Wanted to share some of my Orioles scouting reports that I have written for my website. I really could use some feedback from the community here. There me be some grammar errors, sorry about that. They are in order of top 10.

 

1. Brian Matusz: Regarded as the top pitcher in the 2008 class, Matusz was drafted by the Orioles 4th overall. The Orioles organization continued their willingness to spend money in the draft as they need to do this to be a competitive team. Matusz breezed through the minor leagues in 2009, eventually making his MLB debut with the Orioles. He demonstrated elite command in the minors and that should carry over to the major leagues along with his ability to strikeout batters and get ground balls.

Matusz should be a lock to make the Orioles opening day rotation in 2010.  Matusz has potential to be a #1 starter in the MLB and should emerge as the leader of the Baltimore rotation by 2011. He is still eligible as a 2010 rookie and I see him as the front runner for AL rookie of the year.

Scouting: Matusz has a unique set of pitches, not many pitchers come into pro ball with his type of secondary stuff. His curveball is his best pitch and he can command it to both sides of the plate. His change up is also an above average pitch. His fast ball works in the 90-92 mph range, sometimes touching 94 mph. He also has an average slider. He needs to establish his fastball better, in order for his other pitches to work more effectively. He tends to lean away from his fastball at times.

More after the jump.

 

2. Zach Britton: Zach Britton exploded onto the scene with Frederick in 2009. His amazing combination of strikeouts (8.42 K/9 IP) and ground balls (3.40 GO/FO) gives him the ability to get batters out quickly, and use less pitches. He has also improved his strikeout rate every year that he has been in the minor leagues. Britton has decent command at 3.54 BB/9 IP, and keeps the ball in the park, allowing just .39 HR/9 IP while holding opposing batters to only a .238 average.

Britton has the makeup of an excellent big league starter who I compare to Justin Masterson. Britton has the potential of a #2 starter, and I can definitely see him reaching that potential.

Scouting: Britton is known as a ground ball pitcher. His fastball sits in the 88-91 range. He has a nice sinker/slider combo. He gets a lot of ground balls shown by his 3.40 GO/FO ratio this season. He has an inconsistent change up, but it is improving. He needs to improve his command, and throw more strikes. He has a frame to which he could get bigger, which could help his velocity. More in depth report here.

 

3. Jake Arrieta: The 2007 draft was huge for the Orioles’ organization. The Orioles finally decided to spend money on the players they wanted in the draft. The Orioles signed Arrieta to an over slot bonus for $1.1 million. Arrieta throws a great fastball, and also has a curve, slider, and change up in his arsenal. He dominated at Double A Bowie, and got called up to Triple A Norfolk. Arrieta had some rough starts at first, but settled in and finished with a solid 3.93 ERA.

I believed that Arrieta had the chance to be better than Matusz and Tillman, but I do not see that anymore. I think Arrieta will settle in nicely as a #3 starter behind Tillman and Matusz. Arrieta does still have potential to be a front of the rotation starter, but I still see him turning out to be an above average #3 starter.

Scouting: He is currently playing at AAA Norfolk. Arrieta will be the last of the "Big Three" to reach the big leagues. Although he has potential to be the best out of any of the three (Matusz and Tillman). He has a great fastball which he can command which can reach 96-97 MPH. He has a slow big breaking curveball which he needs to work on. His slider could end up being his best pitch and it has lots of potential. His change up should become better as he uses it more. More in depth report here.

4. Josh Bell: Josh Bell came to the Orioles in the trade for George Sherrill. Bell is a switch hitter, power third basemen. Bell has tremendous bat speed from both sides of the plate. Bell struggles against lefties, and tends to lift the ball as a right handed hitter. With Bowie in 2009 Bell hit .353 against righties, but only .143 against lefties. I would like to see bell trying some at bats against lefties, as a left handed hitter. This would tell me if Bell should stick with switch hitting or not.

Bell should make his MLB debut in 2010 with the Orioles. He has a slight chance to make the opening day roster, but I do not see that happening. Bell was just added to the Orioles’ 40-man roster which is a good sign that he will see some MLB playing time this year. Bell has 25-30 home runs power potential with the ability to hit .260-.280 annually.

Scouting: Bell has lots of raw power, and has a nice swing with good leverage.  He uses the whole field. He has some defensive concerns at third due  to his range but does have an above average arm. He has recently been  more dedicated to his career. Bell should turn out to be a middle of  the order bat if he reaches his ceiling. More in depth report here.

