped from 20.4% as a sophomore to 12.4% as a junior, while his walk rate also dropped a little from 12.5% to 9.6%. His swing is more direct this year, which has helped his strikeout rates, and he generates good power from his 6'3" frame and whippy swing. However, I think he could actually tap into it even more once he gets to working with Orioles minor league hitting coaches, and he could eventually profile for 20-30 home runs annually if things break right. While he improved his contact rates this year, it will still be something to follow as he works his way through pro ball. Additionally, he's an aggressive hitter and will probably never post high on-base percentages, so most of his value will be tied to that power, even if he hits for high averages. Defensively, he holds his own in the outfield but is nothing special. Stowers signed at slot for $884,200, and he's slashing .231/.294/.352 with a home run and a 31/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 30 games with Aberdeen.

3-79: OF Zach Watson (Louisiana State, my rank: 91)
Zach Watson could have gone in the top 100 picks as a draft eligible sophomore last year, where he slashed .308/.366/.479 for LSU and ranked 75th on my 2018 draft list, but he (along with Zack Hess) opted to return to Baton Rouge for his junior season. It turned out to be much of the same, as he slashed a nearly identical .308/.378/.468 with seven home runs and a 47/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games. The Ruston, Louisiana native is a very consistent hitter who has proven himself against tough SEC pitching, and he also slashed .382/.450/.500 in a brief, ten game run through the Cape Cod League, so there's no question about his feel for the barrel. Watson is extremely skinny, listed at six feet and 160 pounds, and he uses that barrel to spray hard line drives around the field. Despite his slight stature, there might actually be some power projection in there just because he hits the ball so darn hard, and additional loft in his swing could help him hit 15 home runs per season. While he does have that coveted feel for the barrel, one important issue to address early in his pro career will be his plate discipline, which is average for now. Watson can also fly on the bases and in the outfield, where he lacks a big arm but is overall an above average defender. Overall, he looks like a fourth outfielder at first glance, but he's the kind of guy that could take off with pro coaching and end up an everyday center fielder. He is very old for his class, having turned 22 in June, so that's one knock. Watson signed at slot for $780,400, and he's slashing .247/.316/.494 with five home runs, five stolen bases, and a 24/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 29 games between Aberdeen and Class A Delmarva.

4-108: SS Joey Ortiz (New Mexico State, unranked)
I mentioned in Adley Rutschman's paragraph that he had the fifth highest batting average in college baseball at .411 this year. Well, Joey Ortiz ranked third at .422. While New Mexico State a) is an extremely hitter-friendly environment and b) doesn't face the same competition in the Western Athletic Conference that Oregon State sees in the Pac-12, ranking ahead of Rutschman in anything is pretty darn impressive, especially when you're third best in the country (albeit second on your own team behind Nick Gonzales' NCAA-leading .432). Ortiz' huge breakout year overall saw him slash .422/.474/.697 with eight home runs and a 26/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games, though it was a little inflated in that Coors Field-like environment in Las Cruces. The Los Angeles-area native has great feel for the barrel and should continue to hit for a high average in pro ball, though he'll need to get more patient at the plate if he wants to post high on-base percentages as well. Though he hit eight home runs at New Mexico State this year, he'll probably be more of a singles and doubles hitter in pro ball at 5'11" and with an all-fields approach. With very competent defense at shortstop, his profile screams utility infielder down the line. On the plus side, he's more than a year younger than Zach Watson and didn't turn 21 until July. He signed for for $450,000, which was $88,200 below slot, and he's slashing .241/.315/.286 with a home run and a 19/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 31 games at Aberdeen.

