Tuesday, September 22

Welcome to another edition of the Orioles Beat newsletter. The O’s have two more to play in Kansas City before returning home for a pair of three-game series against the Red Sox and Astros.

There will be plenty of Minor League Baseball played in the Mid-Atlantic region this week.

In a rare scheduling quirk, all four of the Orioles’ Minor League affiliates will be playing at home from Tuesday through Sunday. Typically, at least one of those teams is on the road at any given time, but that isn’t the case for the next six days.

Triple-A Norfolk will be playing Memphis at Harbor Park.

Double-A Chesapeake will be playing Akron at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie.

High-A Frederick will be playing Wilmington at Harry Grove Stadium.

Single-A Delmarva will be playing Wilson at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury.

So, it will be a great opportunity for fans to drive around the region and get some looks at the top players in Baltimore’s farm system, especially while the O’s are still in Kansas City playing the Royals the next two nights.

Here’s a look at one prospect from each affiliate who has gotten off to a hot start this season ...

Triple-A Norfolk: C/1B Creed Willems (O’s No. 17 prospect)

Fresh off participating in his first big league camp in Spring Training, Willems got off to a solid start in his first taste of Triple-A action, hitting .270 (10-for-37) over his first 11 games. The 22-year-old also showed off his impressive power, swatting four home runs during a seven-game span from April 1-11.

The Orioles’ eighth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Willems has a .796 OPS through 17 games. The 22-year-old is quickly proving he can handle the level, while splitting time fairly evenly between catcher (eight games) and first base (six).

Willems could put himself in consideration for a big league callup if he plays like this for several months. But even if he doesn’t reach The Show this year, he’ll be on the cusp of making his MLB debut in 2027.

Double-A Chesapeake: OF Thomas Sosa (O’s No. 18 prospect)

Sosa got a small taste of Double-A late last season, playing 11 games for Chesapeake and hitting .158 (6-for-38) with a .562 OPS. The Villa Mella, Dominican Republic, native returned to the level to begin 2026, and he’s faring much better.

The 21-year-old outfielder is hitting .280 (14-for-50) with an .828 OPS through 12 games. Sosa hasn’t homered since his season debut on April 2, but that should change soon, as his 50-grade power is among his best tools.

Although Sosa isn’t likely to reach the big leagues this year, his strong play could earn him a promotion to Triple-A later this summer.

High-A Frederick: RHP JT Quinn (O’s No. 19 prospect)

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Quinn and fellow 2025 draftee Joseph Dzierwa, a pair of intriguing pitching prospects headlining the Keys’ rotation. They’ve each gotten off to an impressive start in their debut professional seasons, but Quinn has just been dominant.

Through three starts, the 21-year-old right-hander has a 0.64 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP to go with 23 strikeouts and three walks over 14 innings. His lone run allowed came in his pro debut on April 4, as he has tossed 9 2/3 scoreless frames over his past two starts.

Keep an eye on Frederick’s schedule to see when Quinn will pitch this week, because the 2025 Competitive Balance Round B pick is delivering must-watch outings every time he takes the hill.

Single-A Delmarva: INF/OF DJ Layton

Baltimore’s sixth-round pick in the 2024 Draft, Layton hit the first home run of his 54-game professional career on Sunday. It marked the continuation of a strong start to the season for the 19-year-old infielder/outfielder.

After playing 40 games in the Florida Complex League last year, Layton was bumped up to Single-A to open 2026. He’s now hitting .357 (15-for-42) with two doubles, two triples, nine RBIs and a 1.062 OPS in 14 games for the Shorebirds.

It may not take long for Layton to get bumped up to High-A if he keeps posting big numbers.

The NHL playoffs are underway, and the O’s have a timely giveaway coming this weekend.

On Saturday, 20,000 fans will receive an Orioles hockey jersey ahead of the 4:05 p.m. ET matchup vs. the Red Sox at Camden Yards. This has been a popular promotion in the past, so it could be a fan favorite again this year.

Tickets for the game are still available to be purchased at Orioles.com/Tickets. 

“I feel like I’m making good pitches and guys are just putting good swings on them, whether it’s just getting enough of the barrel to find outfield grass somewhere or it’s just not getting good luck now. [The Guardians’] José [Ramírez] just hit two bad pitches [on Sunday]. Good hitters are going to hit bad pitches really far, and you’ve just got to tip your cap and move on. I’ve just got to keep bearing down. I’ve been through this plenty of times before. There’s no need to get emotional. I’ve just got to find a way to minimize those big innings and just keep executing pitches.” -- Left-hander Trevor Rogers, on his difficult two-start stretch for O’s

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