Orioles Next Big Thing: Prospect with Loudest Power Knocks on Major League Door
The Baltimore Orioles have done an incredible job over the last few years developing the young players they have selected near the top of the MLB Draft or signed as international free agents.
They have one of the deepest and most talented lineups in baseball and it could stay that way for a long time given how youthful so many of their key contributors are.
Cedric Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn are the only players projected to be in the Opening Day lineup who aren’t in their 20s. O’Hearn and free agent signing Tyler O’Neill are the only players who weren’t drafted by the organization and developed through their minor league system.
There are legitimate superstars such as shortstop Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman. Third baseman Jordan Westburg was an All-Star in 2024 and Colton Cowser was the American League Rookie of the Year runner-up.
Hopes are high for Jackson Holliday, who had a rough debut last year but still has a sky-high ceiling.
The Orioles already have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to talent in the lineup but there is even more on the way.
Their top prospect, Samuel Basallo, is one of the best hitters in the minor leagues. He is a a unanimous top-20 prospect for the second straight year and will stay there until he graduates into being a Major League player.
When will that be?
As shared by MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN+ (paid subscription required), if Baltimore had the space for him, it could have been Opening Day in less than two weeks as he was turning heads at spring training.
“One person who works for the Orioles on their latest top prospect, catcher Samuel Basallo: ‘We need to find ABs for him,'” Passan wrote.
Passan also wrote that “… the 20-year-old Basallo is coming, and when he arrives, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound left-handed hitter will bring some of the loudest power in the minor leagues.”
There is a logjam at all of the spots Basallo could earn some at-bats at. As Passan noted, Rutschman isn’t going anywhere. O’Hearn and Ryan Mountcastle are already splitting at-bats at first base, with whoever isn’t in the field being the designated hitter.
Former top prospect, outfielder Heston Kjerstad, is expected to get some at-bats as the designated hitter as the team is having issues finding playing time for him too.
Another top prospect, corner infielder Coby Mayo, is in a similar spot to Basallo, but he already reached the Major Leagues last year.
Reaching Triple-A during his age-19 season was quite a feat. His production wasn’t great there with a .222/.267/.370 with three home runs and three doubles across 86 plate appearances shows that he may have some work left to do.
But he is already making an impression on people within the organization and has incredible upside. With a .477 slugging percentage in the minor leagues, he has prodigious power potential that will be on display in Camden Yards in the near future.