5. Brandon Erbe: Brandon Erbe has really become one of my favorite Oriole prospects. I really believe that Erbe will sort out his problems and become a major leaguer. Or should I say problem. Erbe really only has one major problem, which is his command. If he can sort his command out he really has loads of potential and a very high ceiling.

Erbe should start 2010 with Triple A Norfolk, if he performs well there he could be in Baltimore by mid-2010 as a middle reliever. Erbe has the potential to be a #2 started if he can sort out his command issues. He was placed on the 40-man roster for the Orioles.

Scouting: Erbe greatly improved in two back to back years at High A Frederick.  He improved his ERA by almost 2 runs. His change up needs improvement  and is still an average pitch. He has improved his command but still  leaves the ball up evidenced by his 21 home runs given up in 2008. His  fastball can reach the mid 90's but he generally works in the low 90's. His slider should become a plus pitch if he continues to develop it. More in depth report here, and here.

 

6. Brandon Snyder: Brandon Snyder started the 2009 season ripping up Double A pitching. He earned a call up to Triple A, his hot hitting from Double A did not carry over to Triple A. Snyder hit 10 home runs in 201 at-bats with Bowie (AA) but only 2 home runs in 262 at-bats with Norfolk (AAA). Snyder is in the AFL right now and is hitting very well there.

Snyder should see big league time in 2010 with the Orioles. I see Snyder as an average MLB first basemen for the future. Although, most see him as a good backup.

Scouting: Snyder has the ability to hit for average but last year was when he first showed good power. He had 33 doubles and 13 home runs. This year  he lit up Double A Bowie but is struggling a but at Norfolk. He is an  average runner, but has no real position. He is at first now but he is  below average there. He needs to put as much work into fielding as hitting.

7. Brandon Waring: Brandon Waring has received a lot of hype since coming to the Orioles from the Reds. I am not as high on him as others are. He was very old for the Carolina League at 23 years old. He displayed plus power, mashing 26 home runs with Frederick. Waring could be the first basemen of the future if Brandon Snyder does not pan out.

Waring should start 2010 with Bowie, where he had some success in a short 2009 stint. Waring has potential to be an above average major league first basemen, but I do not see that happening. But I will hope.

Scouting: Waring generates good bat speed but has a long swing, which leads to lots of strikeouts. He has tons of power. He has 25 home runs this year for High A Frederick. He tends to chase pitches out of the zone which also leads to more strikeouts. Waring has played some first and may end up moving to an outfield corner due to lack of range at 3B. He is a below average runner. His power is something that the Orioles need. More in depth report here.

8. Matt Angle: Matt Angle has played very well since the Orioles drafted him, displaying speed and advanced plate discipline. Angle plays excellent defense, using his speed to his advantage. He has a really good understanding of the strike zone, he only struck out 72 times in 478 ABs with Frederick (%15).

Angle has the potential to be a Scott Posednik type player in the MLB. He should start next season with Bowie, as he got a late call up there in 2009.

Scouting: The main thing about Angle is his plus speed. He steals bases and uses his speed in the outfield, he is a great defensive center fielder. He uses the whole field and has a nice short swing. He needs to improve his OBP to make up for his lack of power. He has good patience at the plate

9. Caleb Joseph: Forgotten behind Matt Wieters, Caleb Joseph has emerged as a very good prospect himself. Joseph demonstrated excellent power with Frederick, and steadily improved his defense. Joseph is exceptional at working with pitchers and calling games.

With Matt Wieters penciled in as Baltimore’s starting catcher for years to come, Joseph could make an excellent backup. Joseph does have the potential to start in the MLB, so the Orioles could use him as trade bait.

Scouting: Joseph is a great hitter, and shows potential for good power. There are concerns that he is too small to play catcher. He may have to bulk up a bit if he wants to stay at the position. He is good at working with pitchers, and has good hands and is also bilingual. He should be a pretty good backup catcher if not a decent starter.

10. Luis Lebron: Luis Lebron dominated during 2009. He was a strikeout machine and just had control problems. I am perhaps a little bit high on Lebron, but he is a great reliever. Lebron is a true power pitcher, perfect for a future spot in the Orioles bullpen. I wrote an article on Lebron about 2 months ago, to check it out click here.

