Even in the low minors, the tag of “lacking physical projection” can be a label a prospect can't shed. Because of that, polished pitchers such as Keegan Akin, the Orioles' 2016 second-round draft pick, can accumulate all kinds of success and end up having it met with skepticism.
So, can Akin, who works in the low 90s with a fastball that hitters just can't pick up out of his hand and two effective secondary offerings, pitch like this at the highest level?
It's worked for him everywhere else in his career, so once he crossed the threshold to Double-A Bowie this year and saw his results only improve, the question actually became, why can't it?