Shorebird of the Week – September 3, 2015

Not only is the end of the season bittersweet, but picking the final Shorebird of the Week is tough because there are normally two to four guys who have a legitimate case for selection. Last year my final 2015 pick was one of those also-fans at the end so Dariel Delgado quietly came back and put together a good season for Delmarva, first out of the bullpen but lately as a starter. In fact, since joining the rotation for good on July 20 Dariel has shaved his ERA down from 3.95 to its present 3.23 and picked up three consecutive wins in his last three starts to run his Delmarva record to 7-3.

Dariel was actually promoted briefly to Frederick in late May but returned here after some tough outings, including one where he gave up nine runs in one inning. A 12.00 ERA in nine innings will blemish anyone’s record, but the Cuban native who just turned 22 last week has returned to form with the Shorebirds.

As I stated above, this season was Delgado’s second one here. He was promoted in July of 2014 and finished 0-3 but with a respectable 4.09 ERA in 33 innings, allowing 33 hits while striking out 25 and walking 10 for a 1.30 WHIP. While his secondary numbers aren’t quite as good this year – his strikeout rate is down while he’s walking 3.3 batters per 9 innings on the season – he’s managing to get the outs he needs to put together good lines, such as the one run and four hits he allowed in his career-long seven innings against Hickory on Sunday.

While Delgado was signed as a free agent by the Orioles in 2013, Dariel was actually drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2011 as a 29th round pick, but did not sign as a 17-year-old. That brief foray to Frederick was the first setback in what’s been a steady climb up the ladder for Delgado, who I would expect will be in the mix for Frederick’s rotation next season.

Now for a little housekeeping. As usual I will review the 2015 season next week and pick a Shorebird of the Year, then the following week brings my picks and pans. Then I put the Shorebirds on hiatus until I add new players to the Shorebird of the Week Hall of Fame in December. Last night capped a home season which was rather successful on the field although attendance has lagged. In coming weeks I’ll have some thoughts as to why.