Orioles Top 50 Prospect List: Three Takeaways
Our latest list highlights the Orioles' successes in international scouting, pitching development.
By Zach Spedden
When Jon Meoli appears on the show each year to break down his new rankings of the Orioles farm system for Baseball America, I always like to ask the same question. How is this list similar or different from those in previous years?
Jon’s answer usually provides a good snapshot of how the system is evolving. With that in mind, I decided to turn the question towards our own work by breaking down the latest Top 50 Prospects ranking we just unveiled here at Orioles on the Verge. (You can listen to the episode here, and find written scouting reports here.)
After comparing the latest list to our preseason rankings, going all the way back to the first in 2020, a few key differences emerged. The Orioles’ revamped international scouting efforts are paying off and there are more interesting arms in the mix than ever before, even if the system lacks the number of elite prospects that it had a few years ago. Some of those themes are explained in further detail below.
An Increasing International Scouting Influence
Under vice president and general manager Mike Elias and vice president, international scouting and operations Koby Perez, the Orioles have gone from being a non-factor in Latin America to an organization that is now deeply invested in international scouting and player development. This trend has played out over several years, but with 19 players originally signed by the Orioles named on our 2025 list, the efforts have never been more apparent than now. (The group of 19 does not include left-handed pitcher Juan Rojas, a native of Venezuela who was originally signed by the Twins in 2021 then traded to the Orioles the following year as part of the deal for Jorge Lopez.)
By comparison, the previous high mark for international prospects on our preseason list was 14 in 2023 and 2024. Our latest list is also a two player bump from our 2024 midseason update, and a significant climb from our first ever list in 2020, which had just one international prospect (Yusniel Diaz) and none that were originally signed by the Orioles.
When going further into this year’s group, we see an interesting range. Catcher Samuel Basallo ($1.3 million) and infielders Emilio Sanchez ($1.3 million) and Luis Almeyda ($2.3 million) are the only players who were originally signed for bonuses over $1 million. While a few players who earned seven-figure bonuses fall short of the rankings, the Orioles have made up for this by developing prospects who signed for less money initially, including several that received less than $100,000.
The Pitching Wave Keeps Rolling
Over the last year, we have spent a lot of time on the show talking about the Orioles pitching development program, and for good reasons. While the team has churned out successful development stories at the major-league level with Kyle Bradish, Felix Bautista, and Yennier Cano—and Grayson Rodriguez could be one healthy season away from a breakout—the farm system features as much depth as ever.
The 2025 preseason list includes 22 pitchers, compared to 28 hitters. That is the exact same margin as last year’s list, but it is a steady climb from the 20 hurlers on our 2023 list and a significant jump from the 16 included on our 2022 preseason rankings—the first preseason list that featured 50 prospects. To my surprise, our 2020 preseason Top 30 had 17 pitchers compared to 13 hitters, but that number of hurlers would not be eclipsed on a preseason list until we named 20 in 2023.
A big reason for the upward trend is that the Orioles are reaping benefits from both recent drafts and international signing classes. Nine of the hurlers on our list were drafted by the Orioles between 2022 and 2024, with six coming from the 2023 class alone, and the 15th-ranked Trey Gibson being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023. Meanwhile, an additional five were acquired as international free agents.
I expect that this trend will at least hold steady in 2025. The balance could tilt even more towards pitchers if a few hurlers who just missed our list breakout this year. Of course, a trade package built around pitching prospects could throw off this equation, but then again, the Orioles could make this year’s draft the first under Elias in which they decide to go aggressive on pitching in the early rounds.
Plenty of Questions, But Still Some Upside Among Hitters
A prevailing narrative among national outlets right now is that the Orioles farm system has plenty of depth but lacks the number of high-impact prospects it had in recent years. What probably drives that sentiment is that after a few years of having upwards of five or more players towards the top of our rankings receive mentions on various Top 100 Prospect lists, the Orioles are now down to Basallo, third baseman Coby Mayo, and—depending on the ranking—outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr.
A few pitchers could push their way into Top 100 rankings by next year, but we could also see outfielder Vance Honeycutt emerge in that group if he improves his contact skills. He is not the only outfielder that could take a step forward in 2025. Although Jud Fabian lacks a set of tools as loud as Honeycutt’s, he could do wonders for his prospect stock by cutting back on his swing and miss tendencies. Dylan Beavers, meanwhile, will look to break through this season after working with the Orioles to tweak his swing and plate approach over the last few seasons.
Some additional breakout candidates include Thomas Sosa, a young outfielder who had some ups and downs between Low-A Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen last season. He added strength over the offseason, which could allow him to hit for more power in 2025. The Orioles might also be bolstered by strong seasons from a few 2024 draftees, including infielder Griff O’Ferrall, catcher Ethan Anderson, and outfielder Austin Overn. There are also a few international prospects with plenty of ceiling left, and the possibility that some more established minor leaguers—catcher Creed Williems and infielder Frederick Bencosme among them—could take steps forward in 2025.
When we look back on this list in a few years, I suspect it will lack the star power of our 2021-2023 lists that featured several future big leaguers, headlined at various points by Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson. That said, the Orioles farm system is still deep going into 2025, thanks to improvements in some key areas that are reflected on our list.
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