5-138: SS Darell Hernaiz (Americas HS [TX], unranked)
Just 50 miles down the road from New Mexico State's campus in Las Cruces, the Orioles found another shortstop in El Paso high schooler Darell Hernaiz. He's a very athletic kid with high upside, but he has a long way to go developmentally. He's got some power but hasn't fully tapped into it yet, with room to grow in his 6'1" frame. He's also solid defensively but may not be able to stick at shortstop. Really, it's hard to project him at this point, especially because I'm writing this article on his 18th birthday two months after the draft, but his athleticism and strength should help him on both sides of the ball through what should be a long development path. Committed to Texas Tech, he signed for $400,000, which was $2,000 below slot, and he's slashing .213/.373/.298 with a home run and a 15/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 15 games in the Gulf Coast League.

6-168: C Maverick Handley (Stanford, unranked)
The Orioles picked up Kyle Stowers in the second Competitive Balance Round, and almost a hundred picks later, they grabbed his teammate, Maverick Handley. The man with the 80 grade baseball name slashed .290/.393/.442 with five home runs and a 39/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games, but it's really his defense and feel for the game that the Orioles are buying as he will inevitably have a tough time starting considering who they took first overall. The Denver native has great plate discipline that helps him get his pitch and do enough damage to remain viable with the bat, but at a stocky 5'11", he lacks much power and projects as a low-impact hitter overall. Defensively, he gets the job done and then some, as he is a lock to stick behind the plate both with his glove and with his leadership skills. Ultimately, he projects as Rutschman's backup down the line, and the Adley Rutschman/Maverick Handley combination might have the coolest pair of names ever for any pair of major league catchers on the same team. He signed for $250,000, which was $51,600 below slot, and he's slashing .218/.338/.273 with a 24/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 21 games at Aberdeen.

11-318: 1B Andrew Daschbach (Stanford, unranked)
Make that three Stanford hitters in the first eleven rounds for the Orioles. However, Andrew Daschbach is perhaps the polar opposite to Maverick Handley as a player. The Silicon Valley native is a pure masher, and he slashed .289/.382/.602 with 17 home runs and a 54/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games for Stanford this year. That big season was highlighted by a four homer performance against Cal Poly on May 14th, and he also slashed a strong .306/.424/.515 with five home runs and a 32/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 40 games on the Cape. At 6'3" and 225 pounds, he's plenty strong enough to blast balls out of any park, and he has gotten to that power consistently against quality pitching. However, his plate discipline is only so-so, with a 21.7% strikeout rate and just a 10% walk rate, so it's fully a power-only profile. There's not too much projection, but he could hit 20 home runs annually if he gets to the majors and tightens his control of the strike zone. Defensively, he's limited to first base and could end up a DH long term, so all of the pressure will be on his power. He signed for $250,000, which counted for $125,000 against the Orioles' bonus pool, and he's slashing .227/.370/.333 with one home run and an 18/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 24 games at Aberdeen, where he once again shares the lineup with Handley and Kyle Stowers.

13-378: RHP Dan Hammer (Pittsburgh, unranked)
Between Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Maverick Handley, and now Dan Hammer, the Orioles really are stocking up on the cool names. Hammer comes from Pitt, where he has never quite put it together despite strikeout stuff. The Philadelphia native posted a 6.55 ERA, a 1.85 WHIP, and an 80/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 66 innings for the Panthers this year, but he was much better on the Cape last summer, where his ERA was just 2.16 and he struck out 20 batters to five walks in 25 innings. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a solid breaking ball and changeup, but his stuff hasn't been consistent and he has gotten hit hard when he fell behind in the count. The Orioles will work to get him more consistent with everything in the hopes of getting a #4 starter, though shifting him to the bullpen could help him take a big step forward. Hammer signed for $150,000, which counts for $25,000 against the bonus pool, and he has a 1.17 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 19/6 strikeout to walk ratio over 15.1 innings at Aberdeen.

2019 Draft Preview: Shortstops

Shortstop is always one of the deepest positions at first glance, but many of these guys end up pushed off the position over to second or third base, and I tried to include those guys over with those positions. Still, the ability to play and stay at shortstop is a huge boon to a player's draft stock, as shortstops who can hit are hard to come by and when they are found, they become stars (see Francisco Lindor, Troy Tulowitzki, Derek Jeter). This year's crop is especially deep, especially at the college level (I pushed college shortstops Will Wilson, Braden Shewmake, and Brady McConnell to the second base list), though some high school bats are showing some real helium as of late.

