2025 MLB Draft Review: Baltimore Orioles

Full list of draftees

With two compensation picks after losing Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, a CBA pick from the Bryan Baker trade, and a CBB pick won in the competitive balance lottery, the Orioles had six of the first 69 picks, four beyond what the draft would normally give a team. Because of that, despite picking nineteenth in the draft, they had the largest bonus pool of any team by a whopping $2 million margin. With all those resources, they put together a fantastic class headlined by four bats at the top and seven bats in their first nine picks. I really like the talent they pulled in, with a few picks that I thought no way would they have a chance to draft. One interesting trend was small schools, including schools like Ashland University (OH), University of the Cumberlands (KY), Mineral Area JC (MO), Johnson County JC (KS), and many others. They also pulled in some fantastic names like Ike Irish, Wehiwa Aloy, Slater de Brun, Jaiden Lo Re, and KK Clark.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-19: C Ike Irish, Auburn
Slot value: $4.42 million. Signing bonus: $4.42 million ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #7. MLB Pipeline: #11. Baseball America: #13.
Letting Ike Irish get to the Orioles at pick #19 was a mistake, especially given his slot value signing bonus. There might not be a better pure bat in the class. Irish was a member of the vaunted Orchard Lake St. Mary's Prep team in Michigan that included Alex Mooney (Guardians), Nolan Schubart (Guardians), and Brock Porter (Rangers), where he earned interest in the top couple of rounds but stood firm in his commitment to Auburn. He hit the ground running on The Plains, and after three seasons and 160 games he can look back on 39 home runs and a .350/.435/.625 slash line for the Tigers. Irish sets up from a wide base and gets his barrel long through the zone, and while his flat swing was initially more geared for line drives, he has been getting it up in the air more and more with 6, 14, and 19 home runs in each of his three seasons, respectively. There is plus raw power in the tank that has gone from playing average to now above average in games. Previously a relatively aggressive hitter, he has trended in the right direction with his approach too and upped his walk rate from 9.5% to 10.6% to 12.8%. Getting better pitches to hit has helped him tap his power more in games, with his .469 on-base percentage and .710 slugging percentage both representing career highs in 2025. While you would think Irish a slugger, he actually stands out the most for his bat to ball, running excellent contact rates both inside and outside the zone and proving extremely difficult to strike out. In fact, he hit over .300 with an on-base percentage over .400 in a 62 game sample over two seasons in the elite Cape Cod League, proving one of the most professional bats in the class. His combination of big league physicality, hand-eye coordination, and improving loft and patience makes him a potential middle of the order masher in Baltimore. At peak, he could crush 25+ home runs per season while posting high batting averages. While his bat will play anywhere, Baltimore really hopes he can stick behind the plate. He's fringy back there for now with some clunkier actions, leading Auburn to play him primarily in right field in 2025, though he does have a strong arm. With robo-umps coming, Irish might have a better shot to stick, though he'll need to clean up the blocking. If not, his below average speed will make him a fringy but playable defender in an outfield corner. I am a big fan of this bat and frankly I think he'll be valuable even if he's a DH, which he won't be quite yet.

1C-30: C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina
Slot value: $3.11 million. Signing bonus: $3.11 million.
My rank: #37. MLB Pipeline: #32. Baseball America: #29.
The second straight catcher to start off the draft, Caden Bodine has a very, very different profile from Ike Irish. While Irish is a masher who may not stick behind the plate, Bodine is an ultra high contact bat who certainly will. His bat to ball is the stuff of legends. He consistently runs contact rates hovering around 90%, which is 70 grade territory, and he can go weeks without swinging and missing inside the strike zone. His strikeout rate in 2025 was a minuscule 7.7%, the third lowest of any college bat on my draft list (behind Jake Cook's 6.7% [Blue Jays] and Kane Kepley's 7.1% [Cubs]), the product of a simple, effortless swing that he repeats from both the left and right side of the plate with the utmost consistency. That was the case in the Cape Cod League as well, where he hit .382 and struck out just 12.6% of the time against some of the best pitchers college baseball has to offer. Now, that high contact approach comes with limited power. While he crushed eleven home runs as a freshman in 2023, he dropped to nine in 2024 and finished 2025 with just five. He runs pedestrian exit velocities and his stocky 5'10" frame is maxed out. This will not be a bat that challenges for double digit home run totals too often. Instead, it's more of a Mike Redmond-like profile that will get on base at a high clip for a long time. Meanwhile, Bodine is a sound defender who blocks well and really stands out for his framing, lauded as among the best in college baseball. So if we get robo umps, Baltimore is covered with Irish, and if we don't, Bodine will continue to steal strikes at a high clip. The South Jersey native has average arm strength, but it plays up because he gets rid of the ball quickly with accurate throws. To my eye, I see quite a few similarities to Kevin Bazzell coming out of Texas Tech a year ago, albeit with a slightly elevated profile all-around except in the power department, though Bazzell has struggled in the Nationals organization this year.

1C-31: SS Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas
Slot value: $3.04 million. Signing bonus: $3.04 million.
My rank: #24. MLB Pipeline: #17. Baseball America: #16.
Judging by most public rankings, I was one of the lower guys on Wehiwa Aloy and even I look at this as a steal. Aloy seemed more likely to hear his name in the teens than to drop into the thirties, yet the Orioles scooped him up at #31 and didn't even have to go over slot value to sign him. He began his career at Sacramento State, where he was named WAC Freshman of the Year and was a near-consensus First Team Freshman All-American, picking up the honor in virtually every publication but Baseball America. Transferring to Arkansas for his sophomore season, he couldn't quite replicate the success against SEC pitching as his batting average fell over one hundred points and his slugging percentage nearly two hundred. However, he showed extremely well on the Cape that summer (.309/.352/.642) and rode that success to a huge junior year in 2025, hitting .350/.434/.673 with 21 home runs in 65 games on his way to winning college baseball's most prestigious award – the Golden Spikes Award. Aloy is a ballplayer, to say the least. Clocking in at a listed 6'2", 200 pounds, he quietly taps plus raw power with a leveraged swing that he keeps under control and deploys to all fields. That power has given him 49 home runs in 181 career college games, plus eight in 21 games with wood bats on the Cape. He is an extremely aggressive hitter that has upped his walk rate from 5.7% as a freshman to 9.1% as a sophomore to 10.3% as a junior, but he's up there to hack. Aloy gets into trouble expanding the zone and has pretty consistently run strikeout rates in the 20% range virtually everywhere he's gone, which is a tad high for a first round college bat, but it simply has not impacted his production at all and no matter the caliber of arms he faces, the results seem to be the same – loud. He does not get cheated in his at bats and if he's going to come up empty, he'll come up empty three times on three "A" swings. Usually, he connects with one of them and he's finding extra bases. The feel for the barrel is excellent even if he swings and misses a fair amount, especially outside the zone. Sooner or later the aggressive approach may catch up with him, so the Orioles will watch for that as he reaches the upper levels of the minors and beyond. Aloy can move pretty well but lacks the plus speed of many big league shortstops, instead relying on improving glovework and a strong arm to get the job done. At this point, the Hawaiian has made enough progress defensively that he looks the part of a big league shortstop that can pick it with the pros, and if a Gold Glover forces him to second or third base, he could be a plus defender at either. The ultimate projection here could be 25+ home runs annually, though the on-base percentages could really end up anywhere.

CBA-37: OF Slater de Brun, Summit HS [OR]
Slot value: $2.63 million. Signing bonus: $4 million ($1.37 million above slot value).
My rank: #26. MLB Pipeline: #24. Baseball America: #30.
After signing college bats to slot value bonuses with their first three picks, the Orioles went way over slot value to give Slater de Brun a $4 million bonus and divert him away from a Vanderbilt commitment, money that represents roughly the value of the #22 pick. There has been a recent trend of undersized, powder keg prep outfielders from west of the Mississippi coming through following Jett Williams (Mets) and Slade Caldwell (Diamondbacks), and de Brun fits that mold. Generously listed at 5'10", 185 pounds, de Brun like Williams and Caldwell plays well above his size. He has a quick, adjustable left handed swing geared for line drives, and when combined with advanced plate discipline he is constantly finding his way on base and battering pitches all around the zone. There is solid pure bat to ball in the profile as well, and he had no trouble with Oregon high school pitching this year. Once he gets to two strikes, he widens his stance and limits his stride so as to make for one of the toughest strikeouts in prep baseball. While he's undersized, he has worked hard to pack strength onto his smaller frame and came out this spring looking pretty chiseled, giving what was previously well below average power a chance to get to fringy. It may not sound like much, but a potential .300 hitter with high on-base percentages knocking 10-15 home runs per season is an All Star. That's especially true when you consider de Brun's plus-plus speed and plus glovework in center field, giving him a shot to steal bases in bunches while competing for Gold Gloves out there. The Bend, Oregon native is a high-IQ baseball player with excellent instincts, strong makeup, and a high energy style of play that will endear him to Orioles fans quickly upon his arrival in a few seasons. To top it off, he is relatively young for the class and only turned 18 a month before the draft. Baltimore hopes it has its leadoff man and center fielder of the future here.

2-58: LHP Joseph Dzierwa, Michigan State
Slot value: $1.6 million. Signing bonus: $1.5 million ($100,600 below slot value),
My rank: #53. MLB Pipeline: #74. Baseball America: #50.
Pivoting to their first pitcher of the class after four straight bats, the Orioles also began to slowly recoup the seven figure hole they dug themselves into with their bonus pool after taking Slater de Brun in the competitive balance round. Joseph Dzierwa is a very interesting under slot candidate and one which I will enjoy following. A native of tiny Haskins, Ohio, about fifteen miles southwest of Toledo, he headed north to Michigan State for college and almost immediately jumped into the front of the Spartans rotation. After two solid seasons, he broke out with a massive 2025 in which he put up a 1.42 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, and a 137/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 118.2 innings, enough to earn Big Ten Pitcher of the Year accolades. Perhaps his most impressive outing came on May 2nd, when he tossed a complete game, three hit shutout against eventual #12 national seed Oregon, striking out eleven against zero walks. Dzierwa is not a power pitcher, instead combining his size, handedness, and command to keep hitters perpetually off balance. The fastball sits in the low 90's and scrapes 95 at peak, but plays up with huge running action and extension. He works between a big, diving slider and a tighter cutter, while his above average changeup gives him a weapon against right handed hitters. There is no plus pitch in the arsenal and he'll especially need to sharpen up his breaking ball a bit, but he dots everything with plus command of all of his pitches, staying ahead of the count and in control of at bats. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that he stands 6'8". That makes the entire at bat that much more uncomfortable for opposing hitters, especially lefties who see his three quarters arm slot firing the ball from behind their backs. If Dzierwa can add a couple ticks of velocity and sharpen his breaking balls, he has mid-rotation starter upside. There is a ton to work with in this profile and Baltimore's pitching development will certainly have fun helping the lanky lefty reach his ceiling.

