Checking in on prospects in fall, winter leagues
With the various fall and winter leagues underway both domestically and internationally, the Orioles have an interesting mix of players participating and getting a little extra baseball in this offseason.
The headliner is outfielder Ryan McKenna, who continues to dominate to the tune of a .373/.484/.647 batting line with nine extra-base hits in the Arizona Fall League. The Orioles’ No. 8 prospect according to Baseball America, the 21-year-old McKenna represented the team at the AFL’s Fall Stars Game on Saturday and is continuing his rise through the organization’s prospect rankings.
But he’s not the only one out there. Here’s a rundown of some of the other notable players who are still in uniform somewhere, and how they’re faring thus
far: Infielder Steve Wilkerson: Wilkerson, 26, entered Tuesday with a five-game hitting streak that helped raise his average in the Arizona Fall League to .292, albeit without a home run or a stolen base for one of the fastest players in the organization.
A candidate for an infield role with the Orioles next season, Wilkerson is making up some of the time lost because of suspension and injury this year. Catcher Martin Cervenka: A minor league Rule 5 draft selection last year after coming up through the Cleveland Indians organization, Cervenka hit .258/.317/.457 with 15 home runs for Double-A Bowie in 2018.
In the AFL, the 26-year-old entered Tuesday batting .211 with four doubles as the Orioles get one last look this month and decide whether to protect him from the major league Rule 5 draft in December. Outfielder Anthony Santander: A 2016 Rule 5 pick who got his 90 days in the majors split between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Santander hasn’t been the power hitter he was earlier in his career since coming to the Orioles.
The 24-year-old had a light year in the minors, and went into Tuesday batting .172 with two doubles in 16 games in an everyday role for Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League. First baseman Wilson García: Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in May, García hit .295 with 23 home runs and an .849 OPS at age 24 for High-A Frederick.
It’s been a tougher time in Venezuela, where he had one hit in 10 at-bats for Cardenales de Lara, and hasn’t played since Oct. 26. Left-hander Chris Lee: Another injuryhit season for Lee, 26, led him back to the AFL, where he went into Tuesday having made five starts with a 2.60 ERA in 171⁄ innings with a 1.21 WHIP.
He’s still not missing a ton of bats, but gets plenty of weak contact and is putting a bit of the shine back on his prospect status after three tough seasons. Right-hander Tanner Chleborad: One of three relievers in the AFL along with Jay Flaa and Tyler Erwin, Chleborad has struck out eight in 91⁄ innings with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP entering Tuesday. Chleborad, 26, is coming off a strong season for Double-A Bowie. Right-hander Diogenes Almengo: A hard-throwing 23-year-old reliever who the Orioles signed after he was let go from the Houston Astros organization, Almengo pitched well for Low-A Delmarva this year.
He went into Tuesday having posted a 1.69 ERA with nine strikeouts against two walks in 102⁄ innings for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic. Right-hander Pedro Araujo: Another former Rule 5 pick, who had elbow soreness that cost him the back-half of this past season, the 25-year-old Araujo threw in Sarasota, Fla., last month and had four scoreless appearances to start off his autumn with Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Republic, though his two outings entering Tuesday have raised his ERA to 3.52.