Last week?s Bowie Baysox home opener against Akron provided a glimpse of what the Baltimore Orioles hope to see in the major leagues one day from Nolan Reimold. The outfielder smashed a towering 405-foot home run and had an assist from right field in the first three innings of Thursday?s 9-5 loss.
Reimold is considered one of the top position-player prospects in the Orioles? organization, with Baseball America ranking him the third-best prospect overall in the team?s minor league system after last season. The 2005 second-round pick out of Bowling Green finished last year batting .255 with 19 home runs, 75 RBI and 14 stolen bases for Single-A Frederick.
Nearly everyone in the Orioles? organization, from director of minor league operations Dave Stockstill to Bowie manager Bien Figueroa, considers Reimold a five-tool player. But they would also like to see more consistency from Reimold, who hit just .222 in his final 82 games last season thanks in part to some nagging injuries.
“I?m feeling pretty good going into this season,” Reimold said. “I?m trying to be a little more consistent this year and keep working on different things. The big thing is to stay healthy. It?s not easy to come back from an injury and get back into the groove again. It took me awhile to get my swing back last year.”
Going into this week, Reimold appears to have adjusted well to playing in Double-A. Through Sunday, he was batting .367 with three home runs and eight RBI in eight games. But he has also struck out seven times in that span after whiffing 107 times in 119 games last year.
If Reimold stays healthy, Figueroa believes he has limitless potential and could possess the most power of any batter in the Orioles? system, including the major league level.
“Unfortunately, he got hurt and it set him back a little bit,” Figueroa said. “If he doesn?t get hurt, he?ll put up big numbers because he has the talent to hit anywhere. He?sgoing to strike out, because you?re not going to see a guy with power that?s not going to do that. It?s been that way for 100 years. But he?ll also walk a bunch, and I?m sure he will be in the big leagues one year soon.”
