Notes from Delmarva: 8/17/2024

Keeler Morfe, Austin Overn, Juan Rojas, and Braylin Tavera were among the Orioles prospects who stood out as the Shorebirds hosted the Carolina Mudcats.

By Zach Spedden

Last Saturday, August 17, I saw the Delmarva Shorebirds host the Carolina Mudcats (Milwaukee Brewers) at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury. The Shorebirds roster has been infused with new players in recent weeks, thanks in large part to recent draft picks joining the club and a few prospects making the jump from short-season leagues. More than one of those recent additions stood out in this game, as did some players who have been with the Shorebirds since the earlier stages of the season.

What follows are my observations of a few players based on their performances in that game. Evaluations are and should be fluid, especially for a young team like the Shorebirds, but I came away from this visit to Delmarva with a better sense of where some of these players stand in their development.

Keeler Morfe, RHP

Morfe came firing out of the gate in this start, pumping a high-90’s fastball on his first pitch. (The stadium gun recorded it at 99 mph, but I will hedge a bit on the velocity without readings from another radar gun to confirm.) His fastball consistently hit the mid-to-upper 90’s during this start and was at his best when he paired the fastball with a upper 80’s/low 90’s changeup.

Much like fellow Orioles prospect Juan Nunez, Morfe effectively blends these pitches with good arm action that keeps hitters off balance. While his fastball and changeup looked good in this outing, Morfe did have issues locating his slider. He was also inconsistent with his delivery, sometimes speeding up the tempo a bit too much and struggling at times to repeat it.  

It’s easy to look at Morfe’s 5’8,” 161 lb. frame and project reliever. However, given his age and raw stuff, he deserves every opportunity to develop into a starter. The development of his secondaries and his ability to maintain his fastball velocity multiple times through the order will be key to determining whether he sticks in the rotation going forward.

Austin Overn, OF

Despite his five trips to the plate, there were not many opportunities in this game to see Overn swing the bat, as he drew three walks. It would be easy to call out Carolina’s pitching staff for its command issues, but that would not be fair to Overn, who shows very good pitch recognition. He avoided chasing after bad pitches and was effective at working the count throughout the night.

His loudest tool for now is his speed, which Overn showcased in this game by going 1-for-2 on stolen base attempts (the unsuccessful attempt was a bang-bang play) and running down a few balls in centerfield. The Orioles will undoubtedly make the development of Overn’s hit tool a priority in 2025, but for now he showcases enough athleticism to make him interesting.

Juan Rojas, LHP

Rojas showed me a lot in this outing by bouncing back from a rough entry to the game. With a runner on third and no outs during his first inning of work, he settled down after a mid-at-bat mound visit and ultimately went on to deliver four shutout innings. He did a good job of consistently locating his low-90’s fastball, while greatly improving the command of his secondaries as the outing progressed.

Injuries have kept Rojas off of the mound for significant parts of the last two seasons, so he’s still raw at this point. With that said, he presents what could develop into a starter’s pitch mix. There could also be a possibility that he pumps up the fastball velocity over short outings out of the bullpen if he doesn’t land in the rotation.

Braylin Tavera, OF

With a first half stint on the IL that lasted over a month and inconsistent production when healthy, 2024 has been a challenging year for Tavera. There isn’t much he can do in the final weeks of this season to prop up an anemic batting line, but this game showed glimmers of what makes him an interesting prospect.

Tavera put together a few quality at-bats, going 2-for-4 with two hard hit singles. Even a plate appearance in the fifth inning that ended with a strikeout was promising, as he battled back from an 0-2 count by laying off some tough pitches before being called out looking on an inside pitch. Hopefully Tavera can have a healthier 2025 and build off what looks like a much more comfortable and confident approach at the plate in the late stages of 2024.

Odds and Ends

While he has primarily played right field since arriving from the FCL a few weeks ago, we expect Elis Cuevas to see more action in centerfield next season. Cuevas’ sprint speed and overall athleticism give him a solid foundation if he does indeed get more time up the middle in 2025.

Vance Honeycutt was still a few days away from making his professional debut at the time of this game, but both Ethan Anderson and Griff O’Ferrall were in the lineup. Each player has overmatched Low-A pitching, but it remains to be seen if the Orioles will have them join Aberdeen for the final weeks of the regular season.