Dean Kremer, a right-handed pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, led the team to its third consecutive win with his best performance of the season. In the early part of the season, there were discussions about the possibility of him moving to Korea or Japan, but that now seems unlikely.
On the 12th (Korean time), Kremer started in a home game against the Miami Marlins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, leading Baltimore to a 5-2 victory with a performance of seven innings, three hits allowed, one walk, seven strikeouts, and no earned runs. Baltimore, which has now won three in a row, improved to 43 wins and 50 losses (.462 winning percentage) and currently sits fifth in the American League (AL) East.
Kremer overwhelmed Miami with stable pitching that posed no significant threats. With a total of 99 pitches, his fastest pitch clocked in at 95.1 mph (153.0 km/h) and averaged 93.5 mph (150.5 km/h), featuring a variety of pitches centered around his four-seam fastball (40 pitches), alongside splitters (24 pitches), sinkers (15 pitches), cutters (11 pitches), and curves (9 pitches). He recorded three looking Samjin strikeouts with sinkers that grazed the borderline, and his signature splitter dropped nicely out of the strike zone.
As of that day, Kremer has posted an 8-7 record with a 4.24 earned run average (ERA), 88 strikeouts over 108⅓ innings in 19 games (18 starts) this season. Despite Baltimore falling to the bottom of the division, Kremer has been performing well, logging the most innings and wins on the team. Since 2022, Kremer has achieved eight wins for four consecutive years, and surpassing last year's 13 wins to potentially reach a personal record of 14 wins this season is within reach.
At the beginning of the season, Kremer was evaluated as a pitcher who could soon play in Asia. On April 14, USA Today Sports reported, "Scouts from Japan and Korea are keeping a close eye on Baltimore starter Kremer. He has a chance to earn more money abroad than in next year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) free agent market."
Although it did not seem realistic for a pitcher who has consistently started more than 20 games over the past three years to move to Asia, it was not something that could be easily dismissed as it was reported by Bob Nightengale, a representative source for Major League Baseball.
Kremer, who is earning $2.95 million this year, will be in the second year of his salary arbitration eligibility next year. Players usually become non-tender candidates at this time if they do not perform decently. Given Kremer's poor performance in the early part of the season, there are projections that he could be non-tendered after the season and subsequently move to an Asian league. It seems that scouts from Korea and Japan have classified Kremer as a focus for observation, sensing this atmosphere.
By April, it seemed likely that would happen. In his first six games of the season, Kremer struggled with a 2-4 record and an ERA of 7.04. He recorded only 20 strikeouts over 30⅔ innings, averaging 5.9 strikeouts per nine innings, which was not a lot. However, from May onwards, Kremer rebounded with a record of 6-3 and an ERA of 3.13 over 13 games. He recorded 68 strikeouts over 77⅔ innings, raising his average to 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
Tony Mansolino, the acting manager of the Baltimore Orioles, praised Kremer after the game on the 12th, saying, "Kremer has been showing really good form lately. His velocity is getting better and better, and you can feel the power in his fastball with each game. His splitter was sharp, and his off-speed pitches were well placed and dropped effectively. He’s been showing very competitive pitching."
The Orioles are also benefiting from Tomoyuki Sugano, a Japanese pitcher who is having a solid adaptation during his first season in Major League Baseball, with a record of 7-5 over 18 games (99⅓ innings) and an ERA of 4.44, contributing to the one-two punch alongside Kremer. The remaining starting pitchers all have ERAs above 5. Baltimore, which has a weak starting rotation, is unlikely to non-tender Kremer after the season. Even if that were to happen, it is hard to believe that other teams wouldn’t take a starter of his caliber. For the time being, it seems unlikely he will be heading to Korea or Japan.
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