We are starting up a new series this offseason, diving into the top prospects in the Baltimore Orioles farm system.
This series will consist of discussing the players who are currently in the top 30 of the O’s farm system. We’ll provide you information about how and when they were drafted, the highlights of their pro career thus far and how they performed this past season.
We are starting with the No. 29 prospect in the O’s farm system, infielder Aron Estrada. We skipped No. 30, infielder DJ Layton, because of an article we published back in September when he first joined the top 30. If you’d like to view that piece, just click here.
Aron Estrada first entered the organization when the Orioles signed him during the international signing period in 2022. Estrada signed officially on January 15, 2022, just two days after his 17th birthday.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40
The Venezuelan native made an immediate impact on scouts around the baseball world with his illustrious speed rating of 55, but showed a lack in the power department, getting a 40 rating.
Estrada would be sent to play in the Dominican Rookie League after signing, and he wasted not a single moment to show his full potential. He put together a slash line of .368/.483/.566 with a 1.049 OPS in 45 games and 136 at-bats.
That year, Estrada collected 50 hits, 12 doubles, three triples and three home runs. He also knocked in 31 RBIs and stole four bases, earning him an AL All-Star nod at that level.
Estrada would be moved to the Florida Coast League, another rookie ball league, for the 2023 season, and he would take a little dip statistically. He played just 23 games and had a .748 OPS while batting .206.
Estrada would keep up the on-base percentage, though, finishing the season out with a .383 OBP. However, just 13 hits and six extra-base hits on the entire season were not the same as his 2022 season in the DSL.
Estrada would get his first true challenge when he joined the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds in 2024, and despite a slow start, he would have back-to-back months of hitting over .350 and would even be named Carolina League Player of the Month for June.
Estrada would play 91 games with the Shorebirds, slashing .296/.361/.434 with a .795 OPS. He had 103 hits, 18 doubles, three triples and eight home runs. But the biggest x-factor was that Estrada started to use his speed, stealing 31 bases, enough to be named a Postseason All-Star for the Carolina League.
The 19-year-old infielder would get the call-up to High-A Aberdeen on August 5, and unlike with Delmarva, he would waste no time getting hot, as he would hit his first High-A home run in just his second game.
Estrada would have a bit of an adjustment period as an IronBird, posting a .678 OPS in just 26 games and collecting just 21 hits, with just four of them going for extra bases.
During his time with Aberdeen, Estrada would officially be added to the Orioles’ top 30 prospects list on August 27 after left-hander Cade Povich graduated.
Estrada is going to be just 20 years old when the 2025 season comes around, and there is still plenty of time for him to grow as a prospect. Expect him to stay on the top 30 list come March and climb the rankings throughout the year.
At the end of the day, Estrada is an undersized yet athletic switch-hitting infielder who has shown the ability to make a ton of contact from both sides of the plate. He’s had a little more impact from the left side but has shown the ability to manage the strike zone and limit strikeouts from both sides of the plate.
What are your thoughts on O’s No. 29 overall prospect, Aron Estrada? 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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