CBB-69: RHP JT Quinn, Georgia
Slot value: $1.22 million. Signing bonus: $1.15 million ($76,300 below slot value).
My rank: #129. MLB Pipeline: #127. Baseball America: #144.
While Josep Dzierwa was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, JT Quinn might have flown a bit more under the radar on the national scene as a swingman at Georgia, though he had local scouts pounding the table for him especially down the stretch. He put up some strong performances in May then dominated in his three starts in the Cape Cod League just before the draft (2.57 ERA, 25/2 K/BB in 14 IP). Standing 6'6", he's nearly as tall as the 6'8" Dzierwa, but that is where the similarities end. Quinn was a well-known prospect out of high school and could have gone in the top five rounds if he was signable, but he instead opted to attend Ole Miss. Splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen, he carried a 7.35 ERA over two seasons and transferred to Georgia, where he really put it together down the stretch as stated above. Quinn is a power arm with a mid 90's fastball that reaches as high as 98 in short stints, while his power slider as been refined into a true plus breaking ball. He's much more consistent with the slider than he is with his curveball, which he struggles to get down in the zone. Unlike most college pitchers who at least show a changeup from time to time, Quinn works entirely without one. He is extremely physical with an over the top delivery and ultra high release point, putting angry downhill plane on his pitches. The Tampa native has been honing his command as of late and walked just two of his 58 opponents on the Cape, lending a real possibility that he could start. He'll have to add a changeup and stay healthy in order to do so, but it looks much more likely than it did a few months ago. If not, he has shown he can be nasty as a fastball/slider power arm out of the bullpen.

3-93: OF RJ Austin, Vanderbilt
Slot value: $826,400. Signing bonus: $823,900 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #104. MLB Pipeline: #112. Baseball America: #189.
Two years ago, the Orioles picked up a speedy, high baseball IQ outfielder out of Vanderbilt in Enrique Bradfield. They're doing it again with RJ Austin. Like Ike Irish and JT Quinn, he was a highly regarded prep prospect that could have gone in the top couple of rounds, and over the past three seasons he has started 181 of Vanderbilt's 184 games. While he went through an abysmal slump in 2025, at one point going hitless for nearly three straight weeks (0-27 in 8 games) and finishing with unremarkable numbers, his under the hood numbers were better than the surface stat line and he remains an extremely fun player to watch go to work. Austin makes a ton of contact both inside the strike zone and out of it, slashing at the baseball with a quick right handed swing that is most certainly not geared for power. Still, he packs a lot of twitch into his 5'11" frame and produces solid exit velocities, lending hope that he could tap into some fringy power if he starts to elevate the ball more. For now, that's not his game and he actually dropped from seven home runs as a freshman to five as a sophomore to just two as a junior in 2025. Despite Austin's struggles at times in 2025, the Orioles remain convinced his combination of bat to ball, all fields approach, and sneaky pop could help him flirt with .300 batting averages in the majors. The Atlanta native did show well over two summers on the Cape (.325/.404/.433 in 44 games) and has shown the ability to make adjustments in the past. He is also a plus runner and knows his way around the outfield, giving him a shot to play center field or at least fill in there from time to time. However, his below average arm will push him to left field if he's pushed out of center. Austin is a high energy ballplayer that constantly finds ways to help his teams win games and will make for a great fourth outfielder at his median projection, with the potential for more if he can tap a little bit of power and stick in center field.

4-124: SS Colin Yeaman, UC Irvine
Slot value: $605,300. Signing bonus: $602,800 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #71. MLB Pipeline: #97. Baseball America: #172.
This has a chance to be a really sneaky good pick. Back east, we don't always think too much about the smaller West Coast programs, but those California mid-majors can really play some sound baseball and Colin Yeaman exemplifies that. He spent two years at the College of the Canyons in his hometown of Santa Clarita, where he torched California JuCo pitching to the tune of a .417/.510/.729 line. JuCo pitchers were thrilled when he transferred across the Los Angeles area down to UC Irvine, where at one point he put together back to back hitting streaks of 13 and 21 games. He is extraordinarily patient at the plate to the point where he can get too passive at times and allow pitchers to get ahead of him in the count, but that does mean that he almost never chases and won't get himself out. He has a very simple right handed swing with a slight uppercut that helps him not only make consistent contact, but make the most of his fringy raw power. You often hear about hitters with plus raw power that plays down in games, but he's the opposite with his fringy raw playing up into average game power. When Yeaman makes contact, you know that it will be his pitch and his A swing. Meanwhile, he possesses fringy supplemental tools that may push him to second base in the long run, where his bat could still carry him to an everyday role. The Orioles drafted him as a shortstop and he may have just enough arm strength and range to make it work, at least in a utility role. He projects for 15 home runs per season and high on-base percentages at his ceiling.

5-154: SS Jaiden Lo Re, Corona Del Sol HS [AZ]
Slot value: $452,000. Signing bonus: $562,500 ($110,500 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #413.
Going off the beaten path a bit, the Orioles grabbed Jaiden Lo Re off a loaded Corona Del Sol High School program that also included the more famous Brett Crossland, who spurned draft offers and is on his way to play for the Texas Longhorns. Lo Re is yet another ultra high contact type that slashed his way through strong Phoenix-area pitching with a linear right handed swing that gets on plane early and stays long through the zone. He easily sprays line drives around to all parts of the park, but at a smaller 5'11" and without much tendency to lift the ball, he has below average power. Unless the Orioles change up his approach in a major way, he likely does not reach double digit home runs, but he's yet another candidate to hit .300 in the majors. Lo Re plays shortstop now and has enough defensive explosiveness to profile there in a part time role, though like Colin Yeaman he might be stretched there if he has to play there every day. He could end up at second or third base, where his average defensive tools fit better. Like other players in this Orioles class, he has been described as a high energy player on both sides of the ball. His signing bonus was nearly a round above his slot value and he'll come to Baltimore rather than play for BYU.

6-184: LHP Caden Hunter, Southern California
Slot value: $347,100. Signing bonus: $344,600 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #149. Baseball America: #261.
The Orioles are getting a development project in Caden Hunter. Like Colin Yeaman, he spent two years in the California JuCo ranks, though his Sierra JC in Northern California never played Yeaman's College of the Canyons down in SoCal. He transferred to Southern Cal in 2025, where he pitched to inconsistent results but piqued teams' interests with a velocity bump late in the season. Typically sitting in the low 90's with his fastball and topping out around 95 early in games, Hunter hit 97 in some shorter outings leading up to the draft. The fastball plays up further with high riding action from a three quarters, crossfire slot. Hunter has a below average slider that backs up on him more often than it bites, while his average changeup gives him a somewhat reliable secondary offering. With some extra movement in his delivery including some rocking back and forth and a crouch as he delivers across his body, his command can get inconsistent and he walked 11.4% of his opponents in 2025. Still, there are reasons to like this pick. The 6'2" lefty is plenty physical and has the build to handle a full season in a major league rotation, and he moves well on the mound despite the average stuff. If the Orioles can streamline his delivery a little bit and find a breaking ball for him, he has a very decent shot to become a left handed back-end starting pitcher. If not, he likely winds up as a fastball/changeup long reliever.

2024 MLB Draft Review: Baltimore Orioles

Full list of draftees

As usual, the Orioles put together a very interesting draft class that was fun to write about. Owning an extra pick due to Gunnar Henderson's Rookie of the Year win last year, they targeted some pretty extreme profiles early on between Vance Honeycutt's ridiculous tools, Griff O'Ferrall's elite bat to ball ability, and Austin Overn's tremendous athleticism. Although they usually like to play bonus pool games by going under slot early on, they played the pool a little more straight forward and only handed out a few modest over slot bonuses to a small set of prep bats. Youth was another major theme here, as the Orioles targeted players who were young for their respective classes – high schoolers turning 18 late in the process and collegians turning 21 closer to the draft. And as usual, it was bat-heavy early on as Baltimore grabbed four straight bats to start things off and took six bats with their first seven picks.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-22: OF Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina {video}
Slot value: $3.8 million. Signing bonus: $4 million ($197,800 above slot value).
My rank: #22. MLB Pipeline: #22. Baseball America: #13.
The Orioles made a big splash in the first round, grabbing one of the most physical, athletic, tooled up players in the country for a slightly above slot bonus. Vance Honeycutt is a bit of a polarizing prospect, too. He made an immediate impact upon reaching campus at UNC, blasting 25 home runs as a true freshman in 2022, but regressed a bit as a sophomore as he traded power for a more patient, contact-oriented approach. He still entered the 2024 spring as a potential top ten pick, and although his power returned for a career-high 28 home runs, so did the swing and miss. So where are we now? There is no doubt that Honeycutt's tools are not just impactful, but truly special. It's legitimate plus raw power that he has tapped in games with 65 career home runs, coming from a lightning quick right handed swing that brings natural loft and leverage to the table. After walking 13.5% of the time as a freshman, that increased to 19.6% as a sophomore but dropped back to a career-low 11.9% as a junior. He's not an aggressive hitter, per se, but when he has hit for more impact when he is actively looking to do damage and pro pitchers may be able to exploit that. Similarly, Honeycutt has below average pure bat to ball and struck out 27.5% of the time in 2024, up from 20.5% as a sophomore, and ran the lowest contact rate of any first rounder. He does a good job of recognizing offspeed stuff doesn't have any glaring issues with his swing, so the hope is that his natural athleticism combined with hands-on development with the Orioles, who do a tremendous job developing bats, will get him where he needs to be. Meanwhile, the North Carolina native is an excellent defender in center field, where he combines plus speed with tremendous body awareness to make highlight reel plays seemingly every night. That alone, even forgetting the $4 million investment and impressive exit velocities, will buy his hit tool time to develop. And if he puts it together, he could be the best player from this draft class. Honeycutt brings a very similar profile to current Orioles prospect Jud Fabian, who is currently showing reasonably well in AA, but with more athleticism and less plate discipline.

