Catcher Matt Wieters, the Baltimore Orioles top prospect, is off to a blistering start in Class A Frederick.  The fifth overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft is batting .438 with 4 HRs and 10 RBI and 10 BB in his first 12 games.  Don’t expect Wieters to be in the Majors for another year though, as Orioles’ president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is in no rush to move him up to even Double A Bowie yet.

“Let’s let him play a while, [but] you can’t help but be impressed by the early returns,” said MacPhail. “If it’s clear that he’s not being challenged where he is, we have no problem moving him.”

In his daily column today, ESPN’s Tristan Cockcroft gives an update on the development of the Orioles top pick in last year’s draft, Matt Wieters.  Apparently yesterday’s game marked the first time since the first game this season that Wieters did not get a hit.  He was, however, on base three times via the base on balls.  Wieters is now hitting .478 with 3 HR and 10 BB on the young season.  Cockcroft notes that if Wieters continues to hit at this pace the Orioles will be forced to promote him to Double-A ball sooner than later.  If that happens and Wieters continues to hit, look out for him as a big time sleeper on the big league club in 2009.

Most teams have made their final cuts of spring training over the past few days.  This means that the remaining players not cut will more than likely spend the remainder of the spring with their respective teams.  We’ve listed below the more noteworthy prospects who have been sent back to the minors:

• Wade Davis, RHP, Rays
• Jake McGee, LHP, Rays
• Adam Miller, RHP, Indians
• Chuck Lofgren, LHP, Indians
• Mike Aubrey, 1B, Indians
• Danny Moskos, LHP, Pirates
• Collin Balester, RHP, Nationals
• Tyler Clippard, RHP, Nationals
• Garrett Mock, RHP, Nationals
• Ross Detwiler, LHP, Nationals
• Greg Reynolds, RHP, Rockies
• Casey Weathers, RHP, Rockies
• Max Ramirez, C, Rangers
• Chris Davis, 1B, Rangers
• German Duran, 2B, Rangers
• Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers
• Justin Masterson,  RHP, Red Sox
• Michael Bowden, RHP, Red Sox
• Deolis Guerra, RHP, Twins
• Jordan Walden, RHP, Angels
• Matt Wieters, C, Orioles

• Southpaw Troy Patton was the best prospect to come to Baltimore in the Tejada trade.  Patton’s now experiencing pain in his throwing shoulder, and has stopped pitching.  The training staff needs to run some more tests, but it appears the Orioles will be faced with a decision between rehab or season-ending surgery.
• Top prospect C Matt Wieters was a big part of the O’s 9th inning comeback in today’s game.  He beat out an infield single, and then scored the game-tying run on a double by Scott Moore.  Wieters was 1-3 on the day, with one strikeout.  Don’t look for Wieters to get the call-up before 2009.
• 19-year-old RHP Chris Tillman also pitched a scoreless inning.  He did not allow a hit.  This kid has filthy stuff, but is still probably two years away from joining the big league squad.

Orioles manager Dave Trembley is salivating at the thought of calling Matt Wieters up sooner rather than later. Trembley believes that at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Wieters has all the tools to be great at the next level, “and he’s only going to get better.” Its just a matter of time before this fifth overall pick in last year’s draft starts dominating major leaguers, MLB.com’s Charlie Nobles reports. Unfortunately, its still probably a couple of years off. As long as Wieters keeps on doing all the right things, like getting to the field 2 hours before everyone else, and picking Ramon Hernandez’s brain (according to the Baltimore Sun) I don’t see any way this guy can be stopped.

Catch a glimpse of Wieters in this WBALTV (Baltimore) report.