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The Baltimore Orioles are not only one of baseball's best all-around clubs but according to MLB Pipeline, they also boast the league's No. 1-ranked farm system. Pick your poison: Jackson Holliday, Samuel Basallo, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo, or Heston Kjerstad. This is after trading infielder Joey Ortiz to the Brewers in the Corbin Burnes trade and with former elite prospects being promoted in Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Jordan Westburg.
However, the O's now sport another emerging prospect in the form of left-handed pitcher Cade Povich. Povich is the MLB Pipeline's No. 9-ranked Orioles prospect. At 24 years old, he is knocking on the door of a big-league promotion thanks to a breakout campaign with Triple-A Norfolk.
Let's dive in and see if Povich is worth a fantasy baseball stash in redraft leagues for the 2024 season.
How High Is Cade Povich's Fantasy Potential?
While Povich has scuffled with his control during his minor-league tenure, he is best known for his pure strikeout stuff. He tossed a hefty 33.4% K% as part of his 18-start Double-A campaign in the 2023 season and has worked to a 32.5% K% across 11 starts with Norfolk so far this season.
Additionally, not only has Povich's walk rate dipped from 10.5% at Double-A and 14.7% at Triple-A last season, to 9.1% at Triple-A this time around, but his ERA has dropped all the way to 3.18 following a combined 5.04 mark in the minors last season. In doing so, he has limited the long ball to a 0.79 HR/9 clip this season and allowed one earned run or fewer in each of his first six starts of the season.
Who leads the International League in strikeouts?
1) Cade Povich- 57
2) Chayce McDermott- 49Povich yesterday- 7 K/1 BB in 4.1 IP pic.twitter.com/mF83dnKlaj
— The Verge- An Orioles MiLB Podcast (@TheVergePod) May 13, 2024
If Povich can continue to display improved control fantasy managers will be rewarded with a quality K-BB% and subsequent improved run-prevention from the southpaw.
When Might Cade Povich Get A Major-League Opportunity?
It appears Povich's big-league promotion is imminent. Baltimore recently announced that both Tyler Wells and John Means are done for the season with elbow injuries and it's worth noting that both Dean Kremer and Bruce Zimmermann are on the shelf. Of course, this gives the blossoming Povich an avenue to the big leagues the size of the Lincoln Tunnel.
Cade Povich is going to be the next Orioles prospect to get called up pic.twitter.com/e8NMZ8TVs6
— 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) April 25, 2024
The O's have yet to announce a starter for both Wednesday and Thursday's contests and it's worth noting that right-hander Carlos Tavera is being promoted from Double-A to Triple-A in the O's system. A big-league promotion is coming for somebody.
With a whopping 75 punchouts in just 56.2 innings and a .201 batting average against, Povich should be targeted in deeper fantasy leagues while managers would certainly be wise to continue to stash the southpaw ahead of what appears to be an incoming big-league debut.
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