PPI-32: SS Griff O'Ferrall, Virginia {video}
Slot value: $2.84 million. Signing bonus: $2.7 million ($137,900 below slot value).
My rank: #62. MLB Pipeline: #38. Baseball America: #115.
This is a very interesting pick for the Orioles, as Griff O'Ferrall has one of the most extreme offensive profiles in the country. A pure contact hitter, he's hit over .300 in each of his three seasons in Charlottesville and has blasted 40 doubles in 128 games over the past two seasons. O'Ferrall runs elite contact rates both inside and outside the strike zone, flinging the barrel at the ball wherever it's pitched and making extremely consistent line drive and ground ball contact. He did it at UVA and he did it with the US Collegiate National Team, where he hit .463/.511/.659 in a small sample against strong competition. O'Ferrall doesn't whiff, and his 7.4% strikeout rate was the second lowest of any of the 73 college hitters on my draft board. O'Ferrall is also an extremely aggressive hitter who chases nearly a third of the time, which combined with the fact that he doesn't miss even outside the zone, means you have to work really hard to walk him (his 6.8% walk rate was the fourth lowest). Meanwhile, he has virtually no power. It looked like it may change when he homered in each of his first two games this season, but he left the yard just three times in the other 61 games and was one of just two players on my draft board to finish with a 90th percentile exit velocity below 100 MPH. The Richmond native is a very skinny kid that lacks projection and isn't looking to turn on the ball anyways and he'll always have well below average power. He's closer to an average runner than a plus one, which will really put pressure on his ability to "hit it where they ain't." Still, it's rarely seen 70 grade bat to ball despite his aggressive approach. The defense adds to the profile, too. While he's not the most explosive or physical shortstop, I think he has a great chance to stick at the premium position with his strong internal clock and hand-eye coordination, and he has just enough arm to get it done. The upside here is a high batting average shortstop who can hit atop a lineup, though the lack of walks probably push him closer to the bottom of the lineup.

2-61: C Ethan Anderson, Virginia {video}
Slot value: $1.42 million. Signing bonus: $1.17 million ($246,400 below slot value).
My rank: #92. MLB Pipeline: #78. Baseball America: #59.
While Vance Honeycutt and Griff O'Ferrall have particularly extreme (and opposite) profiles, Ethan Anderson represents a comparatively "boring" pick. Like O'Ferrall, he was a three year starter at UVA whose best numbers came as a sophomore. Considered a first round sleeper by some coming into the season, he started slowly to cause a stock correction but righted the ship and still finished the year hitting .331/.435/.508. A switch hitter, he takes professional at bats and walked more than he struck out in each of the past two seasons. Beyond that, he's a high contact bat that makes for a difficult strikeout, coming together to make him a pest in any lineup. The raw power is average, and he never sells out for it in games which lets him hit for those high averages at the expense of potentially a few more home runs. Anderson is extremely young for the class, only turning 21 in September, so there could be a little more time for him to fill out and utilize the natural loft in his swings. The Orioles drafted him as a catcher and will give him every shot to play back there. When I saw him play in May, the glovework was a bit rough and the arm was average, so I personally am not sold on him back there. He'll have to work hard to remain a catcher, and with below average speed, he'll be limited to first base or left field if he has to move. The bat should be enough to profile at any position, but it certainly looks a lot better behind the plate and my lower ranking of him reflects that. Again, he's very young, has some time to work on all this, and has been noted for his work ethic.

3-97: OF Austin Overn, Southern California {video}
Slot value: $752,500. Signing bonus: $850,000 ($97,500 above slot value).
My rank: #115. MLB Pipeline: #131. Baseball America: #85.
It took me a little while to warm up to Austin Overn as a prospect, but later in the cycle the more I looked at him the more I realized there could be something special here. The Orioles thought so too, giving him a slight over slot bonus here in the third round. In a way, Overn is a combination of Vance Honeycutt and Griff O'Ferrall. Like Honeycutt, he's a supreme athlete and actually bests the first rounder in that category. He was actually recruited to USC as a wide receiver, and he also ran track and competed in long jump in high school, so athleticism isn't just a feature here – it's the main attraction. That plus-plus speed plays on the diamond as well, and his wide receiver background aids his center field defense to the point where he could actually challenge Honeycutt there. It's real Gold Glove potential out there if he hits enough to play every day. At the plate, he's very raw with an aggressive approach that may become an issue in pro ball. Remember when I said that O'Ferrall had the fourth lowest walk rate on my draft board? Overn is fifth by just a fraction of a percent. Meanwhile, his flat swing is geared towards line drives and does not help him tap his fringy raw power in games, so he finished his two years in Los Angeles with just twelve career home runs at a time when home runs were way up across college baseball. He does make contact at a higher rate than you'd expect, especially outside the zone, so the Orioles have something to work with here. They could work Overn's swing just a little bit to help him drive the ball in the air a bit more while hopefully getting a little more selective, as his pedestrian numbers at USC this year will need to come up. There's a ton to work with here in a freak athlete with excellent defense and strong bat to ball, so the Orioles will just need to unlock a little more impact in the bat to help him reach his ceiling as an every day player.

4-127: RHP Chase Allsup, Auburn {video}
Slot value: $562,000. Signing bonus: $522,500 ($39,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #241.
For their first arm, the Orioles certainly didn't cheap out on arm strength. Chase Allsup spent three years at Auburn and while the results have been uneven, he has the ingredients to be an impact arm. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's in longer outings and can touch triple digits in short stints, albeit with fairly generic life. No single offspeed pitch stands out as a true bat misser, but he has a vertical power slider, a bigger curveball, and a solid changeup. Allsup jerks through his delivery a bit with a deep arm plunge, exaggerated shoulder tilt, and a low center of gravity, but after years of below average command he was throwing a lot more strikes in 2024. It's definitely control over command and he got hit when he left pitches over the plate, but a 5.7% walk rate while pitching in the SEC is nothing to sneeze at. Because of that, the 6'2" righty does have an outside chance to start and the Orioles likely believe that as well if they're giving him over half a million dollars in the fourth round, but he'll have to continue to make strides with his ability to locate within the zone as well as refine his secondaries. Additionally, if the Orioles can do something with the fastball to get a bit of movement, it could really jump in effectiveness given its pure velocity. This is a fun project for Baltimore, even if he may ultimately end up in the 'pen.

5-160: C Ryan Stafford, Cal Poly {video}
Slot value: $407,100. Signing bonus: $404,500 ($2,600 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #175. Baseball America: #202.
Ryan Stafford was another name in that next wave of players I would have liked to research and represents an intriguing potential backup catcher profile. A three year starter at Cal Poly, he's a career .334/.407/.499 hitter that has never batted below .313 in a season, hit .280/.389/.344 in the Cape Cod League, and earned an invite to the US Collegiate National Team last summer. So there's no question the track record is there. Stafford is a hit over power type, using a quick right handed swing to batter the ball around the park with impressive consistency against all types of pitching. A bit undersized at 5'10", there's not a ton of power in the tank except when he really turns on it, but it's certainly enough to keep pitchers honest and he blasted 60 doubles in 172 games in San Luis Obispo. Stafford isn't the world's most patient hitter, but it's controlled aggression that helps him keep his strikeouts down and continue to control the zone against higher level pitching. Together, it comes out to a very nice offensive profile that could provide 5-10, maybe 15 home runs per season with relatively high batting averages. His skinny stature has its plusses and minuses behind the plate. He's shown extremely well back there in college with a nimbleness you don't always find, dropping to his knees in a flash to block dirt balls and popping out of the crouch quicker than most, helping his solid arm play up and control the running game. Because he's a bit smaller, he'll have to work hard to withstand the grind of a six month regular season. Perhaps there is a little bit of Mike Redmond in the profile, but with a little more athleticism?

6-189: SS DJ Layton, Charlotte Christian HS [NC] {video}
Slot value: $318,300. Signing bonus: $720,000 ($401,700 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
DJ Layton went unranked by most major publications, but impressed the Orioles enough to earn third round money here in the sixth round. Somewhat of a late bloomer, he committed to Southern Miss late in the process but won't be heading there now. Layton is a switch hitter with a pair of simple, direct swings that help him make nice consistent contact. This spring, he tacked on considerable strength to his skinny 6'1" frame and now looks to hit for more impact, making for a well-rounded offensive profile. The Charlotte-area native is also a plus runner whose athleticism serves him well at shortstop, where the Orioles will attempt to deploy him first. Layton is also an accomplished pitcher who earned pro interest for his arm, running his fastball up to 94 in short stints this spring while settling closer to 90. He snaps off a nice breaking ball and a changeup as well. Besides the projection remaining on his frame, he's also very young for the class and didn't turn 18 until after the draft. He moves fluidly both in the box and on the mound, so as the strength gains continue to come, he'll be able to use them without selling out for power or velocity, if that's the direction the Orioles end up moving.

8-249: C Colin Tuft, Tulane {video}
Slot value: $206,900. Signing bonus: $182,500 ($24,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Colin Tuft is a semi-local kid who grew up in Northern Virginia, where he attended James Madison High School in Vienna, which happens to be my alma mater. Tuft started off at UVA, but served as a backup and never started behind the plate. After two seasons, he transferred to Tulane and became the team's every day catcher in 2024. He's a glove-first type with smooth actions behind the plate and is quick out of the crouch, where he unleashes accurate throws to control the running game. Meanwhile, similar to fifth rounder Ryan Stafford, he's athletic for a catcher and could handle the outfield if needed – that's where he saw the majority of his playing time in Charlottesville. The bat is a bit lighter, with fringy power and bat to ball skills, but he's patient and does draw his share of walks. It's unlikely that he hits enough to become an every day player, but his glove has a good chance to carry him to the big leagues where he can compete with Stafford on that depth chart (as I mentioned, I'm not sold on second rounder Ethan Anderson sticking behind the plate).

