Eastern League (AA)

Alumni playing in the Eastern League: 6
Most Numerous Team: Bowie Baysox (2)

Perhaps no Ripken League alum took greater strides in 2010 than Justin De Fratus (Express '06), who parlayed a fantastic start with Class-A Clearwater into a promotion to Class-AA Reading and a berth on the Mid-Season All-Star Team, then spots on USA Baseball's Professional Team (which competed in the Pan American Games qualifier) and the Mesa Solar Sox of the prestigious Arizona Fall League.

Baseball America tabbed De Fratus as the one to ''Keep an Eye On'' in the Phillies organization, saying that De Fratus ''has good command of a mid-90s fastball which has touched 98, and throws a slider and changeup. He could be in the Phils' bullpen picture in 2011.''

LJ Hoes (Orioles '07), who finished the season in the Eastern League, was rated the fourth best prospect in the Baltimore Orioles organization by Baseball America. The magazine also projected Hoes as the Orioles' regular second baseman by 2014.

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After a tremendous 2010 season, De Fratus was named to USA Baseball's Professional Team and competed in the COPABE Pan American Games/World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, October 2 - 13. De Fratus appeared in five of the United States' ten games, allowing just one earned run in 4.2 innings (1.93 ERA) on five hits and no walks. He struck out three batters and collected one save. His five appearances were tied for most on the team.

De Fratus was nothing short of spectacular in 2010, going 3-0, 1.94 with 21 saves between the Class-A Florida State League and Class-AA Eastern League. De Fratus made 29 appearances as the closer for the Clearwater Thrashers of the Florida State League, allowing just eight earned runs on 31 hits and 11 walks in 40.1 innings. He struck out 43 batters and saved 15 ballgames for Clearwater. De Fratus did not slow up after his promotion to the Reading Phillies, collecting six saves in 20 relief appearances. His strikeout to walk ratio actually improved against the stiffer competition of the Eastern League, as he allowed just five free passes to 28 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. Opponents his just .208 off of De Fratus in 2010, who was a Mid-Season All-Star for the second year in a row. The righty will pitch for the Mesa Solar Sox of the prestigious Arizona Fall League in Winter Ball.

A South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star, De Fratus went 5-6, 3.19 with three saves in 12 starts and 24 relief appearances for the League Champion Lakewood BlueClaws in 2009. De Fratus struck out 101 batters in 110 innings, and allowed 44 runs on 108 hits and just 16 walks, the fewest walks of any pitcher on the team with at least 52 innings-pitched. Baseball America tabbed De Fratus as having the ''Best Control'' among Phillies prospects.

In 2008, the righty went 6-5, 3.67 with one complete game in 14 starts for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League. He struck out 74 batters in 83.1 innings-pitched, and walked 25. De Fratus allowed 39 runs on 87 hits, and opponents hit just one home run off of him all season.

De Fratus reported to the Phillies of the Gulf Coast League after being drafted in 2007. He went 2-3, 4.30 in eight starts and a pair of relief appearances and struck out 34 batters to just three walks in 46 innings. De Fratus allowed 25 runs on 51 hits.

Herold moved up to the Class-AA Eastern League in 2010 after making 11 appearances for the Salem Red Sox of the Class-A Carolina League. Herold overpowered Class-A hitting, going 2-0, 1.05 with a save and 17 strikeouts in 25.2 innings. He allowed just three runs on 12 hits and walked just four batters for Salem. Opponents hit just .141 off of him in the Carolina League, and he was Pitcher of the Week in the league the week of May 3. Against stiffer competition, Herold went 3-4, 5.29 in 26 relief appearances for the Portland Sea Dogs. He struck out 43 batters in 51 innings and walked just 13. However, Herold allowed 30 runs on 57 hits, including two home runs in the Eastern League.

