Thursday Thoughts: Edition 6 – The anomaly that is Samuel Basallo

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

The Baltimore Orioles, in the last five seasons, have been primarily credited for their elite farm system.

Top prospects turned major league contributors have become the norm for the organization. It’s been done essentially the same way for the entirety of the Mike Elias regime. Draft from the collegiate level, outside of the top high school prospects based on analytics, develop the player and let the raw talent blossom.

With Samuel Basallo, his path into being the Oriole’s most talented prospect happened in a new way. He was an international free agent back in 2021, and, as most fans know, the international market was something the Orioles were completely estranged to prior to Elias. Basallo signed for $1.3 million at age 17, the largest contract given out by the Orioles to a Latin amateur player at the time.

Basallo is now the consensus top catching prospect in baseball, the Orioles No. 2 overall prospect and one of the best pure hitters in all of the minor leagues. And he is just 20 years old.

In 325 minor league games thus far, Basallo has single-handedly proven that the concept of delving into the international market is a very good idea. Now, it’s beginning to be time to see how he fits into a major league role, with the Orioles or elsewhere.

The catcher position is the most locked up on the O’s roster, besides shortstop. But is Basallo the answer as the back-up catcher at some point this coming season?

I think he is.

During his time in the minors, especially his last two seasons that were spent at the Double and Triple-A level, Basallo proved to be a phenomenal backstop defensively. He has caught a number of arms that are also on the brink of call-ups, or have been already, and has a rocket of an arm.

Offensively, Basallo’s left-handed pop is going to play really well at Camden Yards. That power will certainly be on display during spring training, and it will be a great time to see his bat match up against the highest level of pitching.

Last season, Adley Rutschman struggled. There is no way around saying that his second half was lackluster. Deeper into the numbers, we saw a large difference in his offensive production when he was serving as the designated hitter compared to catching. This provides Basallo ample opportunity to find his time to play and benefits Rutschman by putting him in the best situations possible, all while providing the premiere catching duo that the organization is able to formulate.

Basallo’s true value lies in what he will bring to the Orioles, instead of being a trade piece. However, he will be a prospect that every single organization with a front-line starter will ask for in a deal at the trade deadline. The possibility of Basallo making his major league mark with another team is legitimate.

Whether it does happen with another team or with the Birds, the impact Basallo will make as a big leaguer is proof of how well the international market works. If he becomes a top prospect, or even a major league player immediately, for another organization, it will elicit the highest level pitcher a team could acquire.

It isn’t ideal, as any other prospect in the organization should be fair game and valuable to other teams as well. However, parades are better than prospects.

Basallo is going to be one of the highlights for fans during spring training this year, and everyone is going to want to keep an eye on him while he is at Triple-A Norfolk to start the 2025 regular season.

It could be a preview of the best prospect that the Orioles have had who doesn’t get talked about enough. It could also be a preview for an opposing squad that may want to unload their ace to the O’s in order to acquire his services.

What are your thoughts on Samuel Basallo? Do you see him as the next best Oriole or a top trade piece?

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