16-489: OF Nate George, Minooka Community HS [IL] {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $455,000 ($305,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #272.
The Orioles drafted and signed three high schoolers on day three, and Nate George got the biggest bonus by raking in fifth round money. He's extremely toolsy, and the Orioles will excitedly look to maximize those tools in his development. George stands out for his plus-plus speed, coming from a compact 6' frame that makes him look almost like a running back. It's a quick, powerful operation in the box with burgeoning pop. He hasn't been seen much against top competition, but he has shown well in a small sample and beat up on Chicago-area pitching this spring to send his stock up in a big way. The Orioles are bought into the power/speed combination and think his big spring was for real hoping they can develop him into a dynamic everyday contributor. The speed gives him a shot to stick in center field as well so long as he polishes up the rough edges of his defensive game. Initially committed to Eastern Illinois, he switched up to Northwest Florida State late in the process. He's young for the class, having only turned 18 about a month before the draft, which will give the Orioles more time to work the rawness out of his game.

2023 MLB Draft Review: Baltimore Orioles

Full list of draftees

The Orioles have gotten better and better at drafting, and this class doesn't disappoint. They only signed one catcher and one infielder, both on day three, instead focusing almost exclusively on outfield and pitching help. Speed is a major theme for the position players here, and of course nobody embodies it better than first round pick Enrique Bradfield. In fact, every outfielder drafted could be described as a plus or better runner. On the mound, the Orioles found athletes that moved well on the mound, looking for malleable clay they could take to the next level in their excellent player development system. Lastly, I'll note that the Orioles brought in some excellent baseball names with this class, my favorites being Tavian Josenberger, Teddy Sharkey, Kiefer Lord, Braxton Bragg, and Blake Money.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-17: OF Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt {video}
Slot value: $4.17 million. Signing bonus: $4.17 million.
My rank: #18. MLB Pipeline: #21. Baseball America: #16. Prospects Live: #16.
Sometimes, you really have to work to make a player profile interesting. Not this time. Enrique Bradfield is one of the most unique players in the class, with an old school brand of baseball that just might be primed for a comeback. A potential top 100 pick out of high school in South Florida, Bradfield priced himself out of the draft and instead headed to Vanderbilt, where he has only built his draft stock. He hit the ground running, literally, with a .336 batting average, a .451 on-base percentage, and 46 stolen bases as a true freshman in 2021, then went a perfect 46 for 46 in stolen bases in 2022. The numbers were down a touch in 2023, where he slashed .279/.410/.429 with six home runs, 37 stolen bases, and a 40/45 strikeout to walk ratio over 62 games. If you've watched SEC baseball at all over the past three years, you know one thing about Bradfield – he can fly. Indeed, he probably provides more value on the basepaths than any player in all of college baseball, with blazing, top of the scale speed combined with excellent instincts that make him a generational baserunner, plain and simple. In three years at Vanderbilt, he stole 130 bases in 191 games and was caught just 13 times, despite the fact that opposing catchers knew he was running almost every time. Bradfield is no slouch at the plate, either. He's extremely patient with chase rates well below 20%, helping him draw a ton of walks and post a career .425 on-base percentage and a 14.6% walk rate against very strong competition. When he does swing, he rarely misses, with a line drive stroke geared towards all-fields contact that lets his wheels do their thing. He's the consummate leadoff hitter in every way. Built like a string bean at 6'1", his power is below average and will always be below average, though he can ambush you to the pull side and could flirt with double digit home run totals. It's not surprising that his defensive profile mirrors his offensive profile, with that elite speed playing up further due to strong reads and routes that could earn him Gold Gloves in the future. There's not much arm strength here, but his plus-plus range more than makes up for that and he'll provide plenty of value in center field. Overall, it's a very polished profile with a true outlier tool that could provide Baltimore with a leadoff hitter and basestealing threat for years to come. He's on his way there already, slashing .364/.563/.409 with 15 stolen bases and a 10/18 strikeout to walk ratio through fourteen games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

2-53: OF Mac Horvath, North Carolina {video}
Slot value: $1.58 million. Signing bonus: $1.4 million ($182,900 below slot value).
My rank: #58. MLB Pipeline: #82. Baseball America: #67. Prospects Live: #60.
Mac Horvath is a pretty interesting prospect in his own right that does a lot well. He was a solid prospect as a draft eligible sophomore in the 2022 draft, but returned to UNC and put up a huge junior season, slashing .305/.418/.711 with 24 home runs, 25 stolen bases, and a 61/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games. Horvath provides a coveted combination of power and athleticism that is hard to find, especially outside the first round. He packs plenty of lean strength into his 6'1" frame, which he combines with an innate ability to lift the ball with authority to produce plus game power, in fact blasting 42 home runs in 123 games over the past two seasons and popping for seven in the elite Cape Cod League. Horvath is also a very disciplined hitter that, like Enrique Bradfield, rarely chases, helping him consistently find pitches he can drive. The pure bat to ball skills are more average here because he does have a power-over-hit approach, and he does get into trouble in some of those deeper counts with a strikeout rate north of 20%. There are also some concerns about his ability to catch up to premium velocity, though he did slash .250/.330/.490 on the Cape. The Minnesota native is also a plus runner and uses his athleticism well at third base with plenty of range, though he could use a little more refinement on the defensive side. He could end up in a corner outfield spot, and that's where the Orioles drafted him, where his speed and arm strength will play well. Horvath's ability to time up premium stuff in the zone will determine how far he goes in pro ball, but the ceiling here is that of a 25-30 home run hitter that draws plenty of walks, steals some bases, and plays a solid third base. That's a nice profile even if the batting averages may never be anything special. They're certainly special to this point in the minors, where he's slashing .346/.500/.692 with a pair of home runs and a 9/7 strikeout to walk ratio through eight games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

CBB-63: RHP Jackson Baumeister, Florida State {video}
Slot value: $1.24 million. Signing bonus: $1.61 million ($361,800 above slot value).
My rank: #50. MLB Pipeline: #167. Baseball America: #69. Prospects Live: #58.
As it turns out, the Orioles ended up giving Jackson Baumeister about $200,000 more than they gave Mac Horvath, signing him to just over the slot value for Horvath's draft position. Baumeister is a bit of a divisive prospect, but I'm fully on board with this pick and he actually has many similarities to current Orioles prospect Chayce McDermott. Baumeister was a premium prospect out of Jacksonville's Bolles School, alma mater of Chipper Jones, in 2021, but made it to campus at Florida State and was eligible as a sophomore this year. His 2023 numbers weren't the prettiest, with a 5.09 ERA and a 95/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 69 innings, but they were pretty solid for the offense-friendly environment we found ourselves in this year. Baumeister sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can run it up to 98, playing up with flat plane and hop that make it a plus pitch. Though he's still refining his breaking balls, he shows great feel to spin them, especially his above average curveball with power snap. He's working in his slider more as well and that should become at least an average, if not an above average pitch in the future. The changeup is also a work in progress and probably a fourth pitch at this point, as he can slow down his arm at times that lacks big tumble. The 6'4" righty has plenty of projection remaining and showcases his athleticism on the mound, with great extension and an explosive lower half that mean the sky could be the limit. The command isn't quite there yet as he's still learning to repeat that explosive delivery, and that does make for some relief risk. Personally, I'm bought in, and I think the Orioles have a great opportunity to take this excellent ball of clay and refine it into a mid-rotation arm. The fastball, feel for spin, and athleticism are there, so he really just needs refinement.

3-86: RHP Kiefer Lord, Washington {video}
Slot value: $808,200. Signing bonus: $760,000 ($48,200 below slot value).
My rank: #74. MLB Pipeline: #127. Baseball America: #97. Prospects Live: #71.
Kiefer Lord presents another interesting ball of clay for the Orioles' player development system to play with. Originally a product of Carleton College in Minnesota, he transferred to Washington this past season and put up some gems early in the season, including against Northern Colorado (6 perfect innings, 10 K's) and Stanford (8 shutout innings, 3 baserunners, 10 K's). Those starts on the heels of a loud fall put him into top fifty pick consideration, but he slumped later in the season and put up an 18.22 ERA over his final four starts, boosting his season ERA to from 3.63 to 6.19 to go with a 78/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 75.2 innings. At his best, Lord sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and runs it into the upper 90's, showing some nice life on the pitch to boot. He flashes with both his curveball and his slider, though they can blend into each other and are still searching for their identities a bit, similar to his changeup. His lack of a consistent, reliable offspeed pitch may have contributed to his late season struggles as his fastball velocity dipped, but he's shown enough at his best to inspire confidence he can pull it together. The 6'3" righty is very projectable and moves well on the mound, which bodes well for his ability to hold his stuff over a long season and stick in the rotation, and that athletic delivery helps him pound the strike zone with average command and above average control. If he can take a step forward with any one of his offspeed pitches to keep hitters off his fastball, he becomes a mid-rotation candidate in a hurry. In his first appearance in the Florida Complex League, he tossed two shutout innings on one walk, one hit batsman, and one strikeout.

