The first half of the MLB season has ended, and instead of naming our O’s Prospects of the Week, we decided to do prospects of the first half to recognize those who shined for the long-term.
It’s understandable that the MiLB first half ended a little over a week ago. But this way, it made more sense scheduling-wise, as MiLB teams don’t play during the All-Star break as well.
With that being said, here are our selections for the O’s Prospects of the First Half.
Delmarva Shorebirds: Aron Estrada – INF / Randy Berigüete – RHP
If you have read about the last three weeks of this series, then you know just how good Aron Estrada has been this season. He has been the most reliable hitter for the Shorebirds, without question.
Estrada played in 77 games and slashed .267/.351/.440 with a .791 OPS. He collected 84 total hits, 15 doubles, three triples and eight home runs and also knocked in 40 RBIs and stole 26 bases in 32 attempts.
Estrada, 19, has been the most impressive prospect to break out this season down on the farm, and if he keeps this consistent play up in the second half, he could quickly become a top 30 prospect for the organization.
On the flip side of things, Randy Berigüete has been absolutely lights out on the mound. The right-handed reliever struggled in 2023, but he has really turned it around this season, to say the least.
In 23 games, Berigüete has a 4-0 record with a 3.03 ERA in 29.1 innings of work. He has given up 22 hits and 10 earned runs, walked 18 and struck out 20. The 21-year-old also has one hold and went 3-for-5 in save opportunities.
Berigüete has already brought his career ERA down six points, as he finished the 2023 season with an ERA over nine. The Dominican native has become the guy to trust out of the pen for the Shorebirds.
Aberdeen IronBirds: Matthew Etzel – OF / Zach Fruit – RHP
The Aberdeen IronBirds have a plethora of household names on their roster, both offensively and on the mound. One of those up-and-coming names on the roster is Zach Fruit.
Across 16 games this first half, Fruit holds a 3.63 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP, with 75 strikeouts in 67 innings. Now, while learning a full arsenal of five pitches that includes a filthy curveball, Fruit has excelled in his appearances.
He has allowed four runs just one time, allowing three or less in his other 15 appearances. Of those 15 of three runs or less, four have been scoreless.
In those 16 starts, Fruit has managed to strike out more than he walked in all but one game, which just happened to be one of his only poor performances this season thus far.
It was a though choice to decide on a position player. In the end, the person who deserved this honor was so good that he earned himself a promotion to Double-A Bowie. This player is none other than 10th-round selection, Matthew Etzel.
In his 51 games in Aberdeen, Etzel notched 158 at-bats, good for a slash line of .306/.379/.478 and a .857 OPS. To go along with this all-around hitting prowess was 40 stolen bases and six home runs, which puts Etzel just under a 40/20 pace, again as a 10th-round pick in his first full pro season.
In his 51 games, Etzel also logged 14 multi-hit games, including three separate three-hit efforts and one four and five-hit game.
Bowie Baysox: Samuel Basallo – C / Dylan Heid – RHP
Samuel Basallo has been an incredible prospect this year and has been the best hitter for the Baysox by far.
In 75 games, Basallo slashed .274/.338/.449 with a .787 OPS and collected 78 total hits, 14 doubles, 12 home runs and drove in 38 RBIs. He also walked 27 times and stole seven bases in 11 attempts.
Basallo was invited to participate in the 2024 MLB Futures Game and has been a top 20 prospect for the entire season. For being just 19 years old, it’s remarkable what he is doing and what he’s accomplished thus far.
The Baysox pitching staff has tons of potential, with names like Trace Bright, Alex Pham and Seth Johnson in Bowie’s rotation. But the best pitcher comes from the bullpen in Dylan Heid.
In 26 games, Heid has a 4-2 record with a 1.08 ERA in 41.2 innings of work and has given up 22 hits and just five earned runs, with 16 walks and 40 strikeouts. He has held batters to a .154 average.
The 26-year-old righty also has two holds and five saves in six attempts. A promotion to Triple-A Norfolk looks imminent for Heid.
Norfolk Tides: Connor Norby – INF /
There will be some grumbles for this, but I also think it will show just how underrated this player is. Connor Norby edged out Coby Mayo for the first half honor partially because of games played (77).
Norby is at or near the top of nearly every offensive category for the Tides this season, leading the team in runs (70), hits (92), games played (77), and at-bats (311).
On the season, the Orioles’ No. 5 prospect has slashed .296/.386/.524/.910 with 16 home runs and 57 RBIs. He has totaled 92 hits, including 21 doubles and one triple, stolen 11 bases and is hitting .386 on balls in play.
The 24-year-old has played just as strong defensively as well, playing left field (23 games), right field ( 19 games) and second base (32 games).
Cade Povich could have taken this pitching distinction if he wasn’t called up to help with the big league rotation. From there, Chayce McDermott took over as the leader of the Norfolk pitching staff.
The 25-year-old has turned in four quality starts in his last eight games while pitching at least five innings in seven of those games. He might have a 3-5 record, but his 3.70 ERA and .218 opponent batting average has been coming down since the first month of the season.
McDermott has totaled 90 innings across 19 games (18 starts) with 128 strikeouts and has won International League Pitcher of the Week twice since the beginning of May.
McDermott leads the Tides in strikeouts (128), ERA (3.70), starts (18), innings (90), WHIP (1.40) and BAA (.218). Developing into a back of the rotation starter, McDermott is getting stronger as the season goes forward.
Which O’s prospects stood out most to you in the first half? 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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