Orioles Prospect Report - May 2023

[Orioles]

From the May 10 MLB Pipeline article Here is an encouraging prospect story from each farm system...

Blue Jays: Sem Robberse, RHP (No. 7)

Injuries and slow starts have plagued many of the Jays’ most notable prospects, and that makes Robberse’s solid Double-A performance all the more refreshing. Toronto told the 21-year-old right-hander to add weight to help his velocity, and the results have followed with a 3.64 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings. While Ricky Tiedemann battles a biceps issue and Yosver Zulueta works on control, Robberse has given Jays fans an upper-level starter to get excited about early in 2023.

Orioles: Heston Kjerstad, OF (No. 5/MLB No. 71)

After missing nearly two years of action following a diagnosis of myocarditis, we were all just happy to see Kjerstad back on the field in 2022. When he took home Arizona Fall League MVP honors last year, we were hopeful he could carry that over to a full and healthy 2023 campaign. So far, so good on that front, as the former No. 2 overall pick has made a very smooth transition to Double-A, posting a 1.022 OPS, good for second in the Eastern League.

Pirates: Henry Davis, C (No. 3/MLB No. 49)

A lot of expectations come with being the No. 1 overall pick in the Draft and injuries made it hard for Davis to get in a rhythm in his first full season, especially after he was promoted to Double-A (.703 OPS). He was sent back to Altoona to start this season as the Pirates wanted to make sure he and fellow catching prospect Endy Rodriguez both continued to get a lot of reps behind the plate, but he’s going to force Pittsburgh’s hand soon. After his two-homer game on Tuesday, Davis leads the Eastern League in OPS (1.175), OBP (.464) and SLG (.711) while his .316 average places him sixth. The Pirates are pleased with his progress behind the plate, but it’s that bat that should get him moved up soon.

Padres: Robby Snelling, LHP (No. 5)

Given Snelling’s status as a 39th overall pick last year, expectations for the 19-year-old left-hander were relatively high already, but he’s managing to exceed them with a 0.86 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 21 innings to start at Single-A Lake Elsinore. Snelling’s above-average fastball and plus curveball give him weapons to be a solid starter the higher he climbs, and with Dylan Lesko still working his way back from Tommy John, Snelling’s early returns bring excitement to a San Diego system that could use it.

[Orioles]

From the May 16 article MLB prospect intel: Scouts on Henry Davis, Evan Carter and other news and notes by Zach Buchanan of The Athletic...

Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates, C
Team: Double-A Altoona Curve
Age: 23
Stats: .308/.452/.648, 8 HR, 0.83 BB/K

Scout says: He’s the total offensive package, with the ability to control the strike zone, not strike out a lot and hit the ball really hard. He can handle a lot of different parts of the strike zone. He’s in his legs but I feel like he’s more balanced than preset on the back leg. It’s a fast bat. Some people think it’s more like Evan Gattis, but I think this guy is a better athlete. He’s strong. The work ethic is top of the charts, and if you’re betting on him being a catcher, you’re betting on the makeup getting him there. He needs reps. The actual receiving is rough right now. The blocking is just OK. The throwing is great. It’s a plus or better arm. My guess is there are some hip mobility issues with the way he sits back there. The one-knee-down stuff will help him, but he’s got to move laterally better and receive better. The biggest dilemma the Pirates have is that this is a bat that is probably ready soon, if not now, but the catching might be a year or more away. I did hear that if he got called up, he might play right field, which he’s been doing lately for Altoona.

Carson Williams, Tampa Bay Rays, SS
Team: High-A Frisco Bowling Green Hot Rods
Age: 19
Stats: .278/.363/.567, 6 HR, 0.35 BB/K

Scout says: He’s a loud package of tools. The biggest thing when he went No. 28 in the 2021 draft was that he was known as a very good bet to stick at short and be a good defender, but there were questions about the bat. But he has a lot of power at the plate. It’s a lean frame, but he really impacts the ball. Plus raw power, plus bat speed. He swung and missed a lot last year, but it’s a good swing. He’s not long to the ball and he’s cutting down on the strikeouts. They’re still high but the swing-and-miss is way, way down. He’s likely to continue cutting down his strikeouts because it is a good swing and he’s got a feel for the zone. He looks like a true shortstop, with twitchy, quick actions, good hands and a really good arm. For most people, he’s at the back end of the top 100, but he’ll be well above that. There’s a chance he’s a top-25 prospect in the game next year.