This obviously didn’t come as a shock to anyone reading this. Dylan Bundy was one of — if not the — most dominating pitcher in the minor leagues this past season and we didn’t think twice about handing him our Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award.
Bundy began the season with the Delmarva Shorebirds and had no trouble at all with South Atlantic League hitters. He struck out 40 of them in 30 innings while walking just two. He allowed 5 hits in those 30 innings and didn’t give up a single earned run.
After Bundy was clearly too dominant for the SALLY League, he got the bump to the Carolina League. Bundy’s statistics dropped off a bit after the promotion, but his numbers were still beyond impressive. He struck out 66 and walked 18 in 57 innings with the Keys and pitched to a 2.84 ERA.
Still, Bundy was too good for his league and the Orioles challenged him by moving him up to Bowie for his final three starts of the season. His statistics with the Baysox don’t look all that extraordinarily, but he impressed both Tucker and I when we saw him in Bowie on separate occasions.
Bundy finished the season with 119 strikeouts, 28 walks, and a 2.08 ERA in his 103.2 innings split across three levels.
With a strong performance in spring training, it’s quite possible Bundy could crack the major league rotation next season. He enters the off-season as the Orioles’ #1 prospect.