3-100: OF Tavian Josenberger, Arkansas {video}
Slot value: $671,800. Signing bonus: $603,000 ($68,800 below slot value).
My rank: #167. MLB Pipeline: #156. Baseball America: #246. Prospects Live: #125.
This fits into the Orioles' early day two preferences as a high performing outfielder with a smattering of fun tools. Tavian Josenberger, a Kansas transfer, had a breakout season despite the jump in competition from the Big 12 to the SEC, slashing .286/.414/.490 with ten home runs and a 51/41 strikeout to walk ratio over 52 games for the Razorbacks. There is no standout tool here like Enrique Bradfield's speed or Mac Horvath's power/speed combo, but it's an extremely balanced profile reminiscent of recent Orioles picks like Donta' Williams and Reed Trimble. Josenberger is a twitchy athlete that can whip the barrel through the zone with authority from both sides of the plate, producing sneaky pull side power with natural loft. However, I wouldn't expect more than perhaps 15 home runs per season as he switches over to wood bats as he's not the most physical player in this class at an even six feet tall. He's a patient hitter that draws a ton of walks, in fact doing so at an excellent 17.2% clip this spring, which helps him tap his power more often in games because he finds good pitches to hit. That masks largely average bat to ball skills, and like Horvath, he can get into trouble in deeper counts and ran a strikeout rate above 20%. The Kansas City-area product is a versatile defender that will likely see most of his time in the outfield for Baltimore, where he profiles as a plus defender and could stick in center field. I see this as a fourth outfield profile with a solid all-around bat and nice speed. He's off to a bit of a slower start, slashing just .152/.339/.196 with a 12/13 strikeout to walk ratio through 14 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

4-118: RHP Levi Wells, Texas State {video}
Slot value: $563,600. Signing bonus: $500,000 ($63,600 below slot value).
My rank: #107. MLB Pipeline: #96. Baseball America: #111. Prospects Live: #81.
Back to the pitching ranks, Levi Wells has been on scouts' radars for a while now. A well-known prospect out of La Porte High School east of Houston, he made it to campus at Texas Tech but struggled badly with command and transferred a little closer to home at Texas State, where he has fit in much better. After establishing himself as a potential top 50 pick with a strong sophomore season (3.07 ERA, 86/32 K/BB), he was less consistent as a junior and finished with a 5.02 ERA and a 98/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 80.2 innings. He had some gems, including a thirteen strikeout complete game against Marshall, but also some duds, such as a start at Coastal Carolina in which he got blown up for eight runs in an inning and a third. Wells sits in the low 90's with his fastball, topping out around 96 from a higher slot but getting great riding life on the pitch up in the zone that could make it a plus pitch if commanded more consistently. He adds a big, power curveball that functions as his out pitch, while his newer cutter/slider has developed quickly and his changeup is a bit behind. It's a really nice four pitch mix from a sturdy 6'2" frame that can be hard to find in the fourth round, though to this point he hasn't put it together consistently. Wells' command has really improved during his time in college as he's seriously toned down his delivery, but it's still fringy and he gets into trouble behind in counts when he leaves the ball over the plate. A tick more velocity on his fastball or a bit more consistency with his slider and changeup could render that less of an issue, as he is usually at least around the zone. It's a #3/#4 starter profile if he makes the adjustments he needs to make.

5-154: OF Jake Cunningham, Charlotte {video}
Slot value: $396,700. Signing bonus: $375,000 ($21,700 below slot value).
My rank: #145. MLB Pipeline: #147. Baseball America: #140. Prospects Live: #128.
This is a boom/bust candidate if there ever was one. Jake Cunningham has extremely loud tools that rival those of second rounder Mac Horvath, but how they'll translate to pro ball remains to be seen. Cunningham had a huge sophomore season in 2022 (16 HR, .304/.410/.595) but a poorly timed ankle injury slowed him down out of the gate and he never quite got going fully, finishing 2023 with eleven home runs, a .267/.359/.519 slash line, and a 56/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 49 games. He has massive raw power from the right side, at least plus now and potentially greater in the future with 90th percentile exit velocities approaching 107 MPH in 2023. He's also a patient hitter that does a good job of making pitchers come to him, though the hit tool is well below average. Cunningham has long levers and some moving parts in his swing, leading to elevated swing and miss and a strikeout rate over 25% this year. Additionally, he struggled in a small sample on the Cape (.174/.269/.217) and was a non-factor against good competition in the Clemson Regional, where he struck out nine times in sixteen plate appearances. That's not going to cut it at this point. Meanwhile, he didn't get a chance to show it much in 2023 due to the ankle injury, but he's at least a plus runner when healthy if not approaching plus-plus. That speed adds an entire new dimension to his game, which is a major boon for him in the outfield where he projects to stick in center field. The Orioles are bought into the player they saw in 2022 and they believe that the tools are so loud here that it's worth gambling on questionable pure hitting ability. It's a bit reminiscent of the Jud Fabian pick last year, though Fabian was significantly more refined and went a few rounds earlier. In his two games in the Florida Complex League, he has three hits (all singles), two strikeouts, and three walks to this point.

6-181: RHP Jacob Cravey, Samford {video}
Slot value: $312,300. Signing bonus: $300,000 ($12,300 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #321. Prospects Live: #225.
In a year where many pitchers saw inflated ERA's due to college baseball's hitter-friendly environment, Jacob Cravey put up a career year with a 3.10 ERA and a 126/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 104.2 innings at Samford. Cravey is a big, physical right hander at 6'6", 215 pounds, possessing a low 90's fastball that touches 98 at best with great riding life from a higher slot. His slider has nice two plane bite and his changeup gets solid fade, making for a great baseline of a three pitch mix. The South Alabama native repeats his delivery well and shows average command, so the entire package looks like that of a back-end starter. Cravey is more about arm strength than athleticism or explosiveness, which may limit his ceiling a bit. Still, it's a nice high-probability starter package in the sixth round.

7-211: RHP Teddy Sharkey, Coastal Carolina {video}
Slot value: $244,400. Signing bonus: $215,000 ($29,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #395. Prospects Live: #242.
Teddy Sharkey is the opposite of Jacob Cravey. While Cravey is a somewhat polished innings-eating starter type, Sharkey is a ball of fire that is likely a pure reliever at the pro level. He's coming off a great season as the Coastal Carolina closer in which he posted a 2.90 ERA and a 74/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 49.2 innings. The fastball sits in the mid 90's and can touch 98 with great riding life, while his curveball and slider are both distinct, nasty breaking pitches that miss a ton of bats. The 6' righty has an uptempo delivery and his control is well ahead of his command, so it's unlikely that he makes the jump to starting in pro ball. His demeanor fits well in the bullpen, as he pitches with a ton of energy, attacks hitters with everything he has, and loves to compete. If the Jersey Shore native's command holds together in pro ball, he could move quickly as a reliever. In his first appearance in the Florida Complex League, he tossed two shutout innings on one walk and three strikeouts.

10-301: OF Matthew Etzel, Southern Miss {video}
Slot value: $167,000. Signing bonus: $167,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #229. Baseball America: #257. Prospects Live: #165.
This could be a sneaky good pick for the Orioles. Matthew Etzel began his career at Texas A&M, but quickly transferred to Panola JC in Texas and played two years there, where by the end of his sophomore season he began to earn serious draft consideration. Instead of going pro, he transferred again to Southern Miss where he was more good than great this year. He started slowly, not homering for the first two months of the season, but once he started turning on the ball and driving it with authority he was able to put together solid numbers, with a .316/.381/.470 slash line, 23 stolen bases, and a 50/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 66 games. The Orioles are bought into that new and improved Etzel, who has a chance to be a dynamic talent. The Houston-area native has an adjustable barrel and can get to balls all over the zone, though he's less comfortable with offspeed stuff and that's something to watch for in his transition to pro ball. His quick hands and feel for the barrel give him sneaky power, with the chance to hit perhaps 10-15 home runs per season, though it will likely never be a huge part of his game. Etzel is an easy plus runner that can be a menace on the bases, and it also helps him play a pretty mean center field. He likely profiles as a fourth outfielder whose ability to be a net-positive in center will make him a valuable piece. He has had a solid transition to pro ball so far, slashing .278/.409/.481 with two home runs, a dozen stolen bases, and a 14/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 16 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

14-421: RHP Michael Forret, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $450,000 ($300,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #407. Prospects Live: unranked.
All those little bits of money the Orioles saved here and there on day two added up to something to throw around, and while a few day three picks went unsigned, they landed fourteenth rounder Michael Forret for  early fifth round money. A true freshman this year, Forret posted a 3.34 ERA and a 106/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 86.1 innings on the Florida JuCo circuit, then impressed evaluators with a strong start for Falmouth in the Cape Cod League late in the draft cycle. Overall, the 6'3" righty brings a pretty advanced package for a teenager. He sits in the low 90's, touching 94 with riding life, while adding a nice diving slider and a fading changeup. None of his three pitches stand out as likely strikeout pitches at the next level quite yet, but he commands them well with conviction and offers plenty of projection in his lean frame. Once the Orioles iron out his delivery a little bit and help him tack on some weight, he could be sitting in the mid 90's while holding that above average command. He only turned 19 in April and offers a nice combination of safety and upside for under $500,000.

2022 MLB Draft Review: Baltimore Orioles

Full list of draftees

The Orioles are a team on the rise, to put it lightly, and this draft absolutely helped push that along. With five of the first 81 picks, they had by far the largest bonus pool to play with and brought in a massive influx of talent, including five players who signed for seven figure bonuses. Baltimore went with bats early on and switched to a high volume of pitching around the middle of day two, often focusing on hitters with elevated strikeout rates with strong underlying metrics in the power, speed, and plate discipline departments. In fact, each of the first four college players they drafted (though technically one was as a pitcher and didn't sign anyways) and five of the first six ran at least a 19.7% strikeout rate this spring. I really like the talent they came away with here, as it goes far beyond potential superstar Jackson Holliday at the top. The most interesting thing they did was perhaps using money that may have been earmarked for third rounder Nolan McLean and instead putting it towards seventeenth rounder Carter Young, who had first round aspirations before struggling mightily at the plate this spring.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-1: SS Jackson Holliday, Stillwater HS [OK]. My rank: #4.
Slot value: $8.85 million. Signing bonus: $8.19 million ($656,900 below slot value).
With the first overall pick, the Orioles took the kid that put together perhaps the most impressive spring in the country. Coming into the season, he was noted as a hit-over-power bat that stood out for his feel for the game despite over swinging at times during the summer, with most projections putting him in the second round. Then when the winter thawed in northern Oklahoma, he came out looking significantly bigger, faster, and stronger, and that immediately translated to results on the field. Holliday has always shown great feel for the barrel from a leveraged left handed swing that gets that barrel long through the zone, and in 2022 his newfound strength allowed everything to come together as he bashed home runs all over the field and all season long without sacrificing any contact. It's now a comfortably plus hit tool that is growing into plus power as well, making for an extremely balanced and potent profile at the plate. He also shows a plus arm in the infield and as he's gotten quicker and more explosive, he now projects to stay at shortstop long term. Everything, from the body to the in-game production, is trending up very quickly and the Orioles don't think he's done surprising people. It's hard to poke any holes in the game of a kid who shows advanced instincts and feel in addition to loud physical tools, and the bloodlines certainly don't hurt as the son of seven time All Star Matt Holliday (got it right this time). He had been committed to play at Oklahoma State, where the Holliday family name is as synonymous with the program as Stillwater is to red dirt, but once he rocketed to the top of the amateur baseball world this spring, it was pretty clear he was going pro. That pro career is off to a strong start, as he's slashing .280/.448/.380 with an exceptional 9/16 strikeout to walk ratio over 15 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