Tier I: Bobby Witt Jr., CJ Abrams
These two are the top two shortstops – and top two high school players – in the class. The consensus is that Bobby Witt Jr. is the top high school player in the country on his own, as he looked like a very strong four tool player over the summer and has come out this spring looking closer to a five tool guy. The son of former MLB pitcher Bobby Witt, Junior is a power hitter with a lanky frame at six feet tall, using his large swing to generate power that should produce 20-30 home runs per season. That big swing led to some swing and miss on the showcase circuit, but he has reportedly hit for better contact against local Dallas-area high school competition in the spring and scouts are not worried about it failing to play up. Defensively, he is a lock to stay at shortstop, making him a potential impact player on both offense and defense. He is a lock to go in the first five picks, most likely to the Royals at second overall. Meanwhile, over in Atlanta, CJ Abrams has rode a great summer and spring to a likely top five draft selection. He isn't quite on the same level as Witt, but Abrams is one of the best athletes in the class with top of the scale speed, great feel for the barrel, and a strong arm. He lacks the current bulk to impact the ball and project for high home run totals, but he has long levers and because he can find the barrel so consistently, scouts think he can end up with double-digit home runs and plenty of doubles and triples. Defensively, he uses his athleticism well, but scouts are not sold that he can stay at shortstop. If he can, his value is maximized, but a move to second base or center field is possible, the latter of which would enable him to use his exceptional speed to track down baseballs. It would be hard to see him falling past the Padres at pick number six, and he has a chance to go as high as third to the White Sox.

Tier II: Bryson Stott, Logan Davidson, Gunnar Henderson
While the second tier of shortstops aren't the low risk, high reward caliber of the first tier, they still have strong impact potential if things break right. Bryson Stott is this year's top college shortstop, putting up a huge breakout season for UNLV by slashing .361/.490/.624 with ten home runs and a 38/50 strikeout to walk ratio through 52 games. Stott's breakout comes on the heels of criticism that his approach was too contact-oriented, but he's added power this year and while his strikeout rate has more than doubled, it was so low to begin with that that isn't a big deal. As it stands now, he is a high on-base hitter who has added power without sacrificing too much contact ability (his batting average only dropped from .365 to .361), one who should be a safe bet to hit at the next level. He's not as safe of a bet to stick at shortstop, with the chance of having to move to third base, but his bat profiles well at the hot corner and he still has a good shot at remaining at shortstop. He should go in the top half of the first round. Over at Clemson, Logan Davidson is a different player than his former teammate, 2018 Astros first round pick Seth Beer, but scouts face a similar conundrum with him. He has put up very strong numbers in the ACC, this year slashing .297/.415/.593 with 14 home runs and a 50/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 54 games against strong competition, but he has struggled with wood bats, slashing .202/.304/.266 with three home runs and an 80/35 strikeout to walk ratio over two seasons in the Cape Cod League. Beer struggled on the Cape and mashed with Clemson, and now he's hitting well in the minors, but Davidson's statistical discrepancies still give some scouts pause. He has power and gets on base but he strikes out a lot, giving him high upside at the plate but also more risk than you're typical first round college bat. Defensively, he'll stick at shortstop with his strong defense, which will buy his bat time, and he figures to go in the back half of the first round. On the high school side, Gunnar Henderson has hit his way from the second round up into the first round, showing an improving all-around game all spring long. The Alabama native is a strong all-around hitter who makes plenty of contact and has shown improved power this season, which combined with his improving defense at shortstop, gives him the chance to be an all-around contributor like Corey Seager. With a June birthday, he's also fairly young as far as high schoolers go, and by playing out in Selma, Alabama, he likely hasn't gotten the top of the line instruction that some kids in places like Atlanta, South Florida, or Los Angeles are getting. He looks to go in the back half of the first round but there are rumors that he could sneak into the middle.

