The Baltimore Orioles’ minor league affiliate Norfolk Tides put up a jaw-dropping 26 runs in a Wednesday night game against the Charlotte Knights.
The Tides, who host soon-to-be Major Leaguers like the MLB’s number one prospect Jackson Holliday and 29th-ranked prospect Colby Mayo, broke multiple records in their rout, including a club record for hits with 29, according to Minor League Baseball.
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Outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad had a whopping ten runs batted in during a five-for-seven performance.
The Tides’ top-three prospects — Mayo, Holliday and Kjerstad — went a combined 14 for 20 with 13 runs batted in.
Designated hitter Kyle Stower also provided a powerful performance, blasting three home runs in a seven RBI outing.
In total, every single Tides starter collected at least one base hit on their way to a 26-11 rout.
The Tides team is so chock-full of MLB talent that I’m convinced they could give some of the MLB’s bottom feeders a run for their money.
Take the Miami Marlins for example. The 0-7 ballclub just lost their second-best pitcher, Eury Perez, to Tommy John Surgery after already losing their best pitcher, Sandy Alcantara, to the same injury before the season started. (RELATED: The Athletics Are Officially Moving Next Season … Just Not To The City You Think)
The last-place club has the fourth worst earned run average of any team in the Majors with a 6.04 ERA, according to MLB.com
Holliday, who almost broke camp with the Orioles and likely would have made the team if it weren’t for some niche rules that would allow the Orioles to retain his services for longer if they wait to call him up, would tee off on the Marlins pathetic pitching.
While the 26-run output is likely the highest they’ll go this year, the offensive output is no fluke for Norfolk. The Orioles (who have the top-ranked farm system in the MLB) have cultivated some serious talent and it’s culminated in the run production we’re seeing now. They’re averaging 13 runs per game through five games so far, according to Minor League Baseball.