The Baltimore Orioles have had a busy season sending the taxi and plane back-and-forth between minor league affiliates and the big leagues. This week was no different, as the minor league clubs saw some important transactions take place in the farm system.
The Triple-A Norfolk Tides will welcome back outfielder Yusniel Díaz after a stint on the I.L. Díaz went down to Double-A Bowie for a five-game stretch and will return to the Tides in time for Tuesday’s contest.
Díaz posted a .278 batting average in those five games, collecting five hits, including a double and one home run that resulted in four RBI during his rehab stint.
Joining Díaz at the Triple-A level will be first baseman J.C. Escarra, who over the course of 31 games has scored 26 runs, while collecting 28 hits, including four doubles, a triple and four home runs, resulting in 17 RBI before earning his promotion.
The Double-A Bowie Baysox are adding another arm to an already stacked rotation, as Kyle Brnovich earned a promotion, after posting a 4-1 record across eight games with High-A Aberdeen. He turned heads with his 48 strikeouts to 11 walks, while holding opponents to a .144 batting average across 34.1 innings, allowing only nine earned while pitching for the IronBirds. Bowie’s projected staff will now have D.L. Hall, Grayson Rodriguez, and now Kyle Brnovich as a 1-2-3 punch, adding gas cans to each start going forward.
Bowie also welcomed infielder Toby Welk and outfielder Kyle Stowers to the team. Welk and Stowers posted similar stats across the same amount of playing to earn their promotions.
Welk batted .265 across 36 games, walking 20 times and collecting 35 hits, including five doubles, a triple, and two home runs to collect 19 RBI. Stowers’ tallied 36 hits, including six doubles, a triple, and seven round trippers. Stowers also batted .275 and collected 32 RBI, with 27 walks.
As Aberdeen promoted players, they received new additions as well, adding outfielders Trevor Hehe and Dylan Harris from Low-A Delmarva.
Kehe played in 26 games, collecting 17 hits and 17 runs during that span, while picking up 16 free passes. Of Kehe’s 17 hits, more than half were for extra bases, including seven doubles, one triple, and two home runs, while collecting 14 RBI. Harris played in three more games than Kehe, collecting two more hits. Though he scored 12 runs and batted in 15 teammates, he picked up 25 free passes as well. He also collected four extra base hits that included one round tripper and three doubles.
But those two men weren’t the biggest addition for Aberdeen, as they also received the services of the O’s No. 5 prospect, infielder Gunnar Henderson.
Henderson was absolutely raking in Delmarva before his promotion, as he slashed .312/.369/.574 with eight home runs, 39 RBI, 30 runs, and five stolen bases in 35 games for the Shorebirds. The kid is only 19 years old, folks… let that sink in.
Speaking of the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds, they welcomed two new players from the Florida Complex in Sarasota, who last registered minor league stats in 2019.
Yorkislandy Alvarez, a shortstop signed out of Cuba, batted .271 in 2019 across 58 games. He collected as many hits as games played, while scoring 42 runs as well. His speed made him a danger on the base baths, as he collected 23 stolen bases, which tinted almost half his hits into a runner in scoring position, and that’s on top of five doubles. His batting eye is keen, as he collected 37 free passes as well.
Lamar Sparks last played in 2019 in the Gulf Coast Rookie League, where he played 36 games, collecting 25 hits and scoring 14 runs. He has a little speed on him, as he stole 14 bases and scored 14 runs that season.
The Orioles system will see moves happening regularly as we build a stronger system that funnels up the the big league club. Be sure to visit your local clubs and take in the future stars of our team, and be on the look out for the next great player to make a name for himself, before we are watching him on television or listening to his name on the radio!
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