Some Fun Minor League Numbers: Part 2
Orion Kerkering-esque players
Orion Kerkering, who I mentioned toward the end of Part 1 for my minor league #’s section, has been gaining some internet fame for his debut and his 88 MPH and 20" super mega sweeper. I metioned him as the only reliever who was 22 and under with a 30% K-BB throughout the MILB season with a 40 inning minimum. Let’s go through a few other relievers who are comparable to the hype that Kerkering has garnered:
Luarbert Arias (MIA): Arias was picked up by the Marlins in the MILB Rule 5 draft from the Padres after the 2021 season, and he always has been a pitcher who could miss bats. In Low A Lake Elsinore in 2021, he struck out 42.3% of the batters his faced, but walked 14.4%. The command has gradually improved with the Marlins and 2023 has shown a breakout for the 22 year-old. Splitting time in A+ and AA, Arias has struck out 78 and walked 15 in 58.2 innings, good enough for a 33.7% K rate and a 6.4% BB rate. He pairs this with a 1.84 ERA. He will need to do better in preventing the home run, which has been a struggle for him, but this could be an under-the-radar reliever for the Marlins and another example of their prowess in developing arms.
Brendan Hardy (NYM): Hardy will be with the Glendale Desert Dogs in the AFL this fall, which is exciting, because the swing-and-miss stuff is unreal. A high-school draftee in 2018, Hardy has spent some time on the IL throughout his whole career, never eclipsing 35 innings in a season, but this is a chance for him to take stage. In 35 innings in 2023, mostly in A+ but also in A and AA, Hardy K’ed 54 and walked 13, allowing batters to hit .189 off of him. In his 8.1 innings in AA in September, he struck out 15 of the 35 baatters he faced, walking only 1. He will turn 24 in December, and it will be intriguing to see how the Mets view him long-term.
Trent Harris (SFG): Let’s put a recent UDFA in there, with former UNC-Penbroke 2-Way Trent Harris. UNCP is a D2 school known for producing good arms as of late with Mariners RHP Darren Brown being another arm to come from there. Harris worked as both a starter and reliever in Penbroke, but has been exclusively in the bullpen for the Giants in the complex and in San Jose. He has struck out 33 of the 81 batters he has faced (40.7%), walking just 3, to a tune of a 0.43 ERA. Harris also had a strong summer in the Coastal Plain League in 2023, striking out 27% and walking 6.7% as a starter. If Harris continues this dominance in the bullpen, the would-be 25 year-old could fly through to the upper minors very quickly.
