Orioles Prospect Report - October 2022

[Orioles]

3 guys from the O's 2021 draft class popped up on BA "breakout" lists this week.

From BA's Oct 14 article 12 Breakout Pitching Prospects For The 2022 Season...

Griff McGarry, RHP, Phillies

Dating back to his time as an amateur there was no doubting the quality of McGarry’s stuff. His ability to command the baseball, well, that’s another story. A highly decorated recruit who attended Virginia, McGarry showed flashes of dominance throughout his college career but his strike-throwing was so poor that his opportunities to start for the Cavaliers had all but dried up by the spring of 2021. Selected in the fifth round by the Phillies, McGarry proved to be a wise selection as he performed well initially out of the draft. Assigned to High-A Jersey Shore out of camp in 2022, McGarry would eventually team up with fellow top pitching prospects Andrew Painter and Mick Abel to form a formidable trio for first Jersey Shore and later Double-A Reading. Blessed with some of the best pure stuff in the minor leagues, McGarry throws five different pitches, but everything plays off of his premium fastball. Sitting 95-96 mph and touching 99 mph at peak with ride and a flat vertical approach angle, McGarry’s fastball is extremely difficult for hitters to barrel. He’ll mix in a variety of shapes with his secondaries including a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. While McGarry has significant relief risk he has the quality of stuff that can play in a variety of roles for the Phillies in the short term, with the ability to develop into a high-octane five-inning starter or a shutdown reliever.


From BA's Oct 20 article Breakout Prospect Hitters For The 2022 Minor League Season...

James Wood, OF, Nationals

Entering the early period of the 2021 draft cycle, the imposing slugger from Maryland was one of the top players in the prep class. Unfortunately, struggles with swing and miss later on in the showcase circuit and during his high school season with IMG Academy (Fla.) depressed his draft stock. He fell to the Padres in the second round where they were more than happy to reward Wood with an over-slot bonus of $2 million. Wood rewarded their faith by impressing on the complex post draft, hitting .372/.465/.535 over 26 games. Assigned to Low-A Lake Elsinore out of camp in 2022, Wood took the California League by storm, hitting .337/.453.601 with 10 home runs, despite two stints on the injured list due to a lingering wrist injury. Wood was traded as a part of the deal that sent Juan Soto to the Padres, and Wood picked up where he left off with his new team, hitting .293/.366/.463 with a pair of home runs over 21 games.

Carson Williams, SS, Rays

A two-way talent from the California prep ranks, Williams broke out at the 2020 World Wood Bat Association World Championships in Jupiter, Fla, hitting .400 over the course of tournament play. He continued to impress the following spring, hitting .506 for Torrey Pines (Calif.) High while facing some of the country’s toughest high school competition. He made his professional debut during complex play over the summer of 2021 and was assigned to Low-A Charleston to begin this season. With the RiverDogs, Williams showcased plus in-game power and a more patient on-base-driven approach at the plate this season. His production both from a power perspective and his underlying exit velocity data point to a potential middle-of-the-order power hitter at peak. His exit velocity data would already be above-average at the major league level and is in the top 1% of players 19 years of age or younger. He struggled with contact at times this season but does not swing himself into outs with bad chase swings outside the zone. If Williams can make improvements as a contact hitter in the coming years his foundation of power and on-base ability could blossom. Defensively, he’s a plus shortstop with a 70-grade throwing arm, giving Williams all the supporting skills he’ll need to earn opportunities in the big leagues one day.