Kjerstad Learns From Postseason Exposure
The Orioles drafted him No. 2 overall out of Arkansas in the five-round 2020 draft. He did not play his first pro game until two years later because he was diagnosed with myocarditis after the draft. Once Kjerstad got back on the field and rounded into game form, he rose quickly to Baltimore. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 14, 2023, and received three separate callups in 2024.
The 25-year-old also made the Orioles' postseason roster in both seasons, despite having just 129 career big league at-bats. Kjerstad was growing into a more regular role with the Orioles this season before he was hit in the head by a pitch and suffered a concussion. Next, he could be an everyday player in 2025 and is taking what he learned this October to heart.
"Just learning from the past two postseasons, it's anybody's ballgame, whenever," Kjerstad said. "They're close games, they come down to the little things. And day-in and day-out, you just have to come to compete. That's all it is in these games.
"You just have to keep competing and, hopefully, get the big hit when you can get it, and hopefully come up when maybe the game is on the line."
Despite struggling to break into the Orioles' lineup, Kjerstad hit .299/.382/.541 with 26 home runs in 132 games for Triple-A Norfolk the past two seasons.
Kjerstad's MLB playing time has been sporadic, but after his June recall, he produced a 1.141 OPS in 43 plate appearances before his concussion on July 20.
"He was swinging the bat really well at that time," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "I think the opportunity was going to increase during that time, and then he had the concussion."
Roster circumstances may create that opportunity this winter. Anthony Santander is a pending free agent and other veterans could be on the move.
-JON MEOLI
Dobbins Learns To Live At Top Of Velo Scale
Righthander Hunter Dobbins decided to hit the gas in 2024.
In his first three pro seasons, Dobbins mostly sat at 93-95 mph while flashing the ability to get to velocities a couple ticks louder. But this season he challenged himself with a proposition: What if he lived at the top end of that scale?
"We kind of shifted to more, 'We're gonna attack from batter one, and if we run out of gas, we run out of gas. But I'm gonna give it my most quality pitches from pitch one,' Dobbins said.
"I found that I was able to still maintain from inning one through six."
The Red Sox drafted Dobbins out of Texas Tech in the eighth round in 2021, while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He ended 2024 at Triple-A Worcester and was sitting 95-97 mph and occasionally touching 98.
"Going forward, that's what I want to be," Dobbins said.
That velocity bump served as the anchor for a repertoire that now features five pitches: fastball, slider, cutter, curveball, and now a low-90s splinker that he conjured in the middle of 2024 while experimenting with sinker grips in a pregame bullpen session.
In 25 starts spanning 125.2 innings for Double-A Portland and Worcester, Dobbins rode that mix to a 3.08 ERA with a 23% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate. Though his strikeout rate was modest, he avoided barrels, allowing just two home runs.
Dobbins' steadily improving mix suggested back-of-the-rotation potential, though his sizable platoon splits-497 OPS allowed to righthanded batters and .709 to lefties-could push him toward the bullpen.
Either way, Dobbins asserted himself as an MLB depth option who seems likely to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason.
-ALEX SPEIER
Wolkow Has Power Worth Waiting For
The White Sox won't be rushing 6-foot-7 outfielder George Wolkow, who turns 19 in January.
Signing scout J.J. Lally is a huge believer in Wolkow's potential, but predicted he will "get his rear end kicked over and over" for his first few years in pro ball.
White Sox farm director Paul Janish termed Wolkow's goal for 2024 to be acclimating to professional baseball.
Wolkow was the youngest player on a Low-A Kannapolis roster that fell a game shy of winning the Carolina League. In that context, his .241/.342/.428 batting line with 11 home runs in 76 games stands out.
That is especially true after scouts saw Wolkow overmatched in extended spring training, and then when he struck out 30 times in his first 12 games for Kannapolis.
But Wolkow isn't concerned.
"I set my goals and expectations pretty high," Wolkow said. "I want to be hard on myself, maybe too hard at times. Overall, I would say this year hasn't been too great, but there's been some good moments."
Wolkow's goal wasn't to reach Kannapolis this summer, his first full season after being drafted in the seventh round out of high school in 2023, it was to break camp with the Cannon Ballers.
"He wants to play in the major leagues," Janish said. "He's very outspoken about that, which to me is super encouraging."
"It's all about keeping him in a good place mentally," Kannapolis manager Pat Leyland said. "He's getting better at a rapid pace, but it's not fast enough for him."
A strikeout rate near 41% at Kannapolis-which was somewhat expected for a raw, long-levered teenager-shows Wolkow was sufficiently challenged. He made a post-game routine of poring over swing-decision reports to understand the patterns in his excessive chasing.
More challenging for Wolkow's development is his high in-zone miss rate. Time in the organization's hitting lab in Arizona has taught him that his frame generates elite bat speed, and he's working to accept that he doesn't need max-effort swings to produce the power he covets.
-JAMES FEGAN
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1731466520/articles/UPAcZMrcq1732009381579/5991179219.jpg]
Kayfus Emerges On First Base Radar
Josh Naylor is the Guardians' first baseman, but nothing lasts forever.
In fact, the situation could change after the 2025 season, when Naylor becomes a free agent.
Cleveland's next first baseman is likely already a member of the organization.
Rookies Jhonkensy Noel and Kyle Manzardo started building their cases this season.
On the horizon is 2023 third-rounder C.J. Kayfus out of Miami.
The 6-foot, 192-po...
