ST. PETERSBURG -- As the Orioles look to the future, beginning a rebuild this season that is expected to take several years, the Major League present has often been tough to stomach. The trades of seven key players, a swap that netted them 15 players and reshaped their Top 30 Prospects list, have given them hope.
But one of the biggest bright spots of the Minor League season wasn't a new face. It was Double-A Bowie's Keegan Akin. Akin -- the O's second-round Draft pick in 2016 -- was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year last week, the first Orioles pitcher in a decade (Brad Bergesen, '08) to take home the honors.