MLB Pipeline has released annual top prospect lists since the 2004 season, initially ranking up to 50 players before expanding to a full top 100 list in 2012.
That history got us thinking: How many Orioles prospects did fans forget were once ranked inside the top 100?
With that in mind, we have put together a list of five Orioles players