We are a good chunk into the 2023 season, and MLB Pipeline has announced their new Top 100 and Top 30 Prospects lists for each individual team.
These are all updated based after the 2023 MLB draft, so let’s go over the brand new lists to see the changes for the Orioles.
Top 100 Orioles Prospects
The Orioles have six top 100 prospects, and all six of them rank within the top 55. Below is a list of the six players with their respective ranking within the top 100.
- 1. Jackson Holliday – INF
- 14. Colton Cowser – OF
- 25. Heston Kjerstad – OF
- 28. Coby Mayo – INF
- 50. Samuel Basallo – C
- 55. Joey Ortiz – INF
The biggest change is the major respect given to young backstop Samuel Basallo, as he was ranked 90th in the last top 100 rankings and was bumped up 40 spots to make the top 50.
Jackson Holliday staying number one was anything but a surprise with the way he has looked this season. The second-generation star has consistently produced at every level thus far in his pro career.
There were two unfortunate departures, as infielder Connor Norby was left off the top 100 after being ranked 62nd in the last edition. Infielder Jordan Westburg graduated as a prospect, so it’s a good reason that he departed.
New Additions
The main reasoning of the new top 100 is to add in the newly-drafted prospects into teams’ top 30s and into the spotlight. The Orioles saw six new prospects get added into their top 30, including three prospects from the 2023 draft. Below is a list of those players and their current ranking within the O’s top 30.
- 8. Enrique Bradfield Jr. – OF
- 13. Mac Horvath – INF
- 25. Jackson Baumeister – RHP
- 28. Billy Cook – OF
- 29. Juan Nuñez – RHP
- 30. Alex Pham – RHP
Bradfield Jr., Horvath and Baumeister all came out of the 2023 draft class and are all well-deserving prospects to be listed inside the organization’s top 30.
Billy Cook has been having a breakout year within his time with the Double-A Bowie Baysox, showcasing his power and flashing his versatility within the fact of being able to play both outfield and infield.
Nuñez and Pham are two pitchers that have popped off this season. Both have shown that they can be reliable starters or lockdown bullpen arms, depending on what the team has in store for them. Pham, especially, as he has been one of the prospects that have gone under the radar for the Orioles this year.
Unfortunate Departures
The hardest part about looking at these new lists is seeing the prospects that didn’t make the cut that were already on the list in the preseason. We saw five players (and Jordan Westburg who graduated) be taken off of the top 30 list. Those players are:
- Ryan Watson – RHP
- Silas Ardoin – C
- Carter Young – INF
- Maikol Hernández – INF
- Noah Denoyer – RHP
The biggest name on here is catcher Silas Ardoin, who was rumored to be a future backup and for the Orioles. Carter Young is another prospect who was a surprise to see off the list. His struggle to begin the season might be a factor, but he is still a player that can have a huge impact for the organization in the future.
Pitchers Ryan Watson and Noah Denoyer are players who could have arguable reasons to have been in the bullpen at the beginning of the season. Both are right-handed arms that can cause so much damage for other teams. Watson was last year’s Jim Palmar Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Biggest Upgrade: Justin Armbruester +9
Right-hander Justin Armbruester was added late to the top 30 list, and it honestly should have been earlier. Armbruester has been a prospect that before this year has slid under the radar and shown that he could be a future rotation piece for the O’s.
Armbruester jumped from the 29th spot on the list to the 20th spot. He currently has been a big piece for Triple-A Norfolk and could possibly make his debut for the Orioles in 2024.
Biggest Downgrade: Frederick Bencosme -6
Infielder Frederick Bencosme has been disappointing this year. He has started to decline offensively since joining High-A Aberdeen, and that most likely contributed to his ranking.
Bencosme is still young and still has so much potential, regardless of dropping from the 18th spot down to the 24th spot.
Which prospects are you excited to see make the top 30? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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