Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette has trumpeted his philosophy that the franchise's long-term success will hinge on its ability to develop its own pitching rather than spend money on big-ticket free-agent pitchers.
And Baseball America's list of the Orioles' top 10 prospects, released Tuesday, is extremely heavy with pitching.
Right-hander Dylan Bundy — who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2013 season — tops the list, followed by right-hander Kevin Gausman, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and right-hander Hunter Harvey.
Three of the four players are former first-round picks, including Harvey last season. All four are 22 years old or younger. Bundy and Gausman were the No. 4 overall picks in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Overall, six players on Baseball America's top 10 list of Orioles prospects are pitchers.
Infielder Jonathan Schoop, who was the team's No. 3 prospect on last year's list, slid to fifth this year. Left-hander Tim Berry, outfielder Henry Urrutia, right-hander Mike Wright, catcher Michael Ohlman and catcher Chance Sisco round out the list.
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