A look at how each Orioles Minor League affiliate performed to end the 2024 season
*Cover Photo Credit: Kate Kirsch
So, I've been gone for a while as I have readjusted to school life and master's program classes. Now that I feel comfortable with everything, I am ready to write on"Learning To Fly" again. A lot has happened since I was last active on this blog site including the fact that the Minor League season is now officially over. Yes, it has been that long. So, let's take a look at how each team ended their season. This summary recaps the final five weeks of the season.
AAA Norfolk Tides
The Tides ended their season going an even .500 at 12-12. They hit just .212 as a team during the final 15 games of the season, but they surely had some clutch hitting if anything. Orioles No. 6 prospect Dylan Beavers, who was promoted from Double-A Bowie that same week, was responsible for some key game-winning hits in the final series of the season. He collected a walk-off single to win Game 2 of a September 18 doubleheader. He followed that act the next day, September 19, with a go-ahead 2-RBI single in the 7th inning to propell the Tides to an 8-4 win. Former big league veterans JD Davis and Niko Goodrum had walk-off hits in the final five weeks of the season as well. Davis ended Game 1 of the September 18 doubleheader with a walk-off single of his own. Goodrum launched a walk-off grand slam on September 6 with the Tides down by two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning.
Some individuals had great finishes to the season. In 2 starts, southpaw and deadline acquisition Trevor Rogers posted a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 innings with 14 strikeouts and a 1.03 WHIP. Righty Corbin Martin made four relief appearances and did not allow a single run. In a 12-game stretch from September 5 to 19, top catching prospect Samuel Basallo went 14-for-45 (.311) with an .878 OPS and 7 RBI. In addition, the Tides were delighted to welcome beloved Orioles stars Ryan Mountcastle, Ramon Urias, and Jordan Westburg as they began and completed rehab assignments during the final homestand.
The Tides finish the 2024 season going 69-81, good for 9th in the International League East standings. They will not repeat as Triple-A champions as their season is now over and a new champion will be crowned in the coming weeks.
AA Bowie Baysox
The Baysox ended their season going just 5-13 in the final three weeks of the season. In the final week of August, they were swept by the Akron Rubberducks as they could muster just 11 runs in those 6 games combined. In the final 15 games of the season, the team hit just .241 and posted a meager .655 OPS. The offensive blues led to them dropping their final homestand of the season, a 2-4 series loss to the Harrisburg Senators, and splitting the season finale with the Erie Seawolves 3-3. Even amidst the team's combined struggles, some individual bats ended the season on a high note. Orioles No. 4 prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. posted a .724 OPS over the final three weeks of the season and stole 9 bases. No. 22 prospect Creed Willems had a 2-homer game in just his second Double-A game and ended up smashing 4 long balls with 14 RBI and a .492 slugging percentage in 16 games with Bowie to end the year. Dylan Beavers hit .296 with a .933 OPS during Bowie's final 15 games, though his season continued one more week via a promotion to Triple-A Norfolk.
The pitching remained spot on. Opposing hitters could only hit against .217 against Bowit pitching in the final 15 games of the season. During that same span, Baysox pitchers posted a 3.49 ERA and struck out 93 batters while walking just 44 batters. Many Baysox pitchers were on their A game to end the season just like they had been for the entirety of the year. No. 25 prospect Alex Pham posted a 2.55 ERA and a .175 opponents' batting average over his final 4 starts of the season. Dylan Heid's final 11.2 innings of the season saw him allow just one single earned run. No. 15 prospect Pat Reilly struck out an impressive 26 batters over his final 19.2 innings of the season.
The Baysox finish the season going 62-75, good enough for fifth place in the Eastern League.
A+ Aberdeen Ironbirds
The Ironbirds ended their season going 4-8 over their final 12 games of the season. As many fan-favorites like Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Creed Willems made their way out via promotions to Bowie, some new faces from the 2024 draft made their way in. Ethan Anderson, Vance Honeycutt, Griff O'Ferrall, Austin Overn, and Ryan Stafford all made their Ironbirds debuts at the season's end. O'Ferrall went 6-for-20 (.300) with a stolen base, Overn collected two triples and four stole bags, and and Anderson hit .353 with an .862 OPS. The 'Birds continued their running game and they ran themselves into history on the final game of the season. Overn's stolen base in the bottom of the third inning set a new MiLB record for most stolen bases in a single season by a team since 1974. It was the Ironbirds' 361st stolen base of 2024, and they would add two more in the game to put their record total at 363 stolen bases for the season. During the final homestand, the Ironbirds were delighted to welcome back alumni and Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad as he made a brief rehab appearance to work himself back from a concussion. He went 2-for-5 (.400) in two games for the 'Birds.
The Ironbirds were the only Orioles affiliate to finish above .500 this season. They went 67-65, finishing fourth in the South Atlantic League North standings and just barely missing out on a playoff spot.
A- Delmarva Shorebirds
The Shorebirds finished the season going an even .500 at 6-6. There were some high-scoring affairs that made for some exciting offensive explosions to close out the season. In a 12-6 victory on September 5, Â the team put up 16 hits and went 7-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Maikol Hernandez was 3-for-5 with a walk, and Miguel Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Many of those offensive contributors included those same draft picks from the 2024 draft, and they had a short stay in Delmarva as a result (they were eventually promoted to Aberdeen for the final week of the season). In a 10-9 win on August 30 over the Salem Red Sox, Ethan Anderson, Vance Honeycutt, and Griff O'Ferrall collected 2 RBI each while Austin Overn collected a hit, a stolen bag, and 2 runs. Some pitchers had great endings to the season. Blake Money made 3 starts in the final weeks of the season, posting a 2.87 ERA while striking out 20 batters. Jacob Cravey made his final start of the season on September 8, going 4 scoreless innings and allowing only 4 hits.
The Shorebirds finished in last place in the Carolina League North this season. They finished with a record of 58-78.
Comments