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This week in the Orioles minors: Honeycutt and Anderson stand out for Aberdeen

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Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Norfolk had signs of life from Coby Mayo, Aberdeen saw last year’s picks do well, and other week 2 highlights.

Each Tuesday on Camden Chat, we look back on the last week of action from the Orioles minor league affiliates, with a particular focus on the performance of players from Camden Chat’s composite top Orioles prospect list.

One belated prospect list was released in the past week. FanGraphs posted a top 50 for the Orioles system. They’ve got some different opinions than the lists that were used for my composite ranking.

Triple-A Norfolk Tides​

  • Last week: 2-4 vs. Gwinnett (Braves)
  • Next opponent: at Omaha (Royals)
  • Overall record and standing: 6-9, tied-fifth place (6 games back) in International League East

Let’s hope that this week heralds the beginning of the Coby Mayo revival, as the slugging prospect shook off a rough start to his season with a pair of home runs across five games played. Mayo added five walks to his tally and only struck out three times. Pretty good! This was a 1.420 OPS for the week, boosting his season number to .861.

Outfielder Jud Fabian got in on the home run party, doing so in very Fabian fashion. He was just 4-21 at the week and struck out 11 times, but three of his four hits were for extra bases, including two dingers, and he walked four times. That’s a lot of the three true outcomes. Fabian is hitting just .216 through 14 games but OPSing .828. Fellow outfielder Dylan Beavers added no extra-base hits, but he had five hits and six walks in six games, plus he stole five bases.

However, it was not a good week for the pitching prospects in Norfolk’s rotation. Righty Cameron Weston made a pair of starts but only pitched 8.1 innings between them. That was still enough time to allow nine runs (eight earned) as he walked five guys and hit two batters. Brandon Young started only once and his start wasn’t very good either, with five earned runs allowed in five innings. If the fact that he struck out six and walked none makes you feel better, don’t let me stop you.

Also notable

  • C Samuel Basallo - Remains on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
  • RHP Kyle Brnovich - The “other” Kyle of the Dylan Bundy deal that brought Bradish to the Orioles is finally back to Norfolk after 2022 Tommy John surgery. In a long relief outing, he allowed one run in four innings, striking out five; Brnovich has 18 strikeouts in 12.2 innings for the season.

Tides season-to-date stats.

Double-A Chesapeake Baysox​

  • Last week: 3-3 vs. Erie (Tigers)
  • Next opponent: at Richmond (Giants)
  • Overall record and standing: 5-4, third place (2 games back) in Eastern League Southwest

The injury bug bit the top Baysox prospect this week. Outfielder Enrique Bradfield raced for a triple in a game this week and came up limping from that. He was diagnosed with a hamstring strain and is on the injured list. He had a 1.032 OPS through his first six games, so it’s a doubly disappointing injury.

Next-most interesting among Chesapeake batters, at least as far as our composite ranking is concerned, is catcher/first baseman Creed Willems, who had a fine if unexciting week at the plate, going 5-18 with three doubles.

In contrast to the Norfolk pitching prospects, some Chesapeake guys can feel good about their outings this week. Patrick Reilly made two starts and allowed only two runs over 8.2 innings, though he did walk four guys. As I will say perhaps every week: Stop walking so many dudes, Orioles pitching prospects! Trace Bright allowed one run (none earned) over 5.2 no-hit innings. That’s good! He walked four guys. That’s not good.

Things did not go so well this week for Zach Fruit, who gave up seven earned runs in a no-outer. Three hits, three walks, and a hit batsman, and they all eventually scored. Yowza.

Also notable

  • RHP Alex Pham - One run allowed in 5.1 innings, and unlike these other guys he did NOT walk too many dudes - just one compared to nine strikeouts. A fine start.
  • OF Tavian Josenberger - Five hits in 17 at-bats, with one double, triple, and home run apiece, and a stolen base.

Baysox season-to-date stats.

High-A Aberdeen IronBirds​

  • Last week:4-2 at Jersey Shore (Phillies)
  • Next opponent: vs. Brooklyn (Mets)
  • Overall record and standing: 5-4, tied-third place (2 games back) in South Atlantic League North

Probably more than a bit premature to call this a breakout week for Vance Honeycutt since he struck out eight times in six games, but make no mistake, this was a very good week for last year’s first round pick: Seven hits in 18 at-bats (double, triple, and homer included), and he drew seven walks, and he stole four bases. Honeycutt’s OPSing 1.004 through nine games played.

Teammate Ethan Anderson - being used more as a catcher than a first baseman so far - is above even Honeycutt’s early OPS. Anderson went 8-21 in five games, with three doubles and a homer. All of that action was enough for him to drive in eleven runs. Really, there was lots to be happy about with this Aberdeen offense: Leandro Arias had eight hits over five games and stole two bases, and Aron Estrada stole five bases while getting in nine hits over six games.

Remaining in this rotation is the trio of Michael Forret, Nestor German, and Trey Gibson. German was the guy who made two starts this week, totaling just 6.2 innings overall with four earned runs allowed. This included four walks. I refer you to my earlier statement regarding free passes. Gibson’s start went for just 3.2 innings, still enough time for him to strike out seven as he allowed only one run. Forret pitched five shutout innings with five strikeouts. I dig it.

Also notable

  • OF Austin Overn - #4 in the system on that FG list, he missed both games of a Saturday doubleheader and didn’t play Sunday either. That’s weird and probably won’t have good news at the end of it. Homered and stole two bases in the three games he did play.

IronBirds season-to-date stats.

Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds​

  • Last week: 3-3 vs. Fayetteville (Astros)
  • Next opponent: at Carolina (Brewers)
  • Overall record and standing: 3-6, sixth/last place (5 games back) in Carolina League North

I’d really like to be able to tell you something good about Keeler Morfe, the 18-year-old righty who’s the only ranked prospect on our list on this Delmarva roster to begin the season. That’s what I’d like. The reality is that Morfe started one game, pitched one-third of an inning, and walked five guys. Morfe has walked 10 of 15 batters faced in two games.

Much better things to say about Chase Allsup, last year’s fourth round pick. In a five inning scoreless start, Allsup struck out ten guys while giving up just one hit and two walks. The 22-year-old may not have much to prove at this level. Mike Elias isn’t likely to ask me, but I’d have Bright to Norfolk, Forret to Chesapeake, and Allsup to Aberdeen pretty soon here.

Shorebirds season-to-date stats.

**

The overwhelming favorite for the season’s first Orioles Minor League Player of the Week poll was Tides pitcher Brandon Young. He might have made his MLB debut by the time we speak again. Young won 85% of the vote after dropping a 0.00 ERA through his first two starts with Norfolk. He will not be a repeat winner since he stunk this week and is not going to make the poll. Who’s joining him on the list of weekly winners? The choice is yours.
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Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/4/15/24408442/orioles-prospects-vance-honeycutt-chase-allsup
 
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