The Baltimore Orioles have returned to being a power in the American League East due to a youth movement developed in their minor leagues, and it seems they have even more potential All-Stars waiting in the wings.
After years of being near or at the bottom of the AL East, the Orioles’ resurgence over the last two seasons has been remarkable. After being unexpectedly competitive in 2022, the team was able to win just their third division title since 1997 this past season. Yet, what makes their rise to being a contender different that other teams in the AL is that it has been led by many of their top players from the minor leagues.
Over the last two seasons, former elite prospects like Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Ryan Mountcastle have evolved into major parts of what is quickly turning into a winning environment. They are the most notable fruits of a lot of hard work by the organization’s talent development system. Those three would be more than enough to be grateful for, however, the Orioles minor leagues have a slew of other players primed to be the next big thing in Baltimore.
On Friday, MLB.com posted its list of the top 100 prospects around the league heading into the 2024 season. And the Orioles have a whopping six players in the top 65, including the No. 1 player. For the second straight year, the organization will have the most valuable player in the minors with middle infielder Jackson Holliday getting the top spot.
The 20-year-old was the top overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and has flown through their system, finishing the 2023 season in Triple-A. Last year he played at four different levels and accumulated a combined average of .323 with 12 home runs and 72 runs batted in. There is a real chance he could win a roster spot in Spring Training this year.
Samuel Basallo is Baltimore Orioles’ next big prospect after Jackson Holliday
After being the organization’s fifth-best prospect in 2023, Samuel Basallo has risen to No. 2 in 2024 and 17 overall in MLB. The 19-year-old catcher and first baseman played at Single-A, High-A, and Double-A last year. What is impressive about the youngster is he got better at every level. Something even Holiday didn’t do.
In 22 games at High-A, he batted .333, but in four games at Double-A, his average jumped to a whopping .467. It was a smaller sample size, but the fact that he has not only risen in the rankings of the Orioles system but also in MLB shows most around the league do not believe those Double-A numbers were a fluke.
After Basallo, the rest of the Baltimore Orioles prospects in the top 65 are outfielder Colton Cowser (No. 19), infielder Coby Mayo (No. 30), outfielder Heston Kjerstad (No. 32), and infielder Joey Ortiz (No. 63). Unfortunately, the team has no pitchers in the top 100 and Chayce McDermott was tenth on the organization’s rankings last year.