Everybody in Baltimore knows Adley Rutschman and what he’s done for the franchise. But, there is another elite catching prospect climbing the ranks in the O’s system. That man is Samuel Basallo, a 19-year-old out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Basallo was signed in 2021 as an international free agent. At just 16 years old, the Orioles handed him $1.3 million, their largest deal with an international prospect ever at the time.
At 6’3”, 180 pounds, Basallo’s best tool is his plus power from the left side, which will play nicely at Camden Yards. But he also boasts well above average plate discipline and a huge arm behind the plate.
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While primarily a catcher, Basallo may project more as a first basemen given his size and the fact that backstop is locked up at the moment on the big league club.
Basallo’s first assignment would come in the Dominican Summer League, where in 41 games, he posted a .239/.338/.410 slashline and a team-leading five home runs. Despite just barely being old enough to drive a car, Basallo also displayed a very advanced hitting approach, walking 12.3% of the time.
Basallo would continue rookie ball in 2022, this time in the Florida Coast League. His line improved across the board, this time at .278/.350/.424 while belting six long balls in 43 games.
His early success made him an intriguing prospect already, but 2023 saw Basallo go absolutely nuclear. He was promoted to Low-A Delmarva, where he would play 83 games, again improving with a .299/.384/.503 line and a career-high 12 home runs.
The young catcher started to make waves across the league, earning him his first appearance on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list, sneaking in at No. 100. With that came another promotion, this time to High-A Aberdeen.
During his time there, Basallo put up video game numbers. In just 27 games, he blasted eight home runs and hit a ridiculous .333/443/.688, good for a 1.131 OPS. What’s even crazier is that his 16.5% walk rate almost matched his 17.4% strikeout rate.
It’s been quite the week for the youngster, as his .474 average and five home runs were good enough to win Player of the Week honors and a promotion to Double-A Bowie, where he will debut tonight.
Injuries have been a bit of a thorn in the side for Basallo, who has had a few different stints of missed time, but when he’s been on the field, he’s been nothing short of electric. His power and plate discipline will keep him on a fast track to the majors, and in due time, he will likely be recognized as a top 10 prospect in all of baseball.
Will Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo be baseball’s best catching duo? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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