There’s no doubt Branden Kline would like to go to Baltimore and ply his baseball trade as a member of the Orioles, but his next step would be to go home.
Kline, who was drafted in the second round last year out of the University of Virginia, is a native of Frederick. He could have been thrust into a similar role out of high school as a high draft pick of the Boston Red Sox back in 2009, but now will work his way up the ladder facing a variety of Bosox prospects as their farm teams play in the same leagues as the Orioles’ do.
For a few starts in April, it looked like the next stop for Kline would be a return to Aberdeen, where he made an abbreviated debut last year by pitching just 12 innings in four starts, with no record and a pedestrian 4.50 ERA to show for it. But in his last start on Thursday, Kline mastered the Lexington Legends by spinning three-hit, one-run ball over six innings. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead provided to it so Branden got no decision.
The tough stretch of three previous starts, where Branden allowed 15 earned runs in just 13 1/3 innings, ballooned his ERA above the 6-run mark. It’s now down to 5.68 in five starts, with a 1-2 record, 12 walks and 17 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings. Oddly enough, the two starts I have personally witnessed have seen Kline throw six innings of shutout ball followed up by last Thursday’s gem.
At only 21 years of age, there’s no doubt Kline can be a work in progress for a few years; then again he already has a tall order as the #8 ranked prospect in the Orioles chain. Obviously the expectations aren’t as high as they are for Kevin Gausman, who the Orioles took in the opening round of the same draft, but I’m certain Kline would like to be back in his hometown before season’s end. If he can string together a streak of quality starts like the two I’ve seen, that wish may come true.