CBA-33: OF Dylan Beavers, California. My rank: #26.
Slot value: $2.32 million. Signing bonus: $2.2 million ($115,000 below slot value).
Dylan Beavers is a really interesting prospect with a great combination of track record and additional projection in the tank. He slashed .303/.401/.630 as a sophomore then held it steady at .291/.426/.634 with 17 home runs and a 54/51 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games as a sophomore. Beavers is a big, strong, athletic outfielder that does a lot well on the diamond and is steadily getting better. Standing 6'4", he employs an unorthodox operation in the box with a very simple, short swing from the left side that produces plus raw power due to his strength and long arms, even if he doesn't always get them extended. That power comes very naturally as he trusts his hands to do the work and doesn't waste much movement, though I would like to see what would happen if he got those arms extended more frequently. There has always been some swing and miss in his game and his strikeout rate held mostly steady from 2021 to 2022, dropping only slightly from 21.0% to 19.9%, but he did a better job of laying off bad pitches and watched his walk rate jump from 12.7% to 18.8%. It's definitely a power over hit bat and probably always will be, but he's moving in the right direction and I don't think it will be too much of an issue, especially if the Orioles can help him recognize offspeed stuff a little better. The Central Coast native is also a very good athlete for his size and runs well, giving him a shot at center field if he's not bumped by a better defender (like Jud Fabian) and doesn't slow down with age. With a strong arm, he should be above average in right field should he end up there. To top it off, Beavers is very young for a college junior and didn't turn 21 until after the draft, giving Baltimore even more time to mold him into what they want. I see a 25+ home run bat with solid on-base percentages and enough speed to provide additional value on both sides of the ball. So far, he's off to a red hot start between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva, slashing .338/.469/.523 with an 11/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 17 games. 

2-42: 3B Max Wagner, Clemson. My rank: #49.
Slot value: $1.86 million. Signing bonus: $1.9 million ($38,100 above slot value).
If you want to talk about pop up prospects, Max Wagner is as "pop up" as it gets. He didn't get regular playing time as a freshman in 2021 and slashed just .214/.305/.345 in a part time role, but won the everyday third base job at Clemson in 2022 and became a one man wrecking crew not seen in the program since Seth Beer. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he slashed .369/.496/.852 with 27 home runs and a 51/45 strikeout to walk ratio over 58 games and won the ACC Player of the Year award. He shows a quick, powerful right handed swing that is direct to the ball and wastes little movement, finding the barrel with extreme consistency this spring and showing off plus power in games. The exit velocity data is strong as well, portending to that power continuing to show up in pro ball with wood bats. He has always struggled with swing and miss, but he got his strikeout rate down to a reasonable 19.7% this spring as his pitch selection improved and he drove up his walk rate to an impressive 17.4% as well. Meanwhile, the Green Bay native has plenty enough arm strength to stick at third base and show well there. As he jumped onto scouts radars early in the spring, he was battling that right-right corner profile a bit, but when you put up a 1.348 OPS while playing in the ACC, that limitation matters less and less. He should be the everyday third baseman in Baltimore soon enough with a similar offensive outlook to Dylan Beavers, if perhaps a bit less upside. So far, he's slashing .250/.403/.396 with a 13/9 strikeout to walk ratio through 13 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

CBB-67: OF Jud Fabian, Florida. My rank: #35.
Slot value: $1.03 million. Signing bonus: $1.03 million.
Jud Fabian is a fascinating player with a ton to dive into. A good prospect out of high school, he reclassified and came to campus at Florida a year early, then put himself in line for a multi-million dollar payday in the 2021 draft. The Orioles were rumored to be willing to give him close to $3 million a year ago, but the Red Sox snagged him one pick earlier and offered him significantly less. He went back to school and while he didn't get quite as much this time around, Baltimore finally got its man. In 2021, Fabian was noted for loud tools but evaluators worried about a 29.4% strikeout rate and a streaky bat that could come up empty for weeks at a time. Early in 2022, it looked like he was beginning to overcome those swing and miss issues, but streaky is as streaky does and he finished at 22.3%. Much better for sure, but still higher than you'd like to see, especially from a senior. So what's his deal? Fabian shows off plus raw power from the right side, consistently finding the barrel when he does make contact and elevating the ball with tremendous authority with a quick uppercut. He also possesses an extremely strong eye at the plate, limiting his chases while recognizing spin out of the hand – that led to a very strong 20.0% walk rate. The problem lies in his pure bat to ball skills, which are well below average as his uphill swing path doesn't keep his barrel in the zone for long. Even though he consistently picks the right pitches to swing at, he regularly swings through them even in the zone and there can be stretches where he looks like he's swinging at watermelon seeds. The rest of the offensive profile is so strong, though, that the Orioles are willing to bank on his power and pitch recognition making up for those bat to ball skills in the long run, perhaps with some help from their exceptional player development staff. The Ocala, Florida native also brings great value in the field, with above average speed and plus instincts making him a plus defender in center field. Add in that he's still age-appropriate for this class due to enrolling early, and it's an all around flawless profile aside from that one pesky but important thing – hitting the ball. That hasn't been an issue thus far in his pro career, where he's slashing .377/.494/.721 with three home runs and an 18/16 strikeout to walk ratio over 17 games between the Florida Complex League, Low A Delmarva, and High A Aberdeen.

3-81: RHP Nolan McLean, Oklahoma State. My rank: #190.
Slot value: $794,000. Signing bonus: did not sign.
The highest drafted player to go unsigned in this draft, Nolan McLean was a draft-eligible sophomore who will head back to Oklahoma State to further establish what is a pretty raw profile at the moment. A well known two-way prospect out of high school that also competed to play quarterback for Mike Gundy's football program, McLean made it to campus and showed enticing ability on both sides of the ball but never quite put it together. He showed off tremendous raw power at the plate and slashed .285/.397/.595 with 19 home runs and a 107/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 64 games, but those 107 strikeouts were the most in college baseball history and that's a problem. The Orioles wound up drafting him as a pitcher on the heels of his 4.97 ERA and 39/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 25.1 innings out of the bullpen, where he ran his fastball into the upper 90's and showed off an improving slider. He doesn't have a ton of track record on the mound and for now it's hard to project him as a starter, which is part of why he's heading back to Stillwater to get more consistent innings. His money wound up going to 17th rounder Carter Young.

4-107: C Silas Ardoin, Texas. My rank: #139.
Slot value: $571,400. Signing bonus: $571,400.
Adley Rutschman will be entrenched behind the plate in Baltimore for as long as the Orioles can keep him around, but Silas Ardoin brings a very solid profile to slot in behind him. Ardoin didn't hit much over his first two years at Texas, where he was a glove-first regular and his defensive prowess outshined his lack of impact at the plate. That changed in 2022, when he broke out to slash .271/.391/.513 with 12 home runs and a 46/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 69 games, crushing his previous home run career high of one. The Louisiana native is still a standout defensive catcher, where he is very agile when it comes to blocking baseballs and recovering to put himself in position to throw out runners. A slingshot right arm helps as well, making him one of the most well rounded defensive catchers in the class. At the plate, he has always shown the ability to recognize pitches and work counts like a catcher should, but he has gotten stronger and found the barrel much more frequently in 2022. While he doesn't possess standout exit velocities, he regularly squares the baseball up and maximizes his below average raw power into fringe-average game power. Ardoin rarely chases and looks very pro ready, giving him an opportunity to join Rutschman in Baltimore sooner rather than later. So far, that pro-ready profile has translated to a .205/.418/.231 slash line and an even 14/14 strikeout to walk ratio through 12 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

5-137: RHP Trace Bright, Auburn. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $426,800. Signing bonus: $400,000 ($26,800 below slot value).
Trace Bright hasn't quite gotten the on-field results you want, but he has spent his career going up against Auburn's tough SEC schedule plus whoever they meet in the postseason. He dropped his ERA from 8.74 as a freshman to 6.98 as a sophomore and 5.16 this year as a junior, adding in a 94/38 strikeout to walk ratio over those 80.2 innings this season. The numbers won't pop off the page, but despite the high ERA he rarely got blown up and has always done a pretty good job of limiting damage. Bright stands out for his deep arsenal, led by a fastball in the low to mid 90's that can touch 97 from a lower release point. He adds a potentially above average slider and curveball with distinct movement, getting more sweep and power on the former and more depth on the latter. Rounding out the arsenal with a solid changeup, it should make for a very fun profile to play with to try to maximize his success. The Montgomery native has fringe-average command but stays within himself and his misses usually aren't egregious, and with an athletic, repeatable delivery, he's not far off from solid average or even above average command. There is projection remaining in his 6'4" frame and he makes for a high probability #4 starter with some upside. So far, he has made one appearance each in the Florida Complex League and at Low A Delmarva, tossing five innings of one (unearned) run ball, allowing just one walk and no hits while striking out seven.

