Orioles Arizona Fall League updates

October 26th, 2019

Seven O's prospects played for the Surprise Saguaros in the 2019 Arizona Fall League: Right-hander Dean Kremer (No. 8), left-hander Alex Wells (No. 20), second baseman Rylan Bannon (No. 23), second baseman Mason McCoy (No. 24), right-hander Cody Carroll, right-hander David Lebron and outfielder T.J. Nichting.

Here’s a day-by-day look at how Baltimore's AFL contingent fared:

Oct. 26: Salt River 5, Surprise 1
Dean Kremer capped off his Fall League campaign by tossing 2 1/3 scoreless frames of relief during the championship game Saturday. He stemmed the tide of a Rafters five-run fourth with a strikeout, before working around a leadoff double in the sixth. Baltimore’s No. 8 prospect allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three. Including the regular season, he recorded 26 strikeouts across 21 1/3 innings while with Surprise.

Rylan Bannon and Mason McCoy, starting at third and second base, respectively, for the Saguaros, combined to go 0-for-7 with three strikeouts.

Oct. 25: Glendale 5, Surprise 3
Rylan Bannon had just one at-bat and reached on an error. Bannon finished his AFL stint with a .200 batting average. Mason McCoy went 0-for-3 and leaves the AFL hitting .219. T.J. Nichting finished 1-for-2 with a run scored and also swiped his first stolen base.

Oct. 24: Surprise 10, Scottsdale 2
Rylan Bannon snapped out of a 2-for-23 skid and improved his average to .202 with a 2-for-5 performance from the three spot in Surprise’s lineup. Mason McCoy delivered a two-out, two-run single to cap the scoring in the Saguaros’ six-run fifth inning before finishing 1-for-6. T.J. Nichting turned in a 2-for-2 performance even though entered the game in the seventh inning as pinch-hitter for Kyle Isbel. David Lebron threw six of 10 pitches for strikes during a perfect eighth inning.

Oct. 23: Mesa 2, Surprise 0
Alex Wells came out of the bullpen firing Wednesday, striking out the first two batters that he faced. Things would ebb a bit in the other direction during his second inning of relief, as he yielded three consecutive hits, but he was the beneficiary of a rundown that kept Mesa off the scoreboard. He has yielded one run through 15 2/3 frames for Surprise, having reeled off seven straight scoreless outings. Cody Carroll also looked strong out of the bullpen, racking up two strikeouts, including one of Fall League home run leader Greg Deichmann (Athletics). The 27-year-old right-hander had walked at least one batter in each of his past four appearances, but was accurate Wednesday, lowering his ERA to 2.08. T.J. Nichting got the start in center field and collected his third hit of the fall with a single in the second. He finished 1-for-3 and now has a hit in three of his past four games.

Oct. 22: Scheduled off day for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 21: Mesa 4, Surprise 0
Dean Kremer was tagged by Mesa for three runs on seven hits on Monday en route to his first AFL loss for Surprise, but the Orioles’ No. 8 prospect still managed to complete five innings in his longest AFL start. After cruising through the first three frames, Kremer gave up a solo shot to Fall League home run leader Greg Deichmann in the fourth and then allowed two more runs in the fifth. The 23-year-old right-hander finished with no walks and six strikeouts, another AFL-best total for him, and threw 49 of 72 pitches for strikes. It was the first time Kremer, who picked off two runners at first base, allowed multiple runs in an outing, and he entered the game having yielded just six hits in 14 innings. Overall, Kremer has compiled a 2.37 ERA and 23/4 K/BB in 19 innings.

Rylan Bannon collected a hit for just the second time in his past seven games, going 1-for-3 on Monday. He’s just 2-for-23 during the stretch, which has moved his Fall League average to .192. Mason McCoy went 0-for-4 and has been mired in a similar slump, tallying just one hit in his last 20 at-bats for the Saguaros.

