In 2022, the Baltimore Orioles had the fourth-youngest roster in the MLB based on average age (27.62 years old). That figure does not change much, as the club has prioritized giving the young talent in their farm system opportunities to shine in the major leagues.
The Orioles have acquired a lot of talent in recent years. In the past four drafts, the Orioles have used a top-five selections on catcher Adley Rutschman (No. 1 overall in 2019), outfielder Heston Kjerstad (No. 2 in 2020), outfielder Colton Cowser (No. 5 in 2021) and shortstop Jackson Holliday (No. 1 in 2022). But the club has found talent outside of top-five picks as well.
One of the men tasked with developing these young players is Double-A Bowie manager Kyle Moore. Moore is a former Oriole farmhand himself, having played 29 games for the organization from 2010-2011 as a catcher. He became the manager of the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate in 2022 after managing elsewhere in the organization from 2018-2021.
“The biggest thing that I learned was that when we move players fast like we do in this organization, you’ve got to coach them fast and you’ve got to pour your heart out to them early,” Moore said of his first year in Bowie on Glenn Clark Radio April 5. “You can’t miss a coaching opportunity because when these guys get it and it clicks for them, they’re going to move fast. And it was a real learning experience.”
Moore, 37, has been in the organization since 2010. He recalled that the Orioles did not rely on their farm system in the same way a decade ago. How the organization operates has transformed in a big way, according to Moore. The manager mentioned that he had already worked with nearly every player invited to major league spring training this year, a first for him.
“Where we’re at as an organization right now, almost all of our major league invites are homegrown and they’re all really good,” Moore said. “They’re all top prospects or they’re already having an impact in the big leagues. I think that’s the biggest thing that’s changed. I don’t know really exactly how we did it, but we acquired an enormous amount of talent as far as players go in the minor leagues. And I just don’t know that I’ve ever seen anything like this.”
The Orioles have not just had good luck in the draft. Moore said Orioles international scouting director Koby Perez has found some talent as well. One of those players is Cuban infielder César Prieto, who is beginning the season with Bowie. Signed in 2022, Prieto is a career .280/.320/.413 minor league hitter with 12 home runs and 62 RBIs.
“I think overall, our entire philosophy on international players is changing and has changed,” Moore said. “And that’s probably one of the most exciting things about our minor leagues. Koby Perez is signing some big-time players and Prieto was one of them. He happened to be a higher-level player, but there are some babies down there in Sarasota that are going to be superstars.”
Moore says the current infield depth within the organization is among the best he’s seen during his time with the organization. He mentioned that Baysox third baseman Coby Mayo has the tools to develop into a special player. Mayo, drafted in 2020, is a career .270/.359/.484 minor league hitter with 29 home runs and 114 RBIs.
“The ceiling is so high for him. He could be a megastar, and mostly because of the bat,” Moore said. “He looks like he can be a guy that can really [bat] in the middle of lineup for somebody. We’re going to play him at third. He’s a really good third baseman. I think we just have to work on some consistency. But he’s a guy that you can see play all over the diamond because he’s so big and physical, and the bat could really play up to be a major league superstar.”
For more from Kyle Moore, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Cody Charneski