Orioles’ Creed Willems Makes Clear Progress In Low-A Repeat

Armed with nearly a full season of Low-A experience that taught him about the challenges of pro ball and what he needed to change in order to succeed, 19-year-old catcher Creed Willems returned to Delmarva this spring on a mission to prove those lessons went to good use.

A day before he marked the one-year anniversary of his Delmarva debut on April 28, having started 2022 in extended spring training, Willems hit his fifth home run of the season to top last year’s total of four and continue one of the hottest starts in the Orioles’ system.

“I think Creed realized going into the offseason some of the stuff that he was supposed to last year,” Delmarva manager Felipe Alou Jr. said. “First and foremost, he prepared himself better physically.

“Right there, you’re ready. You’re making progress. So he saw that, and now I think he’s more engaged offensively, which is the part that has been a lot different this year. He’s talking to our hitting guys, talking about plans, talking about stuff he was doing at the plate last year that didn’t take him anywhere, if you want to say that.”

Delmarva hitting coach Josh Bunselmeyer identified two key aspects of that improvement for Willems, a 2021 eighth-round pick out of Aledo (Texas) High who signed for an above-slot $1 million and doesn’t turn 20 until June.

Willems was using every opportunity possible in batting practice to add game-like reps against breaking balls in the dirt that he struggled to resists. The lefthanded hitter also worked on hitting to the opposite field more as opposed to just trying to crank fastballs out to right field. 

“He took this philosophy of, ‘I have to be able to go the other way, and I have to be able to lay off these curveballs.’ ” Bunselmeyer said. “And really, he started doing it.”

Through 15 Carolina League games, the results were markedly different. Willems hit .373/.484/.726 with five homers, eight walks and 12 strikeouts. His 1.209 OPS dwarfed his .586 mark from a year ago, while his strikeout rate decreased and walk rate increased.

Willems clearly learned the right lessons from his 2022 struggles.

BIRD SEED

— Shortstop Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, made quick work of his assignment to Low-A Delmarva to begin the season. Holliday had a 1.190 OPS with two home runs and more walks (14) than strikeouts (12) in 13 games before he was promoted to High-A Aberdeen on April 24.