The Baltimore Orioles have the best minor league system in the sport, and they now have a 19-year-old prospect who is flying up rankings and could force call-up consideration in the Fall.
Heading into the MLB games today, the Orioles have a top-five record and are not far off from being the top team in the league. They’re no longer a club on the way up and are now one of the true powerhouses in the American League, and that is due to the young stars on the roster that were developed from within.
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Who knows where this team would be this season without players like Ryan Mountcastle, Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Grayson Rodriguez? Yet, what makes the long-term outlook so exciting beyond some of their best being in their 20s is that their farm system is stacked with elite prospects, including Jackson Holliday — the No. 1 ranked player in all of baseball on MLB.com.
Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, and Coby Mayo are sure to get serious looks at the big league level in the next year if they aren’t moved in a blockbuster deal. However, the Triple-A players could soon be joined by 19-year-old slugger Samuel Basallo.
The Bowie Baysox player who can play catcher and first base has been crushing Double-A pitching this season, especially in his last 14 games. After hitting an impressive .313 over three different levels in 2023, he has a very nice slashline of .289 AVG/.341 OBP/.477 SLG/.818 OBP in his first full season at Double-A. And he already has 10 homers in 51 games after hitting 20 in 114 games all of last season.
- Samuel Basallo stats (2024): 51 games, .289 AVG, .341 OBP, .477 SLG, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 30 R
However, over the last few weeks, he has caught fire with at least one hit in 13 of his last 14 games, and he’s also knocked in 4 of his 10 homers and 14 of his 31 RBIs in that span. While there may be some players in the system with better stats, the fact that he is only 19 and doing very well at Double-A is scary.
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If he can build on his recent play, there is no reason not to expect a promotion to Triple-A soon and in September the Baltimore Orioles front office will be looking at any hot hand in the minors that could give them a lift late in the season.
Basallo is the second-ranked player in the O’s system and is considered the 13th-best in all of baseball on MLB.com.