Oct. 20: Salt River 2, Surprise 1 (10 innings)
Mason McCoy did not have his best showing of the Fall League season, striking out three times in an 0-for-4 day at the plate batting out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup. T.J. Nichting fared a bit better, singling once in three trips to the plate.

Oct. 19: Salt River 8, Surprise 1
Rylan Bannon was held hitless for the fifth time in his past six games as he turned in an 0-for-4, three-strikeout performance from the three spot in Surprise’s lineup. Right-hander David Lebron allowed a solo home run but otherwise pitched well, racking up three strikeouts in two innings out of the bullpen for Surprise. It was just the second time in eight Fall League appearances that Lebron has been scored upon, and, overall, he’s registered a 3.55 ERA in 12 2/3 innings. Cody Carroll, following Lebron out of the Saguaros’ bullpen, delivered a scoreless frame, and Alex Wells posted two perfect innings with one strikeout to lower his ERA to a miniscule 0.66.

Oct. 18: Surprise 3, Glendale 1
It took a few innings, but the Orioles’ infield duo of Rylan Bannon and Mason McCoy made their presence felt for Surprise. Bannon, who entered the game 1-for-16 over his past five outings, tied the game in the eighth with a lined single to left field. Bannon was able to swipe second with McCoy in the box, before coming around to score on McCoy’s rocket into center that extended the Saguaros’ lead. Both finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

Oct. 17: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 16: Glendale 8, Surprise 4
Rylan Bannon is batting .191 for Surprise after an 0-for-3 performance. He’s been held hitless in four straight games.

Oct. 15: Surprise 3, Peoria 0
Dean Kremer’s impressive Fall League campaign continued Tuesday as he spun four scoreless innings for Surprise against Peoria. The Orioles’ No. 8 prospect worked the first three frames without allowing a hit but surrendered a leadoff single in the fourth. It proved the only hit Kremer would allow in the outing, as he finished with two walks and five strikeouts on 59 pitches (36 strikes). More »

Left-hander Alex Wells lowered his ERA to 0.77 with a flawless inning out of the Saguaros’ bullpen, and Cody Carroll allowed a hit and a walk but also notched a pair of strikeouts during a scoreless seventh inning. David Lebron retired the side in order in the eighth.

Rylan Bannon, Mason McCoy and T.J. Nichting combined for an 0-for-8 performance against Peoria. Bannon, the Saguaros’ three-hole hitter, did draw two walks, and Nichting scored a run in the eighth inning after reaching via an error.

Oct. 14: Surprise 1, Peoria 0
The Baltimore infield duo of Rylan Bannon and Mason McCoy combined to finish 0-for-7 in the middle of the Saguaros’ batting order. Bannon struck out three times -- leaving seven runners on base -- in his first multi-strikeout performance since Sept. 28. McCoy drew a walk, but saw his average dip below .300.

Oct. 13: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 12: East 4, West 2
Here's how every player performed in the Fall Stars Game. More »

Oct. 11: Surprise 2, Scottsdale 0
T.J. Nichting recorded his first AFL hit when he laced a double down the right field line in the sixth inning of Surprise’s win against Scottsdale. He came around to score the Saguaros’ first run and finished 1-for-2. David Lebron recorded a strikeout during a 1-2-3 seventh to earn his first Fall League save.

Oct. 10: Surprise 3, Scottsdale 1
Alex Wells got his first start for the Saguaros, and the 22-year-old left-hander threw three scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out four. He was consistently around the zone in the outing, throwing 32 of 45 pitches for strikes, and he kept Scottsdale’s hitters off balance by effectively spotting his 87-90 mph fastball to set up his low-70s curveball and low-80s changeup, both of which he consistently commanded at the bottom (or below) the zone. With the performance, the Australian-born southpaw improved his ERA to 0.84 through 10 2/3 innings in the Fall League. The first man out of the bullpen for Surprise was Dean Kremer, and the 23-year-old right-hander worked a perfect frame with two strikeouts, lowering his fall ERA to 1.80.

