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MLB Pipeline: One prospect each MLB team should call up

By Kelly Thompson

DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - MARCH 06: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during the Grapefruit League spring training game at Dunedin Stadium on March 06, 2019 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - MARCH 06: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during the Grapefruit League spring training game at Dunedin Stadium on March 06, 2019 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Orioles

CLEARWATER, FL – MARCH 24: Ryan Mountcastle (76) of the Orioles walks to the batter’s box during the spring training game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 24, 2019 at the Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLEARWATER, FL – MARCH 24: Ryan Mountcastle (76) of the Orioles walks to the batter’s box during the spring training game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 24, 2019 at the Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Baltimore Orioles are one of several teams on this list going nowhere fast this season. Already at the bottom of a very tough AL East, and six games under .500 at only 22 games into the season. The total team WAR is -3.5 already, so it’s not like any move they make is automatically going to make them contenders. That means we’re looking towards the future.

This decision is made even more difficult because the farm is also so bad. The most MLB-ready prospects in the organization do not really match with what is most valuable or most needed on the big-league roster.

However, the Orioles should call up their highest-ranked AAA prospect and get him on the field. That’s 3B prospect Ryan Mountcastle. He’s a huge infielder at 6-foot-3, and has worked his way up to the 67th-ranked prospect on the MLB’s top 100 list. This season, he’s batting .306, and his numbers look better with his .919 OPS in 16 games for the AAA Norfolk Tides. He was drafted to man third base, but has gotten most of his reps at first this season (14/16 games). In either case, he’s posted a .983 fielding percentage, which indicates he’ll represent a defensive upgrade no matter where he’s lined up. He also has over 150 minor league games at short stop since being drafted in the first round in 2015 by Baltimore.

The biggest questions for the Orioles will be who they send down or designate for assignment, and where Mountcastle will line up day-to-day, but he has to get on the field. The best choice would probably to be to slot him into first and make a choice between Chris Davis and Logan Morrison. Neither of these players is part of the future for this franchise; Mountcastle is.

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