The IronBirds are Flying Northeast to Wilmington

After a difficult road trip to Lakewood, the Blue Rocks look forward to playing where they play best – Frawley Stadium. Wilmington hosts the Aberdeen IronBirds, the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, this homestand, marking the second time the two teams have met this year. They split their first series in Aberdeen 3-3, with the Blue Rocks tallying 26 total runs and IronBirds 33. Ahead of the homestand, the Blue Rocks are 15-13 and third in the South Atlantic League North, whereas the IronBirds are 16-14 and fourth in the league.

The IronBirds’ successes early in the year, including their point differential of +32, can be attributed to individual players’ abilities to produce offense, as well as their defensive efficiency when shutting down opponents.

Creed Willems has proven to be the IronBirds’ top slugger. The 20-year-old catcher leads the team with seven home runs and 23 RBIs. Three of his homers came from the IronBirds’ first series against the Blue Rocks, and he’s on pace to crush the 17 home run season he had last year with the IronBirds and their Low-A affiliate.

Second baseman Tavian Josenberger and center fielder Matthew Etzel are also top offensive players for the IronBirds. Josenberger leads the team in runs with 19, while Etzel is right behind him with 18 runs and leads Aberdeen with 29 hits.

Although these four are the team’s most productive offensive players, only Willems cracks the Baltimore Orioles Top 30 Prospects List. Willems is 29th, with six other IronBirds players above him in the ranking, including three pitchers.

Carter Baumler, the Orioles’ fifth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, is ranked 28th of the prospects. Through just over 15 innings in six games, the right-hander has allowed 13 hits and eight runs. Baumler, 22 years old, has struck out 13 batters and has the most wins for the IronBirds this season with three.

Juan Nuñez, ranked 26th, is another right-handed pitcher who has lived up to expectations so far this year. Playing in six games and starting three of them, Nuñez holds a 2.55 ERA, the best on the team. He’s allowed 19 hits and seven runs, and has struck out 29 batters in 24.2 innings.

Ranked 18th and the highest of Aberdeen’s pitchers, Jackson Baumeister has started five games for the IronBirds. In 18 innings, he’s allowed seven runs and struck out 21 batters, earning him a stunning 1.50 ERA.

Although they didn’t crack the top 30 prospects list, Zach Fruit and Moisés Chace have been dominant on the mound for Aberdeen. The two right-handers are tied for the most strikeouts on the team with 31.

From Willem’s dangerous presence in the batter’s box to the strong command that Aberdeen’s right-handed pitchers have on the mound, the Blue Rocks certainly have their work cut out for them. That being said, they play their best baseball at Frawley Stadium, and the home crowd can’t wait to welcome their team, and some wins, in this series.