Though coming off their first 100-win season in more than 40 years, the Orioles still find themselves in familiar territory down on the farm.
Even after graduating the likes of All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman, AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson, and postseason starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez from the minors over the last two years, Baltimore enters 2024 still holding the consensus top farm system in baseball. However, the details of MLB.com’s new top 30 prospect list reiterated what many have been saying for a while.
Changes are looming, regardless of how they take shape.
To no surprise, infielder Jackson Holliday — also the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball — sits atop the Orioles’ rankings, but the first overall pick of the 2022 draft was followed by catcher Samuel Basallo, outfielder Colton Cowser, third baseman Coby Mayo, and outfielder Heston Kjerstad to round out the top five. In addition to those five ranking in the top 32 in the MLB.com top 100 list, all but Basallo — who’s made a rapid climb of his own — carry an estimated major league arrival at some point this season, speaking to how crowded it’s becoming at Triple-A Norfolk. The organization’s top 10 also includes second baseman Connor Norby, right-hander Chayce McDermott, and lefty Cade Povich, who all saw meaningful action with the Tides last season and could make their major league debuts later in 2024.
Of course, a website’s projections don’t guarantee we’ll see all these names in Baltimore this year, especially with most of the 2023 club returning. There’s certainly value to having quality depth and reinforcements for a 162-game marathon, so it’s far from unprecedented for a prospect to repeat the Triple-A level if there’s no room in the majors. That said, the best organizations want to maximize the value of young players, whether it’s moving on from a veteran to make room in the majors or trading a prospect from a position of strength to address another need.
While Holliday’s 2024 debut is considered a matter of when and not if at this point, it’s fair to wonder how general manager Mike Elias will fit both Cowser and Kjerstad — who both debuted in the majors last year — on the 26-man roster or whether someone like Norby is even going to find a future in Baltimore with such a crowded infield picture. The latter reality already played out with infield prospect Joey Ortiz, who was included in last month’s trade for ace starting pitcher Corbin Burnes.
These are obviously great problems to have and no one is suggesting to make trades for the sake of doing it, but something will have to give sooner than later for Elias to take full advantage of this talented farm system and maximize the Orioles’ World Series chances.
Below are Baltimore’s top 10 prospects, according to MLB.com:
1. SS/2B Jackson Holliday
2. C Samuel Basallo
3. OF Colton Cowser
4. 3B/1B Coby Mayo
5. OF Heston Kjerstad
6. OF Enrique Bradfield Jr.
7. 2B/OF Connor Norby
8. OF Dylan Beavers
9. RHP Chayce McDermott
10. LHP Cade Povich
