Dean Kremer

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #9 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 40. Control: 55
  Track Record: Kremer came to the Orioles in the July 2018 trade for Manny Machado while on his way to leading the minor leagues with 176 strikeouts that year. In September 2020, he became the first prospect from the trade to reach the majors and delivered three strong starts for the Orioles before struggling in his final outing.
  
  Scouting Report: Kremer’s 2018 breakout came as he switched to a more vertical attack. He primarily works with a four-seam fastball in the low-to-mid 90s with significant ride and a swing-and-miss curveball in the mid 70s. Kremer primarily relies on those two pitches, but during the quarantine period he brought his cutter along to the point it became a weapon against hitters on both sides of the plate in the big leagues. His changeup remains the fourth pitch in his arsenal and is seen as a long-term growth area. Kremer lacks overpowering stuff, but his pitch mix and above-average control gets him plenty of swings and misses.
  
  The Future: Kremer’s strikeout proclivity makes him a good bet to be part of the long-term rotation. His September callup showed he’s ready and should be in Baltimore’s 2021 Opening Day rotation.
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #11 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Kremer wasn't highly touted out of either high school or college, but work with the Dodgers' analytics staff made him a breakout player in 2018 and helped him lead the minors in strikeouts that year. Los Angeles traded him to the Orioles at the 2018 trade deadline as part of the return for Manny Machado. An oblique strain made his spring training invite moot, and forced him to miss the start of the season, but wasn't ultimately a hindrance.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Kremer is a fearless pitcher who uses all four pitches and has an idea of when to use them to his advantage, He misses bats with a high-spin four-seam fastball that sits 91-95 mph and a plus curveball in the mid-70s. His slider and changeup lag behind that, but he saw progress on the former as the season progressed. Both could be average pitches that play up based on his intelligent usage. Kremer uses solid-average command to attack all parts of the plate, especially inside.
  
  THE FUTURE: Kremer will return to Triple-A Norfolk to continue his fine-tuning for a possible future as a mid-rotation starter for the Orioles. He could be one of the first starters in their first wave of young pitching to join the rotation in 2019.
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #9 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: A late-bloomer who wasn't drafted out of high school, Kremer has progressed tremendously since the Dodgers made him the first Israeli citizen selected by a major league club (Kremer was born in California to Israeli parents and holds Israeli citizenship). Kremer struggled as a swingman in 2017, but adjusted his repertoire with the Dodgers analytics staff's help to emphasize his curveball. Acquired in the Manny Machado trade, he led the minors with 178 strikeouts in 2018.
  
  Scouting Report: Kremer's ability to miss bats comes through a well-balanced four-pitch mix, highlighted by a 91-94 mph fastball that touches 95. His biting 74-76 mph curveball both misses bats and gets weak contact, and he uses it in all situations, while his slider still could develop into a putaway pitch and his changeup is coming along. He has an advanced feel for pitching and sequencing and has distinguished himself already in the system by showing an aptitude for learning and an ability to process and carry out plans to refine his arsenal and approach.
  
  The Future: Kremer might not have more than a No. 4 starter ceiling. But he's had success in the upper level of the minors and has a clear path to a big league job in the not-to-distant future for a team that will be in dire need of young, durable starting pitchers. Kremer could push to Triple-A Norfolk in his first full year in the Orioles system.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked California League #15 prospect in 2018
  Formerly a sinker-slider righthander, Kremer became a four-seam fastball-curveball pitcher this year after the Dodgers analyzed his spin axis and release point and suggested the switch. The change worked wonders. Featuring a new 90-95 mph fastball with carry, a downer curveball and his old slider that still projects as his best pitch, Kremer led the Cal League in strikeout rate (12.99 K/9) before he was promoted to Double-A and traded to Baltimore in the Manny Machado deal. He finished the year as the overall minor league leader with 178 strikeouts. “He has the whole package,” Lake Elsinore manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “First a very good arm, up to 95, and then he has command of his of secondary pitches..That ability to throw a secondary pitch in any count for a strike, I think more than his fastball, is what will make him successful.” Kremer lacks a plus pitch and, although he throws strikes, his fastball command needs tightening. His ability to shape his slider and move it in and out of the zone to make it a plus pitch will be key, and will help determine whether he sticks in a starting rotation long-term.

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 40. Control: 55
  Track Record: Kremer came to the Orioles in the July 2018 trade for Manny Machado while on his way to leading the minor leagues with 176 strikeouts that year. In September 2020, he became the first prospect from the trade to reach the majors and delivered three strong starts for the Orioles before struggling in his final outing.
  
  Scouting Report: Kremer’s 2018 breakout came as he switched to a more vertical attack. He primarily works with a four-seam fastball in the low-to-mid 90s with significant ride and a swing-and-miss curveball in the mid 70s. Kremer primarily relies on those two pitches, but during the quarantine period he brought his cutter along to the point it became a weapon against hitters on both sides of the plate in the big leagues. His changeup remains the fourth pitch in his arsenal and is seen as a long-term growth area. Kremer lacks overpowering stuff, but his pitch mix and above-average control gets him plenty of swings and misses.
  