Rylan Bannon went 0-for-4 with a strikeout against the Scorpions, lowering his fall average to .220. Mason McCoy had an 0-for-3 day, walking once and striking out once, and T.J. Nichting also went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Oct. 9: Surprise 12, Mesa 10
Rylan Bannon led Surprise’s offensive outburst against Mesa with a homer and a double as part of a 3-for-6 day, also driving in three and scoring two runs in the affair. Mason McCoy added three hits of his own with a double, two singles and a walk in the win. The second baseman also scored a run.

Oct. 8: Surprise 6, Mesa 1
Infield prospect Rylan Bannon went 1-for-5 and manned third base for Surprise on Tuesday, scoring a run in the win. David Lebron threw a scoreless eighth inning for the Saguaros. The 26-year-old right-hander allowed one hit.

Oct. 7: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 6: Salt River 6, Surprise 4
Alex Wells gave up one hit, but that was all, as he threw seven of his 11 pitches for strikes in a scoreless inning. Rylan Bannon entered the game as a defensive substitution in the seventh inning. He made just one plate appearance and grounded out to shortstop.

Oct. 5: Glendale 2, Surprise 0
Rylan Bannon has hits in three of his past four games after Saturday’s 1-for-4 performance and is now hitting .209 in the AFL. Mason McCoy was unable to get anything going offensively (0-for-4), but he is still hitting .300 through eight games this fall. T.J. Nichting went 0-for-4.

Oct. 4: Glendale 7, Surprise 6 (11 innings)
Dean Kremer yielded a tough-luck triple to lead off the game, but he held down the fort from there, limiting Glendale to just one run over four frames. He finished with two hits and one walk allowed, having struck out two batters during his third AFL start. Over nine innings in Arizona, the Orioles’ No. 8 prospect has compiled a 2.00 ERA. Rylan Bannon’s difficult day at the dish was best summed up by his line drive in the 10th that went for an unassisted double play, rather than a game-winning hit. He went 0-for-5, lowering his average to .205.

**Oct. 3: **Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Oct. 2: Surprise 8, Mesa 7
Mason McCoy hit his first triple in the Fall League as part of a two-hit effort for Surprise. The triple, which was just the second extra-base hit for McCoy this fall, scored a run in the sixth inning. The 2017 sixth-rounder also scored the first run of the game, and he’s slashing .346/.469/.462 over seven games. Rylan Bannon, batting third, went 1-for-5 and scored in the three-run first inning. He also made a spectacular diving catch in the eighth to rob Mesa of a leadoff hit. Alex Wells delivered 1 2/3 frames of scoreless ball in his fourth Fall League outing. The 22-year-old Australian southpaw yielded two hits and two walks while striking out two, lowering his ERA to 1.35 in the process. He has now delivered a scoreless outing in three of his four appearances with Surprise. After giving up four runs in his first AFL appearance, David Lebron has now strung together three straight scoreless relief appearances. Lebron struck out three and gave up one hit as he put up a pair of zeros and extended his scoreless streak to six innings. Cody Carroll walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning.

Oct. 1: Peoria 3, Surprise 1
Rylan Bannon’s AFL average dipped to .250 with an 0-for-4 performance for Surprise.

Sept. 30: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Sept. 29: Surprise 11, Peoria 4
Mason McCoy (No. 24) hit sixth in the Surprise lineup and played both second base and shortstop. He went 0-for-3 with two walks, a run scored and three strikeouts.

Sept. 28: Scottsdale 2, Surprise 0
Mason McCoy and Rylan Bannon each collected a hit on Saturday from the Nos. 2 and 3 spots in Surprise’s lineup, respectively. McCoy reached based twice in the contest, going 1-for-3 with a walk as he improved his AFL average to .389. Bannon, meanwhile, is batting .280 after a 1-for-4 performance.

Left-hander Alex Wells retired all three batters he faced during a scoreless relief appearance for Surprise. Cody Carroll, who reached the Majors with Baltimore in 2018, didn’t fare as well, allowing one run on four hits in his one inning of work.