6-167: OF Douglas Hodo III, Texas. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $319,800. Signing bonus: $305,000 ($14,800 below slot value).
Douglas Hodo is an interesting one with an attractive combination of tools, performance, and polish. A three year starter at Texas alongside Silas Ardoin, he had his best year yet in 2022 slashing .319/.418/.532 with ten home runs and a 74/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 69 games. He's hard to miss on the baseball field, playing hard on both sides of the ball and making things happen. Hodo possesses average raw power from the right side, but takes big swings and can really turn on the ball, with enough explosiveness in the box to send it out the other way on occasion. He can lapse into becoming a bit of a free swinger at times and struck out at a 21.8% clip this spring, probably more a product of that big uppercut than of a poor eye. Learning to tone it down in the box and trade some power for contact may help going forward, and his plus speed adds value when he puts it in play as well. In fact, his 26 doubles tied for the national Division I lead this spring. That speed and aggressive style of play helps him in center field as well, where he projects to stay long term with enough arm strength to make it work. Given that he's light on above average or even potentially above average tools across the board besides his speed, it's probably more of a fourth outfielder profile than an every day one, so the fact that he can handle all three outfield spots easily is a big boon. He's off to a bit of a slower start in pro ball, slashing .148/.378/.185 with a 12/8 strikeout to walk ratio through eight games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

11-317: RHP Zack Showalter, Wesley Chapel HS [FL]. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $440,000 ($315,000 against bonus pool).
Unrelated to Buck as far as I know. The Orioles spent fourth round money to lure Zack Showalter away from a USF commitment, banking on his projection and strong fastball metrics. He sits in the low 90's and can get up to 95, getting down the mound well with a low release height and riding action to carry his fastball above barrels consistently. He can spin off some solid sliders with depth, though it does need to add power and can get slurvy. Lastly, his changeup is a third pitch for now that he doesn't use often. Showalter brings projection in his 6'2" frame and his arm works well, promising increased velocity that could really help his breaking ball and turn his fastball into a true weapon. The Tampa-area native can get scattered with his command, which combined with the state of his secondary stuff leads to some relief questions, but he's young and has plenty of time to smooth all that out. I wouldn't expect him to move quickly but the Orioles could have some fun molding this profile.

16-467: RHP Graham Firoved, Virginia Tech. My rank: #222.
Graham Firoved has been around the block, beginning his career at Radford before transferring to the powerhouse Northwest Florida State JC program in Niceville. He moved on to Virginia Tech as a junior and has took on a prominent role in the Hokie bullpen for two years, this spring posting a 4.76 ERA and a 72/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 51 innings. Firoved runs his fastball up to 95 in relief, but the pitch plays above its velocity with great carry up in the zone. He spins an above average curveball as well that plays very well off his fastball, and it's yet another profile I think the Orioles could get very creative with. The Virginia Beach native threw a lot of fastballs when I watched him at Virginia Tech and got hit when he left it over the plate, and he could potentially benefit from mixing in his curveball more often to keep hitters guessing. Firoved also has fringy command that led to all those meatballs, and fine tuning that just a little bit so he can more consistently keep the ball around the letters would also be useful. Given his age (nearly 23), two pitch mix, and command, he's a pure relief prospect for now, but one that could thrive in the Orioles' system. He hasn't pitched too much to start, with two innings of two run ball under his belt on two hits, three walks, and one strikeout between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

17-497: SS Carter Young, Vanderbilt. My rank: #193.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $1.33 million ($1.08 million against bonus pool).
This will be one of the most interesting picks to track in the draft. Carter Young entered the season squarely in the first round conversation on the heels of a strong, if injury-interrupted, sophomore season, but he struggled mightily in 2022 and lost the starting shortstop role at Vanderbilt by slashing .207/.327/.383 with seven home runs and a 66/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games. He announced his intention to transfer to LSU and it looked like he would make it there, especially after he lasted until the seventeenth round, with a firm desire to rebuild his stock in a new environment. The Orioles felt that he was on his way to a huge comeback story in Baton Rouge and gave him roughly the equivalent of pick #56 money to sign, likely close to as much as he might have gotten had the draft been before the season. That big bonus meant that Nolan McLean couldn't sign above slot value in the third round, but the Orioles got their guy. Young is extremely tooled up, producing plus raw power from both sides of the plate and having tapped it for 16 home runs a year ago. At his best, he shows very attractive batted ball data with consistently high exit velocities and deep line drives around the park, even as he was facing tough pitching in the SEC. Meanwhile, he takes very big hacks to get to that power, and swing and miss has been a major concern. A shoulder injury limited him down the stretch in 2021 and many teams were willing to write off his sky-high 30.1% strikeout rate because of that, but he struck out at a 29.2% clip this spring and his performance suffered severely. The Orioles will have to find a way to cut that down, but given how he looked at his best in 2021, that is absolutely possible. The central Washington state native also brings great value on the other side of the ball as an above average defensive shortstop with a plus arm. His instincts and athleticism help him play above his average speed out there, and that defense will buy his bat additional time to develop. There is huge upside here, as evidenced by the massive signing bonus, but also a ton of risk with a guy who struck out at a 29% clip and hit his way out of the Vanderbilt starting lineup. It looks like he has already begun to turn it around a bit, slashing .296/.333/.444 with one home run and a 13/3 strikeout to walk ratio through 12 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Delmarva.

18-527: RHP Andrew Walters, Miami. My rank: #127.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: did not sign.
When it came to handing out the big bonuses at the end, it likely came down to Nolan McLean, Carter Young, and Andrew Walters as to who got the money, and Young took the deal so Walters will head back to Miami for a senior season. He was dominant for the Hurricanes this season, posting a 1.65 ERA and a 62/6 strikeout to walk ratio over 32.2 innings as a reliever, doing so essentially on one pitch. He sits in the mid 90's with his fastball and can run it up to 99, with great riding life and a ton of deception as he hides it very well. It's not Mariano Rivera's cutter, but against ACC competition in 2022, it played that way. Walters also adds a slider but it's more of a change of pace option to keep hitters from getting too comfortable, lacking hard bite. The Florida native could end up succeeding in the minors on that fastball alone, but sharpening up that slider into at least an average pitch would really help him profile in a larger role in the majors. With above average command and a sturdy 6'4" frame, he does look like he could start, but would need to add a changeup in addition to sharpening up that slider. Going back to Miami will show teams what is and isn't possible with his development because it will be hard to top the performance.

2021 MLB Draft Review: Baltimore Orioles

Full list of draftees

For the second straight year, the Orioles went way below slot in the top five to get a left handed Texan outfielder, following Amarillo native and Arkansas Razorbacks slugger Heston Kjerstad at second overall last year with Colton Cowser this year. I honestly don't love the class they pulled together, as even after pick #5 they went below slot again at picks #41 and #65. They spent most of their savings on prep catcher Creed Willems ($812,300 over) and Kentucky outfielder John Rhodes ($556,800 over), but still fell more than $150,000 short of spending their entire bonus pool. The draft is the single most cost-effective way to add talent to your organization, so I don't know why you wouldn't be more aggressive, especially when you hold the fifth overall pick and four of the first 76. In terms of draft patterns, it was a very hitter-heavy class with ten of their first eleven picks being position players, while Willems was not just the only high schooler, but the only player below 21 in the entire class (technically Rhodes and Daniel Lloyd turned 21 a few weeks after the draft, but they are currently 21). Baltimore prioritized college performance, with the majority of their picks showing loud slash lines at whatever level they played. It was also a class heavy on southerners, with seven of their first eight picks hailing from Texas, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas again, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas once more, respectively. I'd say my favorite picks were second rounder Connor Norby and fourth rounder Donta' Williams.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-5: OF Colton Cowser, Sam Houston State. My rank: #15.
Most projected Colton Cowser to go more in the pick 7-14 range, but the Orioles saw a chance to save some money and jumped on him here at #5. He was considered the fourth best prospect on his high school team, which included 2019 top picks JJ Goss (Rays, 36th overall) and Matthew Thompson (White Sox, 45th overall) as well as fellow 2021 top pick Ty Madden (Tigers, 32nd overall via Texas). As it turned out, he beat all of their draft positions rather comfortably and you could argue he's the best of the bunch today. Cowser had a huge freshman season at Sam Houston State (.361/.450/.602), but never quite got rolling in the shortened 2020 season and slumped to start 2021, hitting .263 with two home runs against a weak schedule into late March. However, he immediately turned things around with four home runs over his next two games and never looked back, homering in five straight games at another point and finishing the season at .374/.490/.680 with 16 home runs, 17 stolen bases, and a 32/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. He has spent his time in Huntsville facing a relatively mediocre schedule, but as a career .354/.460/.608 hitter with 24 home runs and more walks than strikeouts, what more can you really ask of him? He swung the bat well against tough competition as a rising sophomore on the US Collegiate National Team back in 2019 and has proven his plus hit tool time and again, managing the strike zone very well and executing well on his swings. It's a relatively flat swing that's more geared for line drives at this point, but he's still filling out his 6'3" frame and has a chance to grow into above average power. For now, despite the 16 home runs this year, it's more average than above average because he doesn't produce big exit velocities. The Houston-area native is an above average runner who has a chance to stick in center field, and if the Orioles are drafting him here, they certainly believe he will. It will be interesting to see how he develops physically because if he tacks on a bunch of strength, he may slow down and have to move to a corner, where he could be a 20+ home run bat with high on-base percentages. If his body stays mostly the same and he doesn't slow down, we might be looking at more of a 15-20 home run profile. Overall, it's definitely an impact bat who should hit at or near the top of the lineup for a long time. He signed for $4.9 million, which was roughly $1.28 million below slot value, and he's off to a hot .405/.489/.622 start through eleven games between the FCL and Low A Delmarva.

2-41: 2B Connor Norby, East Carolina. My rank: #42.
Connor Norby was not even remotely on the prospect map after hitting .194/.286/.290 as a freshman pinch hitter with limited physical tools, but since the start of his sophomore year, he has simply forced his way into the spotlight through nonstop mashing. From 2020-2021, he hit .412/.476/.627 with 16 home runs and a 44/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 78 games. This year, he had three separate double digit hitting streaks including one that reached twenty games, and he had more three hit games (ten) than hitless games (seven). He has exceptional barrel accuracy that enables him to do damage virtually anywhere in the zone and even sometimes outside of it, rarely getting fooled and often still making hard contact when he does. Few players in this class fit the "knack for hard contact" description better than Norby does, so even if he isn't the biggest or strongest guy in the class at 5'10", he maximizes his raw power consistently in games by simply finding the barrel at a high volume. When you smoke at least two to three line drives a game, quite a few are bound to go out. The glove isn't quite as special, as his average athleticism will limit him to second base, but he'll hit enough to profile there. The transition to pro ball should be quick and easy even coming from a mid major conference, and the Winston-Salem-area native projects for home run totals somewhere in the teens to go along with high on-base percentages. Being young for the class and having turned 21 in June helps. He signed for $1.7 million, which was roughly $110,000 below slot value, and he's slashing .182/.243/.273 through ten games between the FCL and Low A Delmarva.

