The final full month of Minor League Baseball has come to an end, so we, unfortunately, have our final O’s Prospects of the Month piece of the year.
We have seen some amazing stat lines from top prospects who had impressive months of August. So, without further ado, here is the final edition of the 2024 O’s Prospects of the Month.
Delmarva Shorebirds: Braxton Bragg – RHP
Braxton Bragg was given huge consideration for the overall Prospect of the Month.
In five starts, Bragg gave up just two earned runs and struck out 37 batters, carrying a 0.68 ERA and holding batters to a .182 average. The 23-year-old should be highly considered to be the Orioles’ Minor League Pitching Prospect of the Month and maybe even the Carolina League Player of the Month for his efforts.
Bragg’s season has been very up and down, to say the least. He carries a 3.35 ERA in 23 games, 19 starts and 91.1 innings of work. The right-hander has given up 84 hits and 34 earned runs, has walked 21 batters and has struck out 117.
Aberdeen IronBirds: Nestor German – RHP
Another pitcher who showed out in August was the IronBirds righty Nestor German.
The funny part about the month of August is that it’s usually considered one of the toughest months of any season. That’s really weird, considering German only gave up four earned runs, which showed as a 2.08 ERA in five games. The Seattle native struck out 20 batters while only walking two in five games pitched.
German is in his first season in the pros and is carrying a 1.64 ERA in 19 games, holding batters to a .186 batting average. He has only given up 12 earned runs in 65.2 innings of work and has struck out 77 batters.
German, 22, will almost certainly have consideration for the Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year honor at the conclusion of the season.
Bowie Baysox: Alex Pham – RHP
Are you seeing a trend here? Another pitcher who dominated this month is Alex Pham.
The 24-year-old’s August was almost flawless, as in six starts, he only gave up six earned runs, and that was split between three games. Pham carried a 1.69 ERA in 32 innings for the month and only walked nine batters while striking out 28. The most impressive part was that he held batters to just a .159 average.
Pham has completely turned his season around, as he started the season very rough. He now has a 4.37 ERA in 25 starts and 111.1 innings of work and has given up 54 earned runs, walked 44 batters and struck out 130. He has also held batters to a .222 batting average on the season.
Norfolk Tides: Brandon Young – RHP
August was obviously the month of top pitching prospects, as right-hander Brandon Young is the fourth pitcher named out of the four minor league affiliates.
Young actually had the worst month statistically out of the four pitchers, but a 2.39 ERA in 26.1 innings and five starts will most certainly play. He also struck out 34 batters and walked just six, giving up just seven earned runs.
Young, 26, currently has a 3.57 ERA in 90.2 innings of work and is holding batters to a .226 batting average. The Louisiana-Lafayette product has struck out 116 batters while only walking 30 of them, showing plus command.
Overall Prospect: Samuel Basallo – C
Samuel Basallo put together a killer month of August and was the obvious pick for the best overall prospect.
In 26 games, Basallo slashed .337/.393/.531 with a .924 OPS, collecting 33 hits, seven doubles, four home runs and 18 RBIs between his time with Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He also has walked 10 times and stole two bases in three attempts.
Basallo now has a .813 OPS in 110 games while hitting for a .286 batting average. He he’s posted 119 total hits, 22 doubles, 17 home runs and has knocked in 58 RBIs. He also has shown off some wheels, having nine stolen bases in 14 attempts.
That wraps up this year’s O’s Prospects of the Month series. Which top prospects stood out to you in August? 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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