Delmarva Shorebirds: Through 17 Games
The Delmarva Shorebirds currently sit at 8-9, which is good for third place in the Northern Division of the South Atlantic League.
Currently, third baseman Drew Dosch leads the team in batting average. Dosch was a seventh-round pick out of Youngstown State in 2013, but he did not play pro ball last year. However, we are now seeing why the Orioles drafted him pretty highly, as he has 21 hits in 66 at bats, good for a .318 average. He also has seven RBI’s and a stolen base.
Chance Sisco, a second-round pick last year out of high school, has also impressed so far. He’s 12-42, good for a .286 average. Sisco has thrown out 7-19 baserunners trying to steal as well.
On the flip side, two guys who are struggling at the plate are Trey Mancini and Conor Bierfeldt. Mancini, an eighth round pick out of Notre Dame, led the Iron Birds in batting average last year, and he also set the franchise record for hits in a season. However, that hasn’t transferred into success in the SALLY yet. Bierfeldt, a 29th round pick out of Western Connecticut State, has never hit for a high average, but he’s always hit home runs. This year, Biefeldt is not only hitting .157, but he still has not hit a home run.
On the mound, top round pick Hunter Harvey continues to shine, pitching to a 1.06 ERA. Harvey continues to develop a third pitch, but it seems like he will move to Frederick before the year ends.
Jimmy Yacabonis continues to impress out of the bullpen. A 13th-round pick out of St. Joseph’s and a NY-Penn League All-Star last year, Yacabonis has not allowed an earned run in 7.1 innings and has four saves.
Finally, Sebastian Vader has also been outstanding for the Shorebirds. Vader, an 18th round pick out of high school in 2010, leads the team in innings pitched, and he also has a 2.84 ERA. Vadar was Aberdeen’s best pitcher last year, and he has succeeded this year. The Orioles could move Vader quickly through the organization if he continues to pitch well.
