We are officially done with the month of July, and it was by far the most difficult month to construct the different prospects of the month.
So many prospects went crazy in July, and that just continues to prove that the Orioles have the top farm system in the MLB. Without further ado, here are your July Prospects of the Month.
LOW-A DELMARVA: DEIVY CRUZ – RHP
It’s hard to believe that this is the first time Deivy Cruz has been mentioned as a Prospect of the Month because his time with Delmarva has been solid. But his month of July was maybe his best month since becoming an O’s prospect.
Cruz pitched in four games and went 2-1 with an ERA of one in 18 innings pitched. He gave up 11 hits, two earned runs, gave up one home run, walked four batters and struck out 17. He also had a 0.83 WHIP, held batters to a .180 average and pitched a complete game.
Cruz has now pitched in 18 total games this year and is 7-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 71.1 innings pitched. He has done a wonderful job holding batters to a .207 average and even at 19 years old shows that he could be an asset in the future of the organization.
Honorable Mentions: Jared Beck RHP, Moisés Chace RHP, Luis De León LHP, Samuel Basallo C
HIGH-A ABERDEEN: MAX WAGNER – INF
Max Wagner is finally starting to break out this season, and it’s been a long time coming. The second-round pick just last year has looked very average in his short career, but his month of July finally gave him that little push over the edge to show his true potential.
Wagner only played in 14 games but slashed .328/.373/.475 with a .848 OPS. He had 20 hits, three doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs. He also had four walks, struck out 19 times and stole four bases on five attempts.
Wagner has a season where he carries a .776 OPS and has 10 home runs, 68 total hits and has stolen 25 bases. The right-handed infielder looks to have a promising future and will have to continue to fight his tail off to continue his journey to the majors with many infield prospects ahead of him.
Honorable Mentions: Maxwell Costes INF, Daniel Lloyd RHP, Silas Ardoin C
DOUBLE-A BOWIE: NOLAN HOFFMAN – RHP
Before the season started, I constructed an article talking about the bullpen arms used during the 2023 spring training season. In that article, I spoke very highly of Nolan Hoffman, saying that we could see a great reliever in the making with the correct coaching. I still stand by that comment with every bone in my body.
Hoffman pitched in six games and went 1-1 with a 0.93 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched in July. He gave up four hits, one earned run, walked seven batters and struck out seven. He also had a 1.14 WHIP, held batters to a .129 average and grabbed a save and a hold.
Hoffman’s season has been streaky, to say the least. But coming into the season, the big thing about Hoffman was the difference in his arm slot when he releases the ball from the mound and how hard it would be for batters to pick up. Hoffman has batters at a .271 average and is currently carrying a career-high 3.86 ERA in 30.1 innings of work.
Honorable Mentions: Billy Cook OF, Alex Pham RHP, Carlos Tavera RHP, Jackson Holliday INF
TRIPLE-A NORFOLK: JOEY ORTIZ – INF
Norfolk was the most difficult decision when it came to figuring out the Prospect of the Month. Four players hit .300 or better. One pitcher had a really good first month with Norfolk as well. The decision came down to one thing, who was more versatile for the entirety of the team.
Joey Ortiz played in 23 games in July and slashed .355/.396/.548 with a .944 OPS. He had 33 hits, seven doubles, one triple, three home runs and tallied 16 RBIs. He also walked seven times and stole five bases in eight attempts.
Ortiz now has an OPS at .969 and carries an average of .347. He also has been a hits machine, with 82 on the season. Ortiz is still one of the best infield prospects that the Orioles have and has shown that he is MLB ready.
Honorable Mentions: Connor Norby INF, Chayce McDermott RHP, Kyle Dowdy RHP, Ryan Watson RHP
BEST OVERALL PROSPECT: DYLAN BEAVERS – OF
The overall best prospect for the month of July was safely between two different outfielders. The battle between Dylan Beavers and Heston Kjerstad was so close. In the end, Beavers is who I think had an overall better month and proved that he was the best prospect in July.
In 20 games at High-A Aberdeen, Beavers slashed .397/.494/.691 with a 1.185 OPS and collected 27 hits, six doubles, one triple, four home runs and 18 RBIs. He also had 16 walks and stole five bases in seven attempts.
Beavers has been one of the best outfield prospects for the Orioles and was recently promoted to be a part of the Double-A Bowie Baysox this past Tuesday. He now has a .832 OPS and has 85 total hits on the season, with nine home runs, 26 doubles and 22 stolen bases.
Honorable Mention: Heston Kjerstad OF
Which O’s prospect stood out to you in July? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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