*Each affiliate had a shortened week due to rain-outs*
Position Player of the Week: Henry Urrutia – OF
.421/.451/.579 (8/19) with 3 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K (AA)
Urrutia just will not stop hitting. He has been a force at Bowie. I was finally able to see him in person this weekend, and he was impressive. While I think it is important to keep in mind that Urrutia is 26 and probably does not have too much projection left, he still could help at the major league level. He has a big, wiry frame that might have a little room for growth. I’m not sure how much, but I could see some muscle being added. At the plate, Urrutia has your typical open stance, keeping his hands high. He has minimal movement at the plate, reminding me of players such as L.J. Hoes and Nick Markakis. He displays some sneaky pop in the bat, and hit a few balls to the warning track. He looks to still have some trouble on change ups, but that is understandable after the long layoff.
Starting Pitcher of the Week: Mike Wright – RHP
1 GS, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K (AA)
Wright is the one starter in the minors that I have seen the most. When on his game, he is pounding the lower half of the zone with his fastball while missing bats and getting ground balls. From what I have heard this season, he has kept the ball up in the zone too much, which is usually a disaster for any pitcher that relies on natural sink. This week, Wright kept his 92-94 mph fastball low. I love Wright on the mound, and almost wish he took even more of a bulldog approach. When he is attacking hitters, he is at his best. Overall, Wright seems to finally be rebounding and turning the page at Bowie.
Relief Pitcher of the Week: Clay Schrader – RHP
1 G, 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K (AA)
For some reason, many have seemingly forgotten about Schrader this season. However, his stuff is still electric. I attended the Baysox game on Saturday night, and Clay was working it. His fastball had deception against RHH, with solid life and movement. Add along that he can pump his fastball in consistently 93-95 MPH, and you have a pitcher worth getting excited for. I’ve seen Schrader pitch on many occasions, good and bad. That night he was terrific, really finding his groove and attacking hitters. He is an exciting reliever, and the Orioles seem to be taking their time with him. He has command issues and they can often overtake his entire game. He’s probably going to need refinement in that area before making the majors, but I don’t think he is too far off.
Other Notables:
Nik Balog – DH/1B – (A) .600/.625/.667 (9/15) with 1 2B, 3 K
Adrian Marin – SS – (A) .385/.500/.462 (5/13) with 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Jerome Pena – 2B – (A+) .333/.367/.810 (7/21) with 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K
Jonathan Schoop – SS/2B – (AAA) .323/.323/.516 (10/31) with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 K
L.J. Hoes – OF – (AAA) .348/.500/.391 (8/23) with 1 2B, 1 RBI, 6 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
Josh Hader – LHP – (A) 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 9 K
Matt Hobgood – RHP – (A) 1 G, 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Dennis Torres – RHP – (A) 1 G, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Eduardo Rodriguez – LHP – (A+) 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Kevin Gausman – RHP – (AA) 1 GS, 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K
Jason Gurka – LHP – (AA) 1 G, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Chris Jones – LHP – (AAA) 2 G, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Tucker Blair was born and raised in the Baltimore area and currently lives in Elkridge, Maryland. He graduated from York College of Pennsylvania with a B.S in Entrepreneurial Studies and is currently a Project Analyst for a Management Consulting Firm in Federal Hill, Baltimore. Tucker was previously the Managing Editor at Orioles Nation, where he worked on prospect lists, reports, and analysis on the Orioles minor league system. He also previously wrote his personal blog, The EntreprenOriole.