Herold continued to impress in 2009, going 5-1, 1.92 with four saves in 33 relief appearances for the Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League. Herold struck out 71 batters in 65.2 innings while allowing 19 runs (14 earned) on 58 hits and 24 walks. Opponents hit just .238 off of him. Herold did not allow a run over his final four appearances of the season, scattering just four hits and four walks while striking out eight batters in 8.1 innings from August 25 to September 5.

Herold's first season in professional baseball was impressive, as he went 3-1, 2.57 with one save in 17 relief appearances in 2008 for the Lowell Spinners of the Class-A Short-Season New York-Penn League. Herold struck out 26 batters in 28 innings and held opposing batters to a meager .198 batting average. Herold scattered 20 hits and 14 walks and allowed just two home runs all season.

Baseball America rated Hoes the fourth best prospect in the Baltimore Orioles farm system after the 2010 season. Hoes had mixed results in three stops after battling a case of mononucleosis for more than a month, but posted impressive numbers overall. Hoes began the season at Class-A Frederick, where he hit .278/.375/.368. For the Keys, Hoes collected 98 hits, including 19 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He drove in 44 runs and scored 52. Hoes also posted a solid 53:70 walk-to-strikeout ratio while with Frederick, and stole ten of 18 bases. After returning from the case of mono, Hoes appeared in eight games for the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Class-A Short Season New York-Penn League. There he went 13-for-28 (.464) with five doubles, a triple, and a home run. He drove in five runs, scored eight, and struck out just once. Hoes finished the season with three games for the Bowie BaySox of the Class-AA Eastern League.

Hoes collected 112 hits in 119 games for the Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League in 2009, with 19 doubles and two home runs. Batting .260, he drove in 47 runs while scoring 42 and was successful on 20 of 25 stolen-base attempts. Hoes walked 23 times and struck out 80.

The Top Prospect in the Cal Ripken, Sr. League in 2007, Hoes showed why in his first professional season. The second baseman hit .308/.416/.390 for the Orioles of the Rookie Gulf Coast League. He collected 49 hits, including four doubles, three triples, and a home run. Hoes drove in 18 runs and scored 36 of his own. He also walked 30 times to just 22 strikeouts and stole ten bases. Baseball America named Hoes the #15 prospect in the Gulf Coast League after the 2008 season.

After a brief move across the country when the San Francisco Giants selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, Johnson was returned to the Baltimore Orioles organization and returned home to Maryland, where he spent the 2010 season with the Class-AA Bowie Baysox. Johnson went 7-8, 5.09 in 28 starts, striking out 128 batters in 145 innings. He allowed 87 runs (82 earned) on 144 hits and 78 walks. Although opponents hit just .259 off of him, Johnson allowed 24 home runs in 2010.

Johnson went 8-4, 3.82 with a save in 16 starts and two relief appearances for the Inland Empire 66ers of the California League, and 1-1, 1.69 in two starts for the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Southern League before a mid-season trade sent him to the Baltimore Orioles farm system. After the trade, Johnson continued to shine, going 3-2, 2.84 in seven starts for the Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League. For the year, Johnson struck out 154 batters in 145.1 innings and allowed 68 runs on 126 hits and 62 walks. Opponents hit just .236 off of him, including .179 while he was with the Baysox.

Johnson was a midseason All-Star for the Great Lakes Loons of the Class-A Midwest League in 2008, going 9-2, 2.34 in 13 starts with 57 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 73 innings. Johnson was promoted to the Inland Empire 66’ers of the Class-A Advanced California League, where he made 11 starts and went 3-6, 7.10 with 55 strikeouts in 52 innings-pitched. Combined, Johnson struck out 112 batters in 125 innings in 2008, and walked just 46. He allowed 68 runs on 127 hits, including 13 home runs.

The righty went 3-6 in 16 starts for the Loons in 2007. He struck out 65 batters in 81.2 innings-pitched, but allowed 90 hits, including two home runs, and 40 walks. His ERA was 4.85. That winter, Johnson pitched for the West Oahu CaneFires of the Hawaiian Winter League.

