Two years ago, the Orioles netted an All-Star reliever in Yennier Cano via the Jorge Lopez trade. But Cano wasn’t the only notable piece who went to Baltimore, as the Orioles picked up a strong left-handed pitching prospect in Cade Povich. Almost two years later, the former Nebraska standout will make his MLB debut.
A Look at Povich
The Orioles acquired left-hander Cade Povich, a third-round pick out of Nebraska in 2021, two years ago in the Jorge Lopez trade that also netted Baltimore Yennier Cano.
At the time of the trade, Povich was an intriguing left-hander who netted plenty of strikeouts in the lower Minors. That has remained roughly the case since then.
Povich struck out 171 over 126.2 innings between Double and Triple-A last season and put up similar numbers in 2024. The 24-year-old posted 75 strikeouts over his first two months of the year with Norfolk (AAA), which put him second in the International League before his promotion, behind Tides teammate Chayce McDermott.
Arguably the two best pitches in Povich’s arsenal are his fastball and changeup. Povich’s four-seamer sits in the 90-94 MPH with about league-average extension but one with a fair amount of carry (17.3” of IVB in 2024). That carry allows Povich to keep that fastball up and blow hitters away in and out of the zone, which he’s done to great effectiveness.
The other pitch that’s received rave reviews is his changeup which differs in speed by about seven to 10 MPH. Additionally, Povich will work in a curveball and slider. Those pitches have helped Povich dominate Triple-A hitters, as batters have a .202 average off him.
Walks have been a problem in the past for Povich, who walked 66 over 126.2 (4.7 BB/9) last season. This season, he’s walked 21 over 58.2 (3.3 BB/9), an improvement.
Per manager Brandon Hyde, Cade Povich will make his MLB debut for the Orioles on June 6 against the Blue Jays. He’ll join infielder Connor Norby, who also made his debut this past week.
Analysis
The Orioles rotation has been dealt a tough hand, as John Means, Tyler Wells, and Dean Kremer are all on the IL. In the cases of Means and Wells, the two will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of 2024.
The injuries pave the way for some of Baltimore’s young talent to get a crack at the MLB level. Povich’s stuff overwhelmed Triple-A hitters and his arsenal does have the balance necessary to get both lefties and righties out. In fact, he handled righties (.180 BA) better than lefties (.250 BA), albeit the latter was a smaller sample size.
Fantasy Outlook
Povich has intriguing potential in fantasy baseball, in both AL-only and mixed leagues. The lefty’s got power stuff to net strikeouts, making him a name to watch. It also doesn’t hurt that he’ll be pitching for one of the league’s best teams.