This article is part of our Minor League Barometer series.
Perhaps no organization has more young talent either in the big leagues or on the cusp of seeing the big leagues than the Orioles. Yes, you read that correctly. Adley Rutschman dazzled on Opening Day while Gunnar Henderson has made third base his own at only 21. The Triple-A squad may be where the true impact will come with high-upside hurlers Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall eventually joining the MLB rotation while hitters Colton Cowser, Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby and Jordan Westburg all top-100 prospects. And that doesn't even include outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who hit .381 with four home runs in spring training, but is likely ticketed for Double-A due to missing significant time earlier in his professional career. Several of the aforementioned prospects should make their premieres at Camden Yards in 2023.
Let's take a look at some other prospects to monitor in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.
UPGRADE
Logan O'Hoppe, C, LAA – A hip injury to Max Stassi opened the door for O'Hoppe, who was dealt last season from the Phillies in exchange for Brandon Marsh. He started on Opening Day for the Halos as has gone 4-for-10 with a homer and six RBI. O'Hoppe belted 26 long balls at Double-A last season, and even had a cup of coffee in the bigs down the stretch. He boasts power and the ability to draw a walk, though he may lose some starts to Matt Thaiss, O'Hoppe should get a chance to operate as
Perhaps no organization has more young talent either in the big leagues or on the cusp of seeing the big leagues than the Orioles. Yes, you read that correctly. Adley Rutschman dazzled on Opening Day while Gunnar Henderson has made third base his own at only 21. The Triple-A squad may be where the true impact will come with high-upside hurlers Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall eventually joining the MLB rotation while hitters Colton Cowser, Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby and Jordan Westburg all top-100 prospects. And that doesn't even include outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who hit .381 with four home runs in spring training, but is likely ticketed for Double-A due to missing significant time earlier in his professional career. Several of the aforementioned prospects should make their premieres at Camden Yards in 2023.
Let's take a look at some other prospects to monitor in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.
UPGRADE
Logan O'Hoppe, C, LAA – A hip injury to Max Stassi opened the door for O'Hoppe, who was dealt last season from the Phillies in exchange for Brandon Marsh. He started on Opening Day for the Halos as has gone 4-for-10 with a homer and six RBI. O'Hoppe belted 26 long balls at Double-A last season, and even had a cup of coffee in the bigs down the stretch. He boasts power and the ability to draw a walk, though he may lose some starts to Matt Thaiss, O'Hoppe should get a chance to operate as the top catcher for the Angels at least until Stassi returns. If he continues to rake, the club may have a difficult time keeping him out of the lineup.
Hunter Brown, P, HOU – This could have been the resurrection of Forrest Whitley or the impressive spring by Justin Dirden, but Brown begins the year in the Houston starting rotation and offers the best chance of making an immediate impact. He briefly pitched in a hybrid role last season posting a 0.89 ERA and 22:7 K:BB across 20.1 innings while opposing batters only hit .205 against in seven appearances - including two starts. Brown also induced a lot of ground balls, sporting a 2.60 GO:AO. Now ticketed for the starting rotation to begin the season, the Astros have extremely high hopes for him as he's emerged as one of MLB's top pitching prospects.
Tanner Bibee, P, CLE – The news Bibee would begin the year in Triple-A while fellow phenom Gavin Williams would start at Double-A was slightly surprising. Williams is viewed as the higher-upside hurler, but this configuration appears to indicate Bibee will likely hit the bigs first. Between High-A and Double-A last season, the 24-year-old righty posted a 2.17 ERA and 167:27 K:BB over 132.2 innings. The polished collegian has always displayed stellar control, but he gained some ticks on the radar gun and his slider has become a wipeout pitch. Add in a solid changeup and "show-me" curveball, and Bibee's stock certainly appears to be on the rise.
Joey Wiemer, OF, MIL – Wiemer is a toolsy outfielder who didn't make the Opening Day roster for the Brew Crew, but quickly got the call after an injury to Luis Urias. He's compiled two-straight campaigns of at least 20 homers and 30 steals in the minors. And so far, Wiemer has gone 2-for-7 with a run in his first two appearances in Milwaukee. He's battled strikeout concerns having fanned over 100 times in each of the past two seasons, though his power/speed combination makes him an intriguing neophyte - especially if he can produce a decent batting average.
