Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2025 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. C Samuel Basallo | 20 | AAA | 2025
Basallo has virtually zero chance of unseating Adley Rutschman while Adley is in town, which isn’t the end of the world because he could still sub there while mixing in at first base and DH. Nonetheless, the Inn is pretty crowded in Baltimore, and they love their reclamation projects, so who knows how long Basallo will have to wait for some extended playing time. I’m trying not to let that detract too much from a guy who I think will really hit. He even swiped ten bags last year as a 6’4” 190 lb catcher, an interesting development for an average runner playing against guys who are much older than him. He’s a good throwing catcher, so perhaps he pays a little more attention to who else might be full of openings.
2. 3B Coby Mayo | 23 | MLB | 2024
The club’s plan to move the fences impacts Mayo more than anyone else on this list. He’s a pull hitter with quick hips and easy plus power, and while Trey Mancini’s line drives to the gap were only ever doubles, Mayo should get a little more bang for his barrels. In 89 Triple-A games this year, he slashed .287/.364/.562 with 22 home runs and four stolen bases. He hit just .098 in 17 MLB games, but I’m not holding that against him. Wouldn’t anyway, but he came up during a pennant push when the team needed a jolt and probably felt some extra pressure.
3. OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. | 22 | A+ | 2025
A three-year starter at Vanderbilt, Bradfield Jr. features 80-grade speed in center field and plus plate skills at the dish. A left-handed hitter at 6’1” 170 lbs, he stole 74 bases in 108 games across two levels, striking out just 72 times against 50 walks. Not every day you see a guy with more steals than strikeouts. In deep leagues, I’d push him up the lists a little because his excellent defense will earn him a lot of playing time even on a crowded roster.
4. OF Heston Kjerstad | 25 | MLB | 2023
Look, I get it, he’s been here forever, and he’s no longer rookie eligible by service days, but he’s also at just 129 MLB at bats, which makes him prospect eligible the way I (and some dynasty leagues) cut it up at 130 at bats or 50 innings pitched. And he should matter to fantasy leagues this year after the club avoided using him for much of 2024 even though he played well in the minors and posted a .351 on base percentage in the majors. Here’s hoping we get to see how handles 500 plate appearances this season.
5. OF Vance Honeycutt | 21 | A+ | 2027
If you were going to pick any place to send a super toolsy prospect with patience but some hit tool questions, you might pick Baltimore, who selected Honeycutt 22nd overall. He has produced speed and power throughout his ACC college career with North Carolina, but the strikeouts have been an issue. They haunted his debut pro season; he was punched out 24 times in just 13 games across two levels.
6. RHP Chayce McDermott | 26 | MLB | 2024
McDermott battled through a 1.41 WHIP across 100 Triple-A innings but was still hard to square up and worked to a 3.78 ERA, improving his control and confidence little by little and earning a major league start along the way. The Orioles could go any number of ways this winter, but McDermott should be part of the pitching staff for a portion of 2025 regardless of how many arms they add.
7. OF Dylan Beavers | 23 | AA | 2024
A 6’4” 206 lb left-handed hitter, Beavers built a sturdy line of .241/.343/.413 in 119 Double-A games this year alongside 16 home runs and 31 stolen bases. Like a lot of Baltimore’s guys, he’s got patience, size, athleticism and just enough swing-and-miss to make you wonder if any of that’s gonna matter in the long run.
8. OF Stiven Martinez | 17 | DSL | 2029
He won’t turn 18 until August, and he’s already 6’4” 198 lbs with a solid DSL season under his belt. The second-highest paid Oriole signing from the 2024 class, Martinez features plus patience, power, and good athleticism for his size. A right-handed hitter with pull-side power, he saw his topside tick up with the new left-field dimensions.
9. RHP Brandon Young | 26 | AAA | 2025
Young is going to be a bit higher here than other places, I suspect, because I tend to like a 6’6” righty who can fill up the zone with four pitches. Not that others don’t, I guess, but I’m a little surprised to see him checking in behind so many swing-and-miss longshots on other lists. His Triple-A ERA (3.44) and WHIP (1.28) aren’t ideal, but that’s still a fairly effective 89 innings pitched for that league. He’s got everything he needs except plus velocity, but if he somehow found a tick or two in his 210 lb frame, he could be a real innings eater.
10. SS Griff O’Ferrall | 22 | A+ | 2027
Is this a bully name or what? Somewhere between a Back to the Future Tannen and O’Doyle Rules? Anywho, the O’s selected O’Ferrall with the pick they got when Gunnar Henderson won Rookie of the Year. A sum-of-his-parts type at 6’1” 195 lbs, O’Ferrall hit just eight home runs in his three seasons as a starter for Virginia but has shown the requisite skills for pro ball throughout his career, including a successful stretch with wooden bats.
Thanks for reading!
