We’ll see a number of promotions beginning tomorrow, as active rosters will expand to include any and all players on the 40-man. The Orioles have some particularly notable players slated to come up, per David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot (Twitter links): Baltimore will call up top catching prospect Chance Sisco along with veteran slugger Pedro Alvarez.
Sisco, 22, was seen as a consensus top-100 prospect league-wide entering the season. He hasn’t hit a ton this year at Triple-A, his first full season at that level, but does own a solid .267/.340/.395 batting line with seven home runs through 388 plate appearances.
Despite that modest slash line, Baseball America still rated him as the game’s No. 29 overall prospect on their midseason top 100. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com ranked Sisco as baseball’s No. 50 prospect on their own summer top 100, while Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen pegs him 83rd.
For the time being, Sisco will likely see only limited duty behind Welington Castillo and Caleb Joseph. But with Castillo facing an opt-out decision after the season — one which he seems fairly likely to take in the affirmative — the O’s could end up relying on Sisco quite a bit next year.
As for Alvarez, he’ll function as a bench bat against right-handed pitching for the O’s. He has swatted 26 homers in his 590 plate appearances at Norfolk on the season, though he does carry only a .293 on-base percentage.
Baltimore is also bringing up outfielder Joey Rickard and righty Jimmy Yacabonis for September, according to Hall. For now, at least, the team doesn’t plan to promote veteran third baseman Chris Johnson. He has slashed .307/.336/.517 over 253 trips to the plate, but would (like Alvarez) require the opening of a 40-man roster spot.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Alvarez sighting!
Who went off the 40 for Alvarez? Verrett?
Yeah, Sisco seems intriguing to say the least (much like Mancini–now a legit ROY candidate–was last year).
Idk how intriguing sisco is right now. He’s going to be used like a 3rd catcher, maybe a start a week. He hits well but he doesn’t have hr power yet. He was riding a sky high babip in the minors but he does have pretty good discipline for a young player. His defense still needs work. He’s no better than Castillo right now and probably not Joseph. I wish we would’ve signed Castillo to a 2 year deal.
“He was riding a sky high babip in the minors”.. He was, really? Since 2013, when he hit .363 in his first year in pro ball? Some of my fellow Orioles fans just can never be happy or optimistic about ANYTHING. It’s quite disappointing.
This year bud. Take it easy. Be a realist, he has a 353 babip and a 267 average this year in AAA. He’s not going to come up and be better than the 2 we have right now. Our catchers have been very good this year. Idk what you’re saying about fellow orioles fans because the tendency is for most of us to get overhyped about the fringe prospects we have like Rickard. Be realistic or your setting yourself up for a let down, he’s coming up to play the hardest position in baseball. Temper the expectations and appreciate what we’ve gotten from Joseph and Castillo.
And The OP was comparing this to when Mancini came up last year. If that’s in your head as a possibility it’s best to get it out now. He isn’t going to play that much and he still has work left to do. He’s coming up for his cup of coffee but we’re fighting for a WC. Don’t expect him to help very much yet. in the future of course I think he will help but not now he’s not ready for that.
Is he bringing Jabu too?
For Sisco it’s about learning how to catch at the highest level. His bat is rock solid already and mediocre numbers at Norfolk don’t show how good he can be. Nice approach by front office to get him a cup of coffee this year cause the starting job for next season is his to take. Caleb Joseph will continue to be best backup in league.
Great comments. And, yes, Joseph has been great. What a teammate, and what a bounce back from last year.