Notes from some minor league games I've attended in the last few weeks:

Right-hander Brenan Hanifee was the Baltimore Orioles' fourth-round pick in 2016 out of high school in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and had a promising debut last summer for short-season Aberdeen, showing above-average control and a potentially plus sinker. He started this year in the rotation at low-A Delmarva and has continued to progress, now working with a four-pitch mix, still showing the same control, and flashing enough with his offspeed pitches to offer hope that he can continue to develop into a fourth or maybe even third starter.

Hanifee pitches at 90-94 and can show plus sink on his fastball, although he has the same inconsistency with it that he shows on all of his pitches. He showed a tight slider at 85-87, a true curveball at 80-82 that he hung a few times (once for a homer) and a changeup that ranged from a grade 40 pitch to a solid-average offering at 84-86, sometimes showing good sinking action. Every pitch was inconsistent, and he often left his fastball up, without sink, which made it very hittable; that and the hanging curveballs accounted for all the damage done against him.

Hanifee comes from a three-quarters slot and has a simple delivery with good, quick arm acceleration and a little deception as he hides the ball behind his body. He might gain some velocity as he matures, but I don't think he needs to throw harder -- he needs consistency, especially in location, which should come from experience. There's nothing in his delivery that would indicate he can't do it.