Yesterday, ESPN Senior Baseball Analyst, Keith Law a list of all 30 baseball organizations ranked by the strength of their minor league teams.There’s good news for the Baltimore Orioles — he’s ranked them 10th in all of baseball.
Law’s ranking of the organization isn’t all that bad considering the state it was years ago due to just poor drafts & players that didn’t work out. For most fans, despite the lack of success on the field, you cannot dispute the lower levels have gotten a lot better.
Here’s what Law says about the Orioles:
Once again, a great front four, or perhaps three, without much depth behind them. Two lost picks in 2007 didn’t help, but the Orioles took some upside players after Brian Matusz in 2008 and could slide up if one or two of them have strong full-season debuts in 2009.
For the past several years, the Orioles — especially under MacPhail — have started to load the minors with solid prospects with drafting, proper development and trades.
Talking with a few people over the past day, Law’s brief assessement of the minor leagues and its potential at least shows that Baltimore’s quest to improve has not gone unnoticed by those in the national media.
- The big news today for Oriole fans will be the press conference that Nick Markakis should be giving around 3pm, according to MASN’s Roch Kubatko. The extension became official yesterday after he passed his physical.
- Dan Connolly wonders (I guess, hypothetically) if Nick Markakis should have gotten such a huge deal? (I think the consensus around Birdland is yes…)
- MASN’s Steve Melewski takes a look at Nick’s numbers. Jay Trucker of the Examiner also gives his take on the deal.
- Here’s an article from the Washington Post and the Orioles.com on Markakis.
- As well, the one-year deal between Gregg Zaun and the Orioles is also official.
- Finally, love or hate her, Anita Marks will in Baltimore one more year as she signed a contract to stick around with 105.7 and MASN.