Lebron should start 2010 with Triple A Norfolk. I definitely see him getting time in the majors, as long as he stays healthy. Lebron has the potential to be a closer in the MLB, but a set up man is more likely.

Scouting: Lebron is a hard throwing righty from Dominican Republic, he has an excellent fastball, and a good change up and slider. He repeats his delivery consistently and has very good mechanics. He was signed in 2004 as a free agent and has had a rough time in the minors, but he is finally putting everything together. I have not been able to watch him yet so I do not have much scouting on him. But, he gets tons of strikeouts and could be the Orioles’ future closer, or a very good set up man. More in depth report here.

 

A few others not in my top 10 that I wanted some input on:

 

Cameron Coffey: I project Coffey as a front of the rotation starter, if he comes back healthy from Tommy John Surgery. Coffey had surgery on March 19th. The Orioles considered Coffey to be second round talent, and they got him in the 22nd round. Coffey has fastball that sits in 90-92 mph range, sometimes touching 94-95 mph. His velocity drops as he goes deeper into games. He is 6’4”  and left handed, with strong build and a nice frame. His change up is his best pitch, and it has some good tumbling action on it. He struggles to throw a slider right now. He struggles to find the right release point when throwing his slider.

He tends to overthrow a bit on fastballs, but reducing his stride could help that problem. His arm does generate very good arm speed, which allows him to throw that 90-92 mph fastball. Coffey did not get to play pro ball in 2009, but he should come back healthy in 2010 ready to play.

 

Mychal Givens: Some people thought the Orioles’ would draft Givens as a pitcher. The Orioles’ want him to be a shortstop. Givens has been clocked at up to 97 on the radar gun, but only in short bursts. He pitches from a side arm angle at mid 90’s which is effective in high school, but in the pros it would most likely restrict him to being a reliever. At shortstop Givens is a great defender he has a good arm with a quick release, he also has plus range.

He is not very smooth at shortstop but has a quick first step. His speed is around a 60 on the 20-80 scale, a plus tool. His batting mechanics need a bit of work as he tends to lunge at the ball and is a bit flat footed. His small frame will allow him to only hit for average power at best.

 

Matt Hobgood:

Matt Hobgood showed signs of potential in his time with Bluefield in 2009. He showed rapid improvements as the season progressed. Hobgood had a very good ground ball rate at 1.65 and did not walk many batters. He ended the season with two very good starts and he should start next season at Delmarva as a 19 year old.

Hobgood has the potential to be a front of the rotation starter. Hobgood is hard to project due to his age, and only playing in the Rookie League with Bluefield. His performance next year will give me a better idea of what Hobgood could turn out to be in the future. I am looking forward to see Hobgood in 2010, I expect him to start in Short Season Aberdeen or Class A Delmarva. Check Hobgood’s stats with the link at the bottom.

Hobgood is a hard throwing righty. He has very good mechanics, and tends to throw harder as the game goes on. He throws a hard fastball which can be anywhere in the 90-95 range. He also has a really nice 11-5 curve, he throws it in the 74-79 mph area. Right now his curve and fastball are both plus pitches. He also has a slider which is also a usable pitch, but is a bit slurvy. He does not have a good feel for throwing a change up. If he can add a change up to his group of pitches he has the chance to become a front of the rotation starter.

 

Ryan Berry: Some scouts thought Ryan Berry would go in the first three rounds of the 2009 MLB Draft. The Orioles got him in the ninth round, he dropped due to injury concerns. Berry had an excellent freshman year at Rice, and his sophomore year was disappointing. He responded with an excellent senior year posting a 2.42 ERA. His strikeouts went down from his freshman year (9.2K/9IP) to his senior year (7.5K/9IP). His fastball sits in the 89-92 mph range, and it has some quality movement on it.

He has a plus curveball which is a true out pitch, and he throws it at around 80-83 mph. He can throw it in two grips, a knuckle grip and a spike grip. He has a solid change up in the 82-84 mph range.  He has solid command of all of his pitches.

Poll

Who is the Orioles #2 prospect behind Matusz? (Im assuming everyone agrees Matusz is the #1 O's prospect right now)

21%

Zach Britton

21 votes

35%

Jake Arrieta

35 votes

44%

Josh Bell

44 votes

100 votes | Poll has closed