Kevin Goldstein, who follows the top talent in the minor leagues for Baseball Prospectus, obviously knew all about Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold and Chris Tillman.
But it still took him a bit by surprise to hear this season from so many scouts who planned to go to a place the Orioles hadn't exactly been stocking with top-notch talent in recent years.
"They all were excited to go to Bowie," Goldstein said, referring to the Bowie Baysox, the Orioles' Double-A affiliate. "Bowie turned into this prospect destination. That was a real nice team there. I think the Orioles' system is way up. Between the Erik Bedard trade and being able to draft and pay Matt Wieters, that system is much better than it was a year ago."
When Andy MacPhail was hired as the Orioles' president in June 2007, he said his focus would be on scouting and player development, areas where the organization has received severely low marks during its now 11-year losing skid. A Baseball America study done last year ranked the Orioles 28th out of 30 major league teams in player development. The report made enough of an impact on MacPhail that he kept a copy in his briefcase.
Fifteen months into MacPhail's tenure, the Orioles' minor league system has made significant improvements, according to prospect analysts. Wieters, a switch-hitting catcher the Orioles drafted fifth overall in 2007 and paid a franchise-record $6 million signing bonus, tore up Single-A and Double-A in 2008, his first professional season, and is considered one of the game's best prospects.
Tillman, a 20-year-old acquired as part of the five-player package from the Seattle Mariners for Bedard, has established himself as the organization's top pitching prospect. Tillman joins Brian Matusz, this year's first-round pick, Jake Arrieta, Brandon Erbe, David Hernandez, Zach Britton and Brad Bergesen, giving the Orioles a group of pitching prospects that Goldstein said is among the best in baseball.
"Tillman looks like a guy with refinement that could be a No. 2 starter, and they have a truckload of guys that also project as big league starters," Goldstein said. "That's a great projection to have. If everything works out, they could have the whole future rotation in the minor league system. Starting pitching-wise, they're up there with the top third of baseball."
