Top prospects power Tides to record setting night. A lot of talented baseball players from Baltimore have played for Triple-A Norfolk over the past four years. They’ve had three players who were the number one overall picks in the draft and about twelve players who were among the top 100 prospects in baseball. This is the highest number of top prospects in the Minor Leagues.
But a recent game was unlike any other in the team’s history.
Norfolk beat Charlotte 26-11. This final score has never happened before in American or National League history. The Orioles’ affiliate set a new team record for most runs, home runs (eight), and hits (29) in a game on Wednesday night at Truist Field.
This kind of offensive performance is rare. It’s the most runs scored in a single game by an International League team since the Buffalo Bisons scored 27 on April 18, 2013. The last Minor League team to score more was the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, who scored 29 on July 6, 2023.
Two players had particularly outstanding performances. Heston Kjerstad, who is ranked the 31st best prospect in Major League Baseball, hit two home runs and set a team record with 10 runs batted in (RBIs). Outfielder Kyle Stowers hit three home runs, also setting a team record with 44 career home runs.
In a game with so many runs, there were great performances from many players. Baseball’s top prospect, Jackson Holliday, went 4-for-6 with five runs scored, two RBIs, and two walks. Coby Mayo, ranked 29th by MLB, had five hits and was one home run away from hitting for the cycle. Seven players reached base at least four times, and most of the lineup had a batting average above 1.000.
Norfolk was actually losing for part of the game. The Knights took a 7-4 lead in the third inning, but the Tides scored two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game. Then they scored a lot more.
With home runs from Stowers, David Bañuelos, and Kjerstad, the Tides scored seven runs in the sixth inning and added five more in the seventh. In the eighth inning, Kjerstad hit a grand slam, setting the record for most RBIs in a game for the Tides. Peyton Burdick hit a home run in the ninth inning to finish the scoring.
Scoring 26 runs in a game might only happen once in a season, but Norfolk has had many high-scoring games this season. They scored 12 runs in each of their first two games and are averaging 13 runs per game in their first five games.
Norfolk led the International League East in scoring last season, averaging 5.88 runs per game, and was second in 2022 with 5.33 runs per game. Whether it’s been Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson or Holliday and Kjerstad, this Norfolk lineup has remained strong, even after many players moved up to the Major Leagues.
This success is a result of the Orioles having the best farm system in baseball since the middle of the 2021 season.
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