BOSTON — The top five players in Triple-A Norfolk's season-opening lineup were some of the most highly regarded young hitters not only in the Orioles organization but in all of baseball.
In nine of the Tides' first 10 games, they topped the batting order as follows:
The decorated bunch began group texting while pitching throughout the International League earlier this year. Norfolk scored nine or more points in seven of the first eight games, highlighted by a 26-point performance against Charlotte on April 3.
The Tides' top five is now down by one, and will likely stay there forever. On Wednesday, Holiday was called up to the big leagues for the first time and made his MLB debut in a 7-5 win over the Orioles and Red Sox at Fenway Park.
“One down, four to go.”
“It was awesome to be able to go over there with them and have an unbelievable Triple-A team and guys that are fun to be around and play with,” said Holiday, a first-time player. He spoke just before a major league game. “We're all rooting for each other, and I can't wait to get them all together in this clubhouse someday.”
Perhaps it's only a matter of time. Baltimore's farm system is churning out young talent at an unprecedented pace, benefiting from smart picks made in the MLB Draft by O's general manager Mike Elias along with his front office and strong player development staff. ing.
The Orioles currently have three former No. 1 overall prospects on their roster: catcher Adley Rutschmann and infielders Gunnar Henderson and Holiday. Outfielder Colton Cowser, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez and infielder Jordan Westberg are also former Top 100 prospects.
We have an incredible pipeline of talented players who also create a fun and friendly culture as they rise through the ranks.
“It's special to see these types of players play like themselves,” Norfolk coach Buck Britton said. “You talk about Adley, you talk about Gunnar, you throw Jackson into the mix, you throw other players into the mix.
“They care about each other, they care about each other's success, and they feel like they have an obligation to make sure they're at the top of their game to elevate the level of play of their teammates as well.”
Gjerstad and Stowers have already gotten a taste of the big leagues, albeit in a small sample size. Both are attracting major league attention.
After a brief 13-game debut stint in the majors last September and October, Gjerstad batted .388 (19 hits in 49 at bats) with four doubles, six home runs, 25 RBIs and 1.5 hits in Triple-A. I'm crying for my comeback. He has a 1.320 OPS in 12 games. The 25-year-old outfielder could be next to join Holiday in Baltimore, especially if the team is looking for a left-handed power bat.
Stowers hit .286 (14 hits in 49 at bats) with 18 RBIs through 11 games with four doubles and six home runs for Norfolk. The 26-year-old outfielder could get another chance in the big leagues in the near future after appearing in 34 games with the O's in 2022 and 14 games in 2023.
If Mayo ends up being called up by the Orioles, that should be a good thing forever. The 22-year-old third baseman/first baseman is currently the highest-ranked prospect on Norfolk's roster. This is mainly due to his bat, with a batting average of .377 (20 for 53 at bats), 4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 8 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.101 in 12 games. He has also improved defensively in one year.
Norby is also not to be missed. The 23-year-old second baseman and outfielder is batting .327 (18 hits in 55 at bats) with four doubles, four home runs, 15 RBIs and a 1.015 OPS.
Keeping track of all of Norfolk's offensive stats can be a daunting task due to the sheer volume. As Holiday noted, he “got in a lot of at-bats” — 42 in 10 games, to be exact — “because he scored a lot of RBIs.”
But Baltimore coach Brandon Hyde is watching from afar, regularly checking box scores, watching video and keeping an eye on the players who could eventually be at his disposal in the big leagues. ing.
“They're all off to a pretty good start,” Hyde said. “To see so many people get so hot that early, especially with numbers like that, I've never seen it like that.”