The Orioles drafted him No. 2 overall out of Arkansas in the five-round 2020 draft. He did not play his first pro game until two years later because he was diagnosed with myocarditis after the draft. Once Kjerstad got back on the field and rounded into game form, he rose quickly to Baltimore. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 14, 2023, and received three separate callups in 2024.
The 25-year-old also made the Orioles' postseason roster in both seasons, despite having just 129 career big league at-bats. Kjerstad was growing into a more regular role with the Orioles this season before he was hit in the head by a pitch and suffered a concussion. Next, he could be an everyday player in 2025 and is taking what he learned this October to heart.
"Just learning from the past two postseasons, it's anybody's ballgame, whenever," Kjerstad said. "They're close games, they come down to the little things. And day-in and day-out, you just have to come to compete. That's all it is in these games.
"You just have to keep competing and, hopefully, get the big hit when you can get it, and hopefully come up when maybe the game is on the line."
Despite struggling to break into the Orioles' lineup, Kjerstad hit .299/.382/.541 with 26 home runs in 132 games for Triple-A Norfolk the past two seasons.
Kjerstad's MLB playing time has been sporadic, but after his June recall, he produced a 1.141 OPS in 43 plate appearances before his concussion on July 20.
"He was swinging the bat really well at that time," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "I think the opportunity was going to increase during that time, and then he had the concussion."
Roster circumstances may create that opportunity this winter. Anthony Santander is a pending free agent and other veterans could be on the move.
-JON MEOLI
Dobbins Learns To Live At Top Of Velo Scale
Righthander Hunter Dobbins decided to hit the gas in 2024.
In his first three pro seasons, Dobbins mostly sat at 93-95 mph while flashing the ability to get to velocities a couple ticks louder. But this season he challenged himself with a proposition: What if he lived at the top end of that scale?
"We kind of shifted to more, 'We're gonna attack from batter one, and if we run out of gas, we run out of gas. But I'm gonna give it my most quality pitches from pitch one,' Dobbins said.
"I found that I was able to still maintain from inning one through six."
The Red Sox drafted Dobbins out of Texas Tech in the eighth round in 2021, while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He ended 2024 at Triple-A Worcester and was sitting 95-97 mph and occasionally touching 98.
"Going forward, that's what I want to be," Dobbins said.
That velocity bump served as the anchor for a repertoire that now features five pitches: fastball, slider, cutter, curveball, and now a low-90s splinker that he conjured in the middle of 2024 while experimenting with sinker grips in a pregame bullpen session.
In 25 starts spanning 125.2 innings for Double-A Portland and Worcester, Dobbins rode that mix to a 3.08 ERA with a 23% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate. Though his strikeout rate was modest, he avoided barrels, allowing just two home runs.
Dobbins' steadily improving mix suggested back-of-the-rotation potential, though his sizable platoon splits-497 OPS allowed to righthanded batters and .709 to lefties-could push him toward the bullpen.
Either way, Dobbins asserted himself as an MLB depth option who seems likely to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason.
-ALEX SPEIER
Wolkow Has Power Worth Waiting For
The White Sox won't be rushing 6-foot-7 outfielder George Wolkow, who turns 19 in January.
Signing scout J.J. Lally is a huge believer in Wolkow's potential, but predicted he will "get his rear end kicked over and over" for his first few years in pro ball.
White Sox farm director Paul Janish termed Wolkow's goal for 2024 to be acclimating to professional baseball.
Wolkow was the youngest player on a Low-A Kannapolis roster that fell a game shy of winning the Carolina League. In that context, his .241/.342/.428 batting line with 11 home runs in 76 games stands out.
That is especially true after scouts saw Wolkow overmatched in extended spring training, and then when he struck out 30 times in his first 12 games for Kannapolis.
But Wolkow isn't concerned.
"I set my goals and expectations pretty high," Wolkow said. "I want to be hard on myself, maybe too hard at times. Overall, I would say this year hasn't been too great, but there's been some good moments."
Wolkow's goal wasn't to reach Kannapolis this summer, his first full season after being drafted in the seventh round out of high school in 2023, it was to break camp with the Cannon Ballers.
"He wants to play in the major leagues," Janish said. "He's very outspoken about that, which to me is super encouraging."
"It's all about keeping him in a good place mentally," Kannapolis manager Pat Leyland said. "He's getting better at a rapid pace, but it's not fast enough for him."
A strikeout rate near 41% at Kannapolis-which was somewhat expected for a raw, long-levered teenager-shows Wolkow was sufficiently challenged. He made a post-game routine of poring over swing-decision reports to understand the patterns in his excessive chasing.
More challenging for Wolkow's development is his high in-zone miss rate. Time in the organization's hitting lab in Arizona has taught him that his frame generates elite bat speed, and he's working to accept that he doesn't need max-effort swings to produce the power he covets.
-JAMES FEGAN
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1731466520/articles/UPAcZMrcq1732009381579/5991179219.jpg]
Kayfus Emerges On First Base Radar
Josh Naylor is the Guardians' first baseman, but nothing lasts forever.
In fact, the situation could change after the 2025 season, when Naylor becomes a free agent.
Cleveland's next first baseman is likely already a member of the organization.
Rookies Jhonkensy Noel and Kyle Manzardo started building their cases this season.
On the horizon is 2023 third-rounder C.J. Kayfus out of Miami.
The 6-foot, 192-po...
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Baseball America (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2024