Orioles’ Keegan Akin Attracts Attention

BALTIMORE–While the top pick in a draft class garners most of the attention, second-round lefthander Keegan Akin found his own ways to get noticed this summer.

Akin didn’t allow a run in his last six starts over 18 innings at short-season Aberdeen. The 21-year-old finished 0-1, 1.04 in nine games, with just three earned runs allowed and 29 strikeouts in 26 innings.

The former Western Michigan southpaw held lefthanded batters to a .129 average in the New York-Penn League.

Akin was restricted to three-inning starts with the IronBirds while showing off his two-and four-seam fastballs, changeup and slider.

“I have an above-average fastball from the left side,” Akin told MASNsports.com. “I can throw my offspeed pitches for strikes. Basically, I just compete in the zone.

“I’ve been working on my changeup. I kind of struggled with that toward the end of my college season and when I first got here, but I think it’s back on track.”

The Orioles made Akin the 54th overall pick after he went 7-4, 1.82 and struck out 133 batters in 109 innings. The Orioles signed him for $1.177 million.

“He’s a fearless competitor,” scouting director Gary Rajsich said. “He’s got a lightning-fast arm. He always seems to have a little extra in his arm when he needs it. He can really pitch with his fastball. His secondary stuff is developing, and we think it will get better.

“We think he’s a future middle-of-the-rotation starter, and the kid really knows how to compete. He’s a winner.”

Aberdeen pitching coach Justin Lord liked what he saw from Akin.

“He throws three pitches and lots of strikes,” Lord said. “He’s had some games where both secondary pitches were real good. I think as his secondary stuff gets more consistent, he’ll really continue to progress. He’s got a very simple delivery. It’s fairly clean and repeatable, which is always good.”

BIRD SEED

• Reliever Pedro Beato set Triple-A Norfolk’s single-season record with his 65th appearance. He tied Toledo’s Preston Guilmet for the most games pitched in the minors this year.

• Outfielder D.J. Stewart, the 2015 first-round pick from Florida State, batted .254/.377/.399 in 121 combined games at low Class A Delmarva and high Class A Frederick. He hit six of his 10 home runs in the Carolina League.