Tier III: Will Holland, Greg Jones, Kyren Paris, Anthony Volpe, Nasim Nunez, Yordys Valdes
Once you get past the top five in this class (at least as I have defined the shortstops), there is a large set of high upside guys with varying skill sets, so teams will have their pick of exactly what they're looking for. Auburn shortstop Will Holland came into the season as a potential first rounder after a strong sophomore season (12 HR, .313/.406/.530, 49/28 K/BB) and a solid run through the Cape Cod League (.341/.431/.432), but he has slumped significantly as a junior, slashing .247/.378/.403 with seven home runs and a 49/27 strikeout to walk ratio and now looks more like a second or even a third rounder. Fortunately, his bat has picked up a little bit as of late, but he still doesn't look like the same hitter he was a year ago. The tools, whippy swing, and strong defense are still there, the latter of which will buy his bat time to develop, but he's a much higher risk proposition than he used to be and could turn into anything from a starting shortstop to a light hitting utility guy. UNC-Wilmington's Greg Jones has an interesting profile, with very apparent strengths and equally apparent weaknesses. Jones is slashing .332/.478/.518 with four home runs, 35 stolen bases, and a 39/45 strikeout to walk ratio through 54 games, though he hasn't faced the strongest competition in the Colonial Athletic Association. Jones draws a ton of walks, which is especially helpful as a likely leadoff type with top of the scale speed, and he showed that speed off with 20 stolen bases in 37 Cape Cod League games this past summer. He also hits plenty of doubles and triples, and some think that he could grow into his 6'2" frame a bit more and add more power. Defensively, he looks good on the right day but can lose focus at shortstop and may be forced to move to center field, where he has looked very good in the past due to his exceptional speed. Look for Jones to go in the second round. Kyren Paris, like Gunnar Henderson, has seen his name shooting up draft boards, though he still stands a hair behind his Alabama counterpart. Paris is a high schooler near Oakland, California, who makes consistent hard contact with the potential to add some power once he adds loft to his swing. Defensively, he is a very strong shortstop with a very good chance to stay there, giving him high upside on both sides of the ball. Additionally, he doesn't turn 18 until November, which makes him one of the youngest players available and which gives him plenty of time to grow into his skills. He has moved himself from a third-ish rounder to more of a fringe first rounder, but he has drawn considerable interest from teams as high as the middle of the first round. Anthony Volpe, a New Jersey high schooler, is yet another kid with serious helium, pushing his way from the third to the second round. Volpe won't wow you with any of his tools, but he is considered one of the hardest working, most likable players in the draft. He's more of a contact hitter than a power hitter, but he makes consistent contact and should maximize his skill set there. Defensively, he looks more like a second baseman at first glance, but he is extremely scrappy and will do everything he can to remain a shortstop. The sum of the parts are in the utility-infielder range, but scouts are quick to say that he should not be underestimated and think the whole could be much more than that. Nasim Nunez is another guy who scouts fall in love with just due to the way he plays the game. The Atlanta high schooler is an exceptional shortstop who will not only stick there, but provide significant positive value and contend for Gold Gloves. However, his bat is far behind his glove, as he is listed at 5'9" and 155 pounds and lacks the ability to drive the ball for any kind of significant power. He makes consistent contact, and whichever team drafts him will hope that he can grow into enough gap power to justify his spot in a starting lineup. He and Volpe both look like second rounders who could sneak into the comp round. Lastly, Yordys Valdes has a fairly similar profile to Nunez, though Nunez is clearly the better player. Valdes is a high schooler near Miami, also showing fantastic defense at shortstop despite significantly less speed than Nunez. He also has shown some feel for the barrel, but his bat is even behind that of Nunez, making him more likely to end up a utility infielder. He figures to be a third round pick with the chance to sneaking into the second.

Others: Tanner Morris, Grae Kessinger, Ivan Johnson, Michael Curialle, Myles Austin