Orioles Choose Offense in 1st Round

The Orioles double-dipped offensively in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, selecting outfielder D.J. Stewart with the No. 25 pick and shortstop Ryan Mountcastle with the No. 36 pick.

Stewart, who played his college baseball at Florida State, was named the 2014 ACC Player of the Year. The left-handed batter had a combined .344 average in his three seasons at FSU, including 27 home runs and 168 RBI’s, according to thebaseballcube.com.

Here is an analysis of the pick by the Eye on Baseball staff from cbssports.com:

“The 2014 ACC Player of the Year got on base more than half the time this season, hitting .322/.509/.580 with 13 homers in 62 games for the Seminoles. At 6-foot-0, 230 pounds he possesses plus raw power, but he’s still mostly a line drive hitter, as evidenced by the slugging percentage being south of .600. He’s a left-handed hitter with great bat speed. The concern here is the potential for weight to become an issue down the road, but Baseball America reports that his mother is a fitness instructor. That can’t hurt. He does have a below average arm, which means he’s ticketed for left field — with a possible move to first base down the road.”

It was a good pick for the Orioles, who don’t have a lot of depth at outfield and haven’t chosen an outfielder in the first round since Nick Markakis in 2003. The move also fits the team because Stewart could possibly be on the big club as early as next season since he’s already had collegiate experience.

The best outcome Baltimore fans can hope to see from Stewart is that he can be a middle-of-the lineup hitter that bats around .280 every season. (We can only hope)

The Baltimore front office passed up on a few collegiate arms with their compensatory pick in order to draft Mountcastle, who attended Winter Springs HS (Fla.).

Here is an analysis on Mountcastle from the Eye on Baseball staff from cbssports.com:

“Mountcastle stands out more for his bat than his glove. He has some of the best bat speed in the draft class and has no trouble making contact. The expectation is he will hit for power and average down the road. Mountcastle is unlikely to stick at shortstop because he doesn’t have the range for the position, but he could settle in at third base or a corner outfield spot.”

Mountcastle wasn’t even ranked in the Top 100 draft prospect list so the either the Orioles were trying to save money with the pick, or their scouts see something that others do not. However, videos show Mountcastle has quick bat speed and can get around on a pitch with ease.

It will be interesting to see what position he ends up playing in the minors but hopes are he can continue with the bat and become a powerful hitter in the future. Maybe Mountcastle makes his way up to third base for the Orioles, which would allow Manny Machado to slide over to his natural position at shortstop.

Both Stewart and Mountcastle have the ability to improve the Orioles’ lineup in the time it takes the two to become ready for the majors. Fans should be pleased with the front office’s offensive selections, especially with being in the back of the first round. As always with the MLB draft, it really is a crapshoot once you get past the first few selections, but the Orioles at least attempted to address the lack of offensive depth in their system.