  The Future: Kremer’s strikeout proclivity makes him a good bet to be part of the long-term rotation. His September callup showed he’s ready and should be in Baltimore’s 2021 Opening Day rotation.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 40. Control: 55
  Track Record: Kremer came to the Orioles in the July 2018 trade for Manny Machado while on his way to leading the minor leagues with 176 strikeouts that year. In September 2020, he became the first prospect from the trade to reach the majors and delivered three strong starts for the Orioles before struggling in his final outing.
  
  Scouting Report: Kremer’s 2018 breakout came as he switched to a more vertical attack. He primarily works with a four-seam fastball in the low-to-mid 90s with significant ride and a swing-and-miss curveball in the mid 70s. Kremer primarily relies on those two pitches, but during the quarantine period he brought his cutter along to the point it became a weapon against hitters on both sides of the plate in the big leagues. His changeup remains the fourth pitch in his arsenal and is seen as a long-term growth area. Kremer lacks overpowering stuff, but his pitch mix and above-average control gets him plenty of swings and misses.
  
  The Future: Kremer’s strikeout proclivity makes him a good bet to be part of the long-term rotation. His September callup showed he’s ready and should be in Baltimore’s 2021 Opening Day rotation.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Kremer wasn’t highly touted out of either high school or college, but work with the Dodgers’ analytics staff made him a breakout player in 2018 and helped him lead the minors in strikeouts that year. Los Angeles traded him to the Orioles at the 2018 trade deadline as part of the return for Manny Machado. An oblique strain made his spring training invite moot, and forced him to miss the start of the season, but wasn’t ultimately a hindrance.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Kremer is a fearless pitcher who uses all four pitches and has an idea of when to use them to his advantage, He misses bats with a high-spin four-seam fastball that sits 91-95 mph and a plus curveball in the mid-70s. His slider and changeup lag behind that, but he saw progress on the former as the season progressed. Both could be average pitches that play up based on his intelligent usage. Kremer uses solid-average command to attack all parts of the plate, especially inside.
  
  THE FUTURE: Kremer will return to Triple-A Norfolk to continue his fine-tuning for a possible future as a mid-rotation starter for the Orioles. He could be one of the first starters in their first wave of young pitching to join the rotation in 2019. BA GRADE 50 Risk: High BA GRADE 50 Risk: High
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Kremer wasn't highly touted out of either high school or college, but work with the Dodgers' analytics staff made him a breakout player in 2018 and helped him lead the minors in strikeouts that year. Los Angeles traded him to the Orioles at the 2018 trade deadline as part of the return for Manny Machado. An oblique strain made his spring training invite moot, and forced him to miss the start of the season, but wasn't ultimately a hindrance.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Kremer is a fearless pitcher who uses all four pitches and has an idea of when to use them to his advantage, He misses bats with a high-spin four-seam fastball that sits 91-95 mph and a plus curveball in the mid-70s. His slider and changeup lag behind that, but he saw progress on the former as the season progressed. Both could be average pitches that play up based on his intelligent usage. Kremer uses solid-average command to attack all parts of the plate, especially inside.
  
  THE FUTURE: Kremer will return to Triple-A Norfolk to continue his fine-tuning for a possible future as a mid-rotation starter for the Orioles. He could be one of the first starters in their first wave of young pitching to join the rotation in 2019.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A late-bloomer who wasn’t drafted out of high school, Kremer has progressed tremendously since the Dodgers made him the first Israeli player selected by a major league club. Kremer struggled as a swingman in 2017, but adjusted his repertoire with the Dodgers analytics staff’s help to emphasize his curveball. Acquired in the Manny Machado trade, he led the minors with 178 strikeouts in 2018. Scouting Report: Kremer’s ability to miss bats comes through a four-pitch mix, highlighted by a 91-94 mph fastball that touches 95. His biting 74-76 mph curveball both misses bats and gets weak contact, and he uses it in all situations, while his slider still could develop into a putaway pitch and his changeup is coming along. He has an advanced feel for pitching and sequencing and has distinguished himself already in the system for simply showing the capacity to improve. The Future: Kremer might not have more than a No. 4 starter ceiling. But he’s had success in the upper level of the minors and has a clear path to a big league job in the not-to-distant future. He could push to Triple-A Norfolk in his first full year in the Orioles system.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Formerly a sinker-slider righthander, Kremer became a four-seam fastball-curveball pitcher this year after the Dodgers analyzed his spin axis and release point and suggested the switch. The change worked wonders. Featuring a new 90-95 mph fastball with carry, a downer curveball and his old slider that still projects as his best pitch, Kremer led the Cal League in strikeout rate (12.99 K/9) before he was promoted to Double-A and traded to Baltimore in the Manny Machado deal. He finished the year as the overall minor league leader with 178 strikeouts. “He has the whole package,” Lake Elsinore manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “First a very good arm, up to 95, and then he has command of his of secondary pitches..That ability to throw a secondary pitch in any count for a strike, I think more than his fastball, is what will make him successful.” Kremer lacks a plus pitch and, although he throws strikes, his fastball command needs tightening. His ability to shape his slider and move it in and out of the zone to make it a plus pitch will be key, and will help determine whether he sticks in a starting rotation long-term.