CHECK STATUS
Hayden Wesneski, P, CHC – Shipped to the Cubs for reliever Scott Effross last season, Wesneski impressed in six appearances for Chicago last season by posting a 2.18 ERA and 33:7 K:BB in 33 innings. And he's currently listed as the Cubs' fifth starter to start 2023. Wesneski's slider has incredible horizontal break, while a sinker may be his best pitch and his delivery is deceptive. While his fastball sits in the low-90's, it plays up due tndo his motion as well as the quality of his off-speed pitches. Wesneski may not have the profile of a frontline rotation anchor, but his floor is extremely high and his ceiling is likely that of a No. 3 starter.
Elly De La Cruz, SS, CIN – One of the top prospects in the game, De La Cruz strained his hamstring in spring training and will be sidelined for at least another week or two. He was unlikely to make the MLB roster out of camp anyway, but his health will be of paramount importance. There will certainly be no rush for De La Cruz as the Reds aren't expected to contend this season. He was simply sensational in 2022 hitting .304 with 28 home runs and 47 steals in 120 games between High-A and Double-A, and should start the year in Triple-A. De La Cruz is an athletic freak whose only downside appears to be his lack of patience at the dish. The biggest jump is always between Triple-A and the bigs, so it will be interesting to see how he fares against the best pitchers in the world with their off-speed pitches.
Josue De Paula, OF, LAD – De Paula has been a chic pick for a helium-type prospect as the 17-year-old torched the competition in the Dominican Summer League in 2022. The 6-3 neophyte is still more of a projection than anything else at this point, but he was born in Brooklyn and is cousins with Stephon Marbury, so the athletic genes appear to run in the family. De Paula is a sweet-swinging lefty who remains several years away from making an MLB impact. However, he boasts significant power projection in his left-handed stroke, some speed and the ability to hit for average. De Paula is a prospect to watch in the Dodgers organization.
Brandon Pfaadt, P, AZ – Pfaadt led the minors in strikeouts and innings pitched last season with the former Division II hurler posting a staggering 218:33 K:BB across 167 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He mainly pounds the strike zone with a fastball/slider/changeup combination. Given his penchant for throwing strikes, Pfaadt can sometimes get in trouble with the longball having allowed 28 in 29 starts during 2022. However, he managed to limit the overall damage en route to a 3.83 ERA. Pfaadt should make his debut for the Diamondbacks in the newt few months, though he'll have to prove he can fool upper-level hitters and induce weak contact since he just allowed four homers in his first start of the season at Triple-A Reno on Sunday.
DOWNGRADE
Cade Cavalli, P, WAS – We'll do a little housekeeping here in terms of injured prospects with Cavalli undergoing Tommy John surgery and will be sidelined into 2024. He starred at Triple-A last season before his MLB debut, which unfortunately resulted in a shoulder injury. Cavalli came back this spring and appeared headed for a rotation slot with the Nats, only to injure his elbow. He'll turn 25 this August, meaning he'll be close to 26 when he officially get back on the mound. Some more patience will need to be exercised until Cavalli's return.
Eguy Rosario, 3B, SD – Rosario fractured his ankle in February and will miss at least half of the season. He only managed six plate appearances for the playoff-bound Padres in September after slashing .286/.366/.506 with 22 homers, 81 RBI and 21 steals in 124 games at Triple-A. Another factor working against Rosario is the Padres' infield depth with Manny Machado at third, Jake Cronenworth at first, and a bevy of potential middle infielders - including the currently suspended Fernando Tatis, who has shifted to outfield due to the glut. In other words, even a healthy Rosario may be ticketed for either the minors or an extremely small-time role with San Diego's current incarnation.
Drew Waters, OF, KC – It could be now or never for Waters, who was unable to live up to the hype as a member of the Braves organization and is now 24 on a rebuilding squad. He also suffered an oblique injury in February, and will miss the start of the year. Waters performed well at Triple-A after coming over to the Royals organization last season by slashing .295/.399/.541 with seven home runs, 17 RBI and 13 steals over 31 games. He parlayed that into a brief stint with Atlanta where he batted .240 with five homers and 18 RBI from 32 games. The additional power has been a nice addition, though Waters has experienced some issues making contact and also battled strikeout problems throughout his time in the minors.
