Christian Walker: Baltimore Orioles September Call-up

Sep 17, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Christian Walker (18) makes his major league debut batting in the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles gave Christian Walker – their Brooks Robinson Player of the Year Award winner for the best position player in the minor league system – an opportunity to join the team in September. He was in the starting lineup on Wednesday night, playing first base and batting seventh.

Walker led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a nice double down the third-base line, after previously striking out and flying out to right field.

As if Orioles fans need much more to retain their interest over the final 11 games, this is an additional item to watch in what has been a fascinating season of rotating personnel.

Walker was the fourth-round selection in 2012 out of the University of South Carolina. He has played for a time at each of the minor league stops in the Orioles farm system

Over this past season at AA Bowie and AAA Norfolk, he hit .288 with 96 RBIs on 26 home runs. His combined numbers at three levels in 2013 were .300 with 56 RBIs on 11 home runs. In 2012, after his draft out of college, in 31 games at Aberdeen he hit .284 with two home runs.

His minor league record is one of consistent progress. Though his average within each year went down from level to level as he moved up, he has shown the ability to come back and improve significantly on those numbers the next time around at that same stop.

The issue that may be largely unspoken by the Orioles is that they will want to see what they have in order to know what to do with personnel in the offseason. Chris Davis will be in his final year before free agency. With the irritation of the recent suspension, coupled with the very troubling statistics this season, there may be an interest in moving him if a good offer were presented.

Steve Pearce can play first base, as we certainly know well. He can also hit a lot of home runs, as he is doing while I write these paragraphs. He could also play somewhere else if Walker becomes an option in the next year or two.

In any event, with all of the players who have come along at the end of this season, along with injured players returning for 2015, it will look to be an offseason of very difficult but interesting decisions.

Non-related De Aza Note: It is too complicated to explain why, but I spent an extended time yesterday with a Chicago White Sox baseball fan. He’s been on vacation in recent days and not as aware of all that is going on around the American League.