It’s that time of year again. The minor league season is over, and the Arizona Fall League is about to get back underway.
The Oriole are sending eight players and pitching coach Forrest Herrmann to be a part of the Mesa Solar Sox team, and the players have some big shoes to fill after last year.
Last AFL season, Orioles top prospect Heston Kjerstad was the 2022 AFL MVP, and he put together a legendary season.
Let’s now look at the nine players that will participate in the AFL this year and show you how they performed during the 2023 minor league season.
Carter Baumler – RHP
Carter Baumler did not get to participate a lot in the 2023 minors season, as he unfortunately started on the 60-day IL and didn’t make his first rehab appearance until July.
Baumler did pitch in seven games and carried a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings pitched. He gave up 10 hits, six earned runs, nine walks and struck out 21 batters and held batters to a .164 batting average.
https://x.com/BSLOnTheVerge/status/1665046305121419267?s=20
Trey McGough – LHP
Trey McGough is another player that started the 2023 season on the 60-day IL and came back later in the year than Baumler in August.
McGough also had a solid 2023 MiLB season despite the injury stint to start, as in seven games, he carried a 3.05 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched. He gave up 12 hits, seven earned runs, walked 11 batters and struck out 22.
https://x.com/BSLOnTheVerge/status/1648143652298915842?s=20
Carlos Tavera – RHP
Carlos Tavera had an up and down first season with the Double-A Bowie Baysox. The 24-year-old out of the University of Texas pitched in 23 games and carried a 3-7 record with a 4.86 ERA in 79.2 innings pitched.
Tavera allowed 70 total hits, 43 earned runs, walked 58 batters and struck out 89. The right-hander had a better overall season in 2022 but was still reliable in 2023, and that should carry over to the AFL season and bring him back stronger.
https://x.com/BSLOnTheVerge/status/1682008705728929797?s=20
Peter Van Loon – RHP
A friend of The Baltimore Battery, right-hander Peter Van Loon had a down year compared to his historic 2022. But that doesn’t mean that he is going to decline anytime soon.
Van Loon carried a 6.04 ERA in 53.2 innings pitched for the Baysox in 2023 and gave up 57 total hits, 36 earned runs, walked 23 and struck out 70. Batters hit .271 against the 24-year-old, who had a WHIP of 1.49 on the year. This AFL season will help Van Loon get back to that ace standard he had last season.
https://x.com/BSLOnTheVerge/status/1672235558549049344?s=20
Connor Pavolony – C
It’s unfortunate to say that Connor Pavolony really struggled in 2023 to the point he got placed to the developmental list.
The University of Tennessee alumni played in just 27 games and slashed .136/.262/.193 with an OPS of .455. He collected just 12 hits, two doubles, one home run and four RBIs. Pavolony, 23, will use his time in the AFL to help get his groove back for the 2024 season.
https://x.com/OsPlayerDev/status/1702119622563000701?s=20
T.T. Bowens – INF
T.T. Bowens didn’t have the great year that he did in 2022. He played in 59 games and slashed .224/.312/.385 with a .697 OPS.
He tallied 46 hits, nine doubles, eight home runs and 19 RBIs. He also walked 24 times and struck out 75. Bowens is a great defensive first baseman and could really use the AFL to work on his swing.
https://x.com/BSLOnTheVerge/status/1661876583198609408?s=20
Billy Cook – UTI
Probably the best player in the Orioles farm system to go to the AFL, Billy Cook has the best chance to repeat what Kjerstad did in the 2022 AFL season.
Cook played in 120 games for Bowie and slashed .251/.320/.456 with a .776 OPS. He had 112 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, 24 home runs and 81 RBIS. He also had 42 walks and stole 30 bases and placed himself into the history books with a 20-20 season.
https://x.com/OsPlayerDev/status/1699607097615224919?s=20
John Rhodes – OF
The final player to talk about is John Rhodes, who many thought would be in the AFL last year. Rhodes had a decent 2023 season, as in 108 Bowie games, he slashed .228/.323/.422 with a .745 OPS.
Rhodes had 93 hits, 22 doubles, three triples and 17 home runs. He also corrected 69 RBIs and walked 53 batters. Rhodes is someone that the Orioles highly believe in for the future, and the AFL could really help give him have that final push.
https://x.com/OsPlayerDev/status/1691984111034941469?s=20
As of this writing, it has not been announced if the AFL will be able to be watched on television or streaming in any way outside of being in attendance. Last year, it was one or two games that you could watch, but fans can follow along on the AFL website and social media.
Which O’s prospect are you most looking forward to seeing in the Arizona Fall League this year? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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