Connor Norby and Cade Povich are just the latest to arrive in a stupendous two-year stretch of Orioles prospect promotions.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The Orioles’ series in Toronto really petered out after two easy wins to start the four-game set, with the Birds dropping the final two to settle for a split. Yesterday’s contest got away from them early in a 6-5 defeat. Check out my recap of the action if you’re so inclined.
Still, the Orioles’ pipeline of promising prospects continues to be quite fruitful. Another two of the club’s top 10 prospects, Connor Norby and Cade Povich, made their MLB debuts in the Toronto series, with Norby crushing a homer for his first major league hit and Povich showing some potential in a mixed bag of an outing. Both could continue to play significant roles for the O’s, at least in the short term as injury fill-ins.
Norby and Povich are just the latest in a truly impressive parade of O’s prospects to make their way to the majors within the last two years. Adley Rutschman. Gunnar Henderson. Kyle Bradish. Grayson Rodriguez. Jordan Westburg. Colton Cowser. Heston Kjerstad. Kyle Stowers. And of course Jackson Holliday, who didn’t quite stick the first time but is expected to be back with a vengeance in not too long. By the end of the season, we might add Coby Mayo, Chayce McDermott or others to that list, too. It’s a sight to behold.
Of the players with major league experience on the Orioles’ current 40-man roster, 24 of them have never played for any MLB team besides the Birds, and 15 were homegrown O’s draft picks. That’s a whole lot of good, young talent developed in house.
You don’t need me to tell you this, but it sure is a good time to be an Orioles fan right now. As frustrated as we might get every time the team loses a winnable game, we can at least be reasonably confident that the club is too talented to get knocked down for too long. And if all goes well, the Orioles will prove that confidence to be well-earned, this year and for many years beyond.
Links
Povich takes loss in debut, offense quiet through seven as they split series (updated) – Steve Melewski
I agree with Brandon Hyde that Povich pitched better than his box score line indicated. There have certainly been worse MLB debuts. But also much, much better ones.
Emergency passport secured, Povich’s parents watch MLB debut in Toronto – MLB.com
How does one get an emergency passport? By going to Denver, apparently. However it works, it helped Povich’s mom and dad get into Canada to watch him pitch, which is neat.
Reviewing Orioles with home runs as first major league hits – School of Roch
Roch Kubatko runs down the list of previous Orioles before Norby who homered for their first major league hit. Ah yes, I think we all remember where we were when José Morban hit that home run against the Devil Rays in 2003.
Jon Meoli: Povich’s Orioles debut heralds a new phase of pitching development program – The Baltimore Banner
We know the Orioles can produce big-time hitting prospects, but their track record with pitching prospects is much shorter. Povich represents one of their most important test cases for the Orioles’ pitching development program. No pressure, kid.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with three former Orioles: first baseman Chris Richard (50) and right-handed relievers Heathcliff Slocumb (58) and Roger Nelson (80).
On this date in 1998, the Orioles retired Eddie Murray’s iconic #33 in front of a sellout crowd of 48,090 at Camden Yards. The Hall of Famer became the fifth Orioles legend to have his number retired by the club — plus Jackie Robinson, whose number was retired by every MLB team — and Cal Ripken Jr. later joined that group.
And on this day in 2010, the Orioles used the third overall pick of the 2010 draft to select an infielder named Manny Machado from Brito Miami Private School. I’d say they nailed that pick. Machado, to date, has the highest bWAR of any draftee that season, just edging out Bryce Harper and Chris Sale, though of course he spent only the first half of his now 13-year career with the Birds.
Random Orioles game of the day
On June 7, 2003, the Orioles won an interleague battle in St. Louis, 8-1, for their first win ever against the Cardinals. Even though MLB was in its seventh year of interleague play, the O’s somehow had never faced the Cardinals before, and hadn’t played in St. Louis since the Browns franchise left the city in 1953 to relocate to Baltimore. The O’s pounded former Oriole Garrett Stephenson for four home runs, including two by light-hitting shortstop Deivi Cruz and one apiece by Melvin Mora and Jeff Conine, while Sidney Ponson worked a 122-pitch complete game, allowing just one run. That remained the Orioles’ only win in St. Louis until 19 years later, when the 2022 Birds took two out of three.