In 2006, Steven made 14 starts for the Ogden Raptors of the Rookie-level Pioneer League before earning a promotion to the Jacksonville Suns of the Class-AA Southern League. For the Raptors, Steven went 5-5, tossing 78.2 innings and compiling an ERA of 3.89. He struck out 86 batters to 25 walks. He appeared in two games (4.2 innings pitched) for the Suns, allowing no runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Steven is the son of former Baltimore Oriole Dave Johnson.

Kibler bounced between the Class-AA Erie Seawolves and the Class-A Advanced Lakeland Flying Tigers in a trying 2010 season. He went 4-4, 3.58 in 12 starts for Lakeland, but struggled to 4-7, 6.44 in 15 starts with Erie. Between the two, Kibler struck out 92 batters and walked 53 in 150 innings. He allowed 89 runs (85 earned) on 167 hits, including 15 home runs. Kibler was the Pitcher of the Week in the Florida State League the week of August 16.

After being tabbed the Detroit Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2008, Kibler performed well in 2009, going 6-9, 4.06 in 27 starts with three complete games for the Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League. He struck out 87 batters and walked 68 in 161.2 innings, allowing 85 runs on 168 hits. Opponents hit .277 off of him. Kibler pitched six shutout innings, allowing just one hit and four walks while striking out seven in a no-decision on August 24.

The Tigers' MiLB Pitcher of the Year, a Midwest League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star and two-time Pitcher of the Week, Kibler clearly made big strides in 2008. He went 14-5, 1.75 in 23 starts for the West Michigan Whitecaps. Kibler tossed two complete games, including one shutout, and struck out 126 batters in 154.1 innings-pitched. He also kept his WHIP under one all season, allowing 103 hits and 32 walks, earning ''Best Control'' honors among Tigers prospects from Baseball America. Opposing batters hit just .190 off of him.

In 2007, Kibler began his professional career with the Rookie-Level Tigers of the Gulf Coast League, going 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA in five starts and two relief appearances. There he struck out 23 batters in 29.2 innings and walked just six. He allowed 26 hits but did not allow a home run. He earned a promotion to the Oneonta Tigers of the Class-A Short-Season New York-Penn League, where he made two starts and posted a 2.38 ERA before the season ended. In his first start, against the Lowell Spinners, Kibler allowed just two hits and two walks in seven shutout innings. He struck out three. He allowed three runs on six hits in his next start, but struck out eight in just 4.1 innings.

The New York Yankees traded Olbrychowski to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Justin Maxwell (Univ. of Maryland) on February 2, 2010.

Olbrychowski moved up to Class-AA Trenton after 30 games with the Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League. For Tampa, Olbrychowski went 3-2, 4.02 with one save in 29 relief appearances and a start. He struck out 52 batters in 62.2 innings and allowed just 27 walks. Opponents hit .252 off of him. Olbrychowski made two relief appearances for the Thunder after his September promotion and allowed one run on four hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. He struck out four batters for Trenton.

After showing flashes in his first two professional seasons, Olbrychowski performed consistently well in his third, going 3-2, 2.73 in 32 games as a reliever for the Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League. The righty struck out 52 batters in 62.2 innings-pitched and allowed 23 runs (19 earned) on 55 hits and 43 walks. Opponents hit just .233 off of him. Olbyrchowski also appeared in one game for the Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League, allowing two hits in one shutout inning of relief work.

In 2008, Olbrychowski went 7-8, 5.13 with one save in 22 games (19 starts). He struck out 72 batters in 98.1 innings and allowed 69 runs (56 earned) on 112 hits and 41 walks.

Olbrychowski went 3-5 with a 4.47 ERA in 13 starts for the Staten Island Yankees of the Class-A Short-Season New York-Penn League in 2007. Olbrychowski struck out 51 batters in 58.1 innings-pitched, but walked 33 and allowed 51 hits, including four home runs. Opponents hit just .243 off of him. The righthander won his final two starts of the season, allowing a pair of runs on four hits in each start.