Dean Kremer

Position: RHSP
Level: Double-A
Affiliate: Bowie Baysox
League: Eastern League
Born: 01/07/1996 (Age: 28)
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 180
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: 14th Rd., 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft (LAD); Traded to BAL 7/19/2018

Prospect Spotlight

The Dodgers took Kremer out of UNLV in the 14th round in 2016. He posted strong peripherals last year in the California League and posted an uglier ERA than he likely would have pitching out of such a hitter-friendly environment. Kremer dominated this year upon a repeat assignment to Rancho Cucamonga, and was a key piece in the five-for one prospect package that netted the Dodgers Manny Machado this July.

Built with long, lanky features, Kremer gets good extension from a semi-windup delivery. The fastball sits at 91-to-92 mph, able to touch 94 at best. It looks like a high-spin pitch to the naked eye, one that rides up in the zone and seems to freeze hitters more than most average fastballs. The primary off-speed is a slow curveball (74-to-76 mph) that he knuckles off for sharper bite, though he trades some ability to land it for a strike by doing so. Kremer wrinkles a decent circle-change (83-to-84 mph) later in outings, a pitch he will have to mix more frequently to keep big league hitters off what’s mostly a two-pitch mis at present. I’ve seen him experiment with a low-80s slider and an occasional cut fastball, two pitches that could add depth to his pitch mix with more development. Kremer throws lots of strikes with his fastball and has prevented walks throughout his career. He’s likely within a year of being big league ready, though he’ll benefit from refining the actual in-zone location of his strikes before pitching such a homer-friendly park like Camden Yards.

Save for a few exceptions (Yusniel Diaz, J.C. Encarnacion) Baltimore’s prospect returns at the deadline focused on acquiring high-floor, quick-moving targets en masse. Kremer fits that latter mold as a potential 5th starter—though one who has some obstacles to clear before fulfilling that ceiling. His stuff backs up as outings progress, and he will need a deeper mix of pitches to turn over big league lineups. That said, he’s a safe bet to get to the big leagues could pitch in a multi-inning swingman role at the very least.