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TODAY: Monday, May 15
Orioles minor-league report
By John Sickels
Special to ESPN.com

System overview
The Orioles farm system is in better condition than it was four or five years ago, when it was among the worst in baseball. Baltimore actually has a group of decent prospects, especially at the lower levels, and a 1999 draft class that looks good so far. But this remains an organization with a lot of problems. Some Orioles fans refer to the front office as the "Brain Rust," due to the Angelos family's obsession with bringing in "proven veterans."

Baltimore was forced by necessity to give a few young pitchers a chance last year, with Sidney Ponson doing decent work in the rotation. Jason Johnson also showed potential. But the Orioles did everything they could to keep talented hitter Calvin Pickering from playing, keeping him on the bench or in the minors in favor of proven mediocrities like Derrick May. Even when they did play a youngster, they picked the wrong ones. Baltimore anointed overrated hacker Ryan Minor as the successor to the injured Cal Ripken, while pushing talented-but-raw lefty Matt Riley to the majors ahead of schedule, with poor results in both cases.

The problem with the Orioles isn't so much a lack of talent. It is, rather, an inability to properly deploy the talent they do have.

1999 Minor League W-L Percentage: .480 (ranked 28th)

1999 amateur draft
The Orioles, thanks to free agent defections, had seven picks in the first and supplemental first rounds of the draft. They used this windfall to restock the system, with good early results.

The first pick was Mike Paradis, a right-hander from Clemson. He hits 94 mph and is expected to move through the system rapidly. The second pick was Richard Stahl, a lefty from high school in Georgia with a 95-mph fastball. He'll take longer than Paradis to develop, but has a higher ceiling.

Next on the list was Ball State outfielder Larry Bigbie, a very athletic outfielder with good power. Following him was Keith Reed, a Providence outfielder. Like Bigbie, Reed has good tools, especially power. Then came Josh Cenate, a lefty from high school in West Virginia. He doesn't throw that hard yet, but is projectable and knows how to pitch. Next was Scott Rice, another projectable high school lefty, from California. And finally, Brian Roberts, a polished shortstop from South Carolina, rounded out the class. The Orioles picked a good mixture of high school and college talent, refilling the system very nicely. And that's just the first few guys.

Other draftees to watch include Eric Bedard, a sixth-round pick out of Norwalk CC in Connecticut who pitched well in his debut, and 23rd-round Southern Illinois-Edwardsville right-hander Aaron Rakers, who was brilliant in the Sally League after signing.

Top prospects
1) Matt Riley, LHP: Lefty with 95-mph fastball, curve, and change. Looked tired at the end of the year, and needs to improve his control. An excellent talent, but he was worked hard last year.

2) Jayson Werth, C: Solid athlete with developing defensive skills and a good chance to be a fine hitter.

3) Rick Elder, 1B-OF: Hit .329 with 10 homers and 30 walks in Appalachian League. Solid lefty bat, could develop like Jack Cust in the Diamondbacks system.

4) Calvin Pickering, 1B: 1999 was marred by a shoulder injury and complaints about his weight and defense, but I'm still convinced he will hit if given a chance.

5) Darnell McDonald, OF: Great tools, and he is learning how to use them. Stole 26 bases and drew 61 walks in the Carolina League. Power should come next.

Others of note
Luis Matos, OF: Has good power, above-average speed, and a strong arm. A lot of scouts are very high on him, but he reminds me of Alex Ochoa.

Tim Raines Jr., OF: Has speed and patience like his dad, but not refined yet as a hitter.

B.J. Ryan, LHP: Deserves a bullpen job. Throws 92-95 mph and gets lefties out with a deceptive motion.

John Stephens, RHP: Posted amazing 217/36 K/BB ratio in the South Atlantic League. Doesn't throw hard, but you have to watch someone with a K/BB like that.

Other names to know: Juan Aracena, RHP; Bryan Falkenborg, RHP; Eddy Garabito, 2B; Jesse Garcia, INF; Alex Gordon, OF; Juan Guzman, RHP; Gabe Molina, RHP; Ntema Ndungidi, OF; Roberto Rivera, OF; Jacobo Sequea, RHP; Josh Towers, RHP.

John Sickels is the author of the 2000 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. You can email your questions to him at JASickels@AOL.com.		 


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