Dean Kremer, RHP | Baltimore Orioles | 2018 Levels: A+/AA | Draft: Round 14, Pick 25 (LAD) (431st Overall)

Arsenal: Fastball (91-94), Curveball (74-76), Slider (80-82), Circle-Changeup (83-85)

2018 Statistics: 131.1 IP, 2.88 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 12.2 K/9, 3.87 BB/9, .223 BAA

While less exciting from a stiff perspective, the Orioles’ Kremer combines good feel for a trio of pitches and a deceptive delivery honed by the Dodgers player development factory. The first Israeli player ever drafted, Kremer came over in the Manny Machado deal with little fanfare. Following the trade, the right-hander made eight starts racking up a 3.04 FIP and 19.3% K-BB. His ability to miss bats with his fastball despite sub-standard velocity is due to a release point that baffles righties and combination of two swing-and-miss secondaries in his curveball and changeup. His slider is a clear fourth offering, but its current fringe form could improve with focus.

There’s some risk he ends up a multi-inning type, but the Orioles lack of depth in the pitching ranks should afford him an opportunity to prove otherwise. The numbers jump off the page and if you dig into his game logs you might find some of his most impressive numbers. Kremer had double-digit swinging strikes in 18 of his 25 appearances, and his 14 SwStr% was seventh amongst pitchers with 130 or more innings. He’s adept at stealing strikes too, with double-digit looking strikes in an equal amount of games, with a few 20+ looking strike performances. The only downside of that is Kremer works around the zone a ton, which might not necessarily be the best recipe for success in Camden Yards or versus the AL East in general. Future park and division aside, Kremer shows the ability to miss bats, keep hitter off balance and keep the ball in the ball park. Kremer only allowed three homers all of last season, all of which came after the trade. I’m not reading into that much. With swinging strikes, four pitches, and an innate ability to avoid the longball, Kremer is a buy.