CBB-65: OF Reed Trimble, Southern Mississippi. My rank: #136.
The Orioles continued their run on mid major college performers from the South here, picking up Southern Miss outfielder Reed Trimble. He's coming off a huge redshirt freshman season in which he slashed .345/.414/.638 with 17 home runs and a 46/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games, capped off by a sensational run through the Oxford regional in which went 14-25 with three home runs against Florida State, Southeast Missouri State, and Ole Miss. He generates above average power from a quick, forceful uppercut that punished the decent C-USA pitching he faced this spring, even from a skinny 6' frame. Trimble is an aggressive hitter who attacks early in the count and can find himself falling behind often, but he still managed a respectable 17.2% strikeout rate even as he rarely walked. He'll probably want to learn to be a bit more patient, as pro pitchers will attack his vulnerable spots and get him even more consistently into 0-1, 0-2 holes. Additionally, the Jackson-area native is a plus-plus runner who absolutely flies around the bases, so drawing a few more walks would certainly not be a bad thing. That speed serves him well in center field as well, where he projects to stay and could be the one to push Colton Cowser to a corner if he hits enough. The aggressive approach led to some pause in the industry as to whether he profiled as an everyday player, especially since he wasn't playing in a power conference, but Trimble's big regional performance assuaged those concerns a bit. He has a chance for 15-25 home runs per season with decent on-base percentages and plenty of stolen bases. Draft-eligible in his second year due to a very early birthday, he's just two days older than Connor Norby and is therefore younger than most collegiate players. He also took a discount by signing for $800,000, which was roughly $230,000 below slot value, and he's hitting .286/.464/.333 through eight games between the FCL and Low A Delmarva.

3-76: OF John Rhodes, Kentucky. My rank: #123.
After saving over $1.6 million with their first three picks, the Orioles spent some of that money here on the rare big over slot splash from the college ranks. It's a bit of an interesting over slot bonus, because #76 is way above where most have him ranked and my #123 ranking was actually higher than Prospects Live (#125), MLB Pipeline (#134), and Baseball America (#172). I guess that points to a big split on where the industry and the media saw him fitting, or at least the Orioles. John Rhodes wasn't the biggest name recruit when he got to Kentucky, but scouts quickly learned his name after he hit .426/.485/.672 in his shortened 17 game freshman season last year. 2021 was certainly a bit more up and down and Rhodes finished at .251/.397/.508 with eleven home runs and a 38/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 52 games, showing flashes of multiple different ways he can develop. It's not huge raw power, but he taps what he has and hit some moonshots this spring when he let it rip, though that tendency to over swing at times led to very inconsistent performance. When he stays within himself, the Chattanooga-area native takes very professional at bats and works counts well, and he even tied for second in the SEC by getting hit by 18 pitches. He'll have to decide what kind of hitter he wants to be going forward, because there's certainly above average power when he tries to tap it but to this point he hasn't learned to tap it naturally, while he certainly has the plate discipline to be a productive line drive hitter. The Orioles like his age, as he was only barely eligible this spring as a second year player and just turned 21 a week before I released this review, and they believe that youth will give him extra time to grow into his game. Rhodes is a good runner who has a chance to be an above average right fielder, though center field is a stretch especially when he's in the same draft class as Colton Cowser and Reed Trimble. He signed for $1.38 million, which was $556,800 above slot value, and he's hitting .259/.375/.370 through nine games between the FCL and Low A Delmarva.

4-106: OF Donta' Williams, Arizona. Unranked.
I was well aware of Donta' Williams before the draft, but I never had the chance to dig deep enough into him to add him to my list and he's definitely one of the guys I wish I got to. Williams has gotten better and better every year at Arizona, culminating in a great fourth season in which he slashed .342/.481/.538 with eight home runs and a 40/50 strikeout to walk ratio over 62 games. Hitting at the top of an absolutely loaded Wildcats offense and manning center field, he was among the team's on and off field leaders as they clubbed their way to a College World Series berth. He's the consummate leadoff hitter in that he's adept at working counts and draws a ton of walks (and gets hit by a ton of pitches), getting on base at close to a .500 clip over the last two seasons. Even when he doesn't get on, because he sees and positively identifies so many pitches, he can fulfill the leadoff role by reporting back to the rest of the lineup on a pitcher's stuff. The eight home runs in 2021 were a bit of a surprise after he clubbed just three over his first three seasons, and he projects for below average power in pro ball. Defensively, he has elite feel for the outfield and makes every play he can, playing hard and playing smart out there to minimize baseballs on the ground despite a lack of plus speed. Having watched him plenty in college, the Las Vegas native is just a fun player to watch and should become a fan favorite in Baltimore. There's not as much ceiling here as the guys above him just due to the lack of power and the fact that he's already 22, but it's a pretty safe bet fourth outfield type who won't give away at bats and would be a good defensive replacement late in games. He signed for $400,000, which was $149,000 below slot value, and he's staying true to form by slashing .333/.481/.429 through nine games between the FCL and Low A Delmarva.

5-137: RHP Carlos Tavera, Texas-Arlington. Unranked.
The only pitcher the Orioles drafted in the first ten rounds, Carlos Tavera might have a bit more pressure riding on him to perform, though he should be up to the task. He struggled as a freshman at UTA in 2018 and transferred to Weatherford JC in 2019, then came back to Arlington and has been much better. In 2021, he had a career year with a 3.04 ERA and a 117/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 83 innings, highlighted by nine no-hit innings against Arkansas-Little Rock in a game that ultimately took eleven to complete. Tavera sits in the low 90's with his fastball and can reach back for up to 95, adding a slider with great shape and a changeup with nice fade. His command has improved steadily and is now fringe-average, and his stuff plays up because he gets down the mound well, releases the ball out in front, and gets high spin rates. For those reasons, the Orioles believe the 6'1" righty could continue to get better despite turning 23 early in the upcoming offseason, with a chance to become a #3 or #4 starter if he takes small steps forward across the board. Positive trajectory is always a good thing and he certainly has it. The Fort Worth native signed for #375,000, which was $31,000 below slot value, and he tossed a shutout inning in his Low A Delmarva debut, walking one and striking out two.

6-167: SS Collin Burns, Tulane. Unranked.
The Orioles are starting a little bit of a Tulane to Baltimore pipeline after drafting Hudson Haskin a year ago and adding Collin Burns and 15th rounder Keagan Gillies this year. Burns is coming off a huge breakout year for the Green Wave after slashing .353/.410/.571 with eight home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a 42/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. He's an aggressive hitter who loves to attack fastballs early in the count, and when he gets them, he usually puts them in play. That suppresses his walk rates a bit and an get him in trouble with two strikes, but he still kept his strikeout rate to a reasonable 15.7% and did a ton of damage against a reasonably strong AAC schedule (plus a 6-14 series against Mississippi State, including a triple and a home run). He's not huge at 5'11", but he deploys his strength effective into fringe-average power, which will be plenty enough to keep pitchers honest in pro ball. The New Orleans-area native has a solid glove and plays hard at shortstop, and while he'll likely never be a plus defender, he should be adequate if the Orioles don't have better options. I don't really see an everyday player here, so he'll probably move around all the infield positions as a utility guy, but he'll be one who can get the job done on both sides of the ball. His plus speed gives him an extra way to impact the game. Burns signed for $375,000, which was $70,800 above slot value and he's hitting .333/.433/.417 through eight games between the FCL and Low A Delmarva.

7-197: C Connor Pavolony, Tennessee. Unranked.
The Orioles added to their catching depth with Connor Pavolony, who had been Tennessee's starting catcher for most of the past three seasons. He might not have been the most explosive hitter in what was a loaded Tennessee lineup this spring, finishing at .260/.365/.442 with seven home runs and a 46/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 49 games, but the Orioles certainly like what they're getting. He packs a lot of strength into his 6'1" frame and has natural feel to really whip the barrel through the zone, creating plenty of torque and some nice exit velocities. Pavolony doesn't always tap that power with a fringy hit tool that led to a 25% strikeout rate this spring, but he hit much better during the second half of the season and all seven of his home runs came from April 11th onwards. With the bat trending in the right direction, Baltimore felt comfortable enough to take a day two swing at him, especially given that he's an above average defender with an above average arm. That takes a ton of pressure off his bat and while it's more of a backup profile, especially given the presence of Adley Rutschman, he has a chance to impact the games he gets into. A Rutschman-Pavolony combination could definitely be reality in Baltimore pretty soon, though he'll want to move quickly because of the man the Orioles drafted right behind him. The Atlanta-area native signed for $325,000, which was $88,000 above slot value, and he's slashing .208/.321/.417 through eight games between the FCL and Low A Delmarva.

8-227: C Creed Willems, Aledo HS [TX]. Unranked.
Given that it ultimately required slot value for the 66th overall pick to divert Creed Willems from a firm TCU commitment, this was a completely off the radar pick. Willems went unranked on both MLB Pipeline's top 250 and Prospects Live's top 600, and only barely cracked Baseball America's top 500 at #453. The Orioles put a lot of eggs in this basket and believe they could be catching lightning in a bottle, and if they let him head east to Fort Worth for school, he could have become a much more in-demand prospect. Willems is a big boy at a listed 6', 225 pounds, and he uses that size well in his all-around game. First off, it gives him big raw power from the left side, and he's not afraid to use it with a healthy hack that can send the ball a long distance. The hit tool is pretty unproven for now, so he might move slower than most, and that does create some risk. Behind the plate, he moves well for his size and can get that big body in front of errant pitches pretty effectively, and while his transfer can be a bit slow at times, he has a cannon arm to make up for it and has actually touched 94 on the mound. The Orioles see true starting catcher upside here (maybe not enough to unseat Adley Rutschman but they'll figure that out later), especially as he gets into a pro conditioning program and really starts to build up muscle. The fact that he's young for the class, turning 18 just over a month before the draft, also points to more chances to develop both his skill set and his physicality. Willems signed for $1 million, which was $812,300 above slot value, and he has one hit in seven at bats in the FCL.