Sept. 27: Surprise 4, Scottsdale 3
Dean Kremer, Baltimore’s No. 8 prospect, was sharp in his second AFL start as he struck out five batters over three innings for Surprise. He allowed just one hit, a second-inning solo home run to Scottsdale’s Trey Harris, and one walk in the outing while throwing 32 of 56 pitches for strikes. He’s pitched to a 1.80 ERA with eight strikeouts between his two starts. David Lebron worked two scoreless frames in relief of Kremer. The 26-year-old right-hander showed an intriguing two-pitch combo -- a 93-94 mph fastball and swing-and-miss slider at 84-85 -- as he struck out two and walked three.

Sept. 26: Thursday's game between Surprise and Mesa was rained out and will not be made up.

Sept. 25: Surprise 6, Peoria 2
Rylan Bannon reached base three times for Surprise in their win over Peoria on Wednesday. The Orioles’ No. 23 prospect, who started at third base and batted third, finished the night 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, an RBI and a walk. Over 130 games this season split between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, Bannon hit .266 with 11 home runs and a .766 OPS.

Sept. 24: Surprise 6, Peoria 4
Alex Wells allowed a run on three hits in two innings of relief for Surprise, striking out a pair of batters. Cody Carroll permitted a walk, but held Peoria scoreless in his inning of work.

Mason McCoy drew a pair of walks, but finished 0-for-3.

Sept. 23: Scheduled day off for all Arizona Fall League teams.

Sept. 22: Surprise 2, Peoria 1
Starting at third and hitting third, No. 23 prospect Rylan Bannon went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. RHP David Lebron erased his rough AFL debut (4 ER in 1 2/3 IP) by going two hitless innings on Sunday. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out one.

Sept. 21: Surprise 12, Salt River 0
Cody Carroll was sharp as he fired eight of his 10 pitches for strikes in a scoreless inning. The 26-year-old right-hander also struck out one.

Rylan Bannon and Mason McCoy combined to go 6-for-10 with four RBIs in Surprise’s win over Salt River. Bannon, whom the Orioles acquired from the Dodgers as part of the Manny Machado trade, drove in three runs as part of a 2-for-5 night at the plate. McCoy, a sixth-round pick from the 2017 Draft, continued his hot start in the Fall League with a 4-for-5 night at the plate. The 24-year-old also scored a trio of runs and is hitting .556 during the early goings of the Fall League.

Sept. 20: Surprise 4, Salt River 1
Right-hander Dean Kremer got the start for Surprise and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out three. He pitched across three levels in the Orioles’ system this season, but thrived during his time for Double-A Bowie, posting a 2.98 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 84 2/3 innings pitched. The 2016 MLB Draft pick out of UNLV was originally selected by the Dodgers, but he was traded to Baltimore as a part of the Manny Machado deal. Alex Wells followed Kremer on the mound and was equally effective. Wells, whom the Orioles signed in 2015, struck out the side in the third, and although he gave up two hits to open the fourth, he escaped the inning unscathed. Wells threw 23 of his 32 pitches for strikes and struck out four over two innings.

Rylan Bannon put together a 2-for-4 night at the plate and scored one of Surprise's four runs. Mason McCoy doubled and finished 1-for-4. He also reached on an error in the first inning.

Sept. 19: Scottsdale 8, Surprise 6
Right-hander David Lebron was the only Orioles player to make an appearance in Thursday’s game for Surprise, and it was a tough outing. The 26-year-old allowed four runs on six hits over 1 2/3 innings with one strikeout. With Class A Advanced Frederick this season, Lebron posted a 4.57 ERA with 92 strikeouts over 82 2/3 innings.

Sept. 18: Surprise 4, Glendale 2
Right-hander Cody Carroll was the lone Orioles representative to appear in Wednesday’s AFL opener for Surprise. The 26-year-old right-hander recorded two outs in relief, but allowed a run to cross on a hit and two walks. Both of Carroll’s outs were recorded via the strikeout, with 12 of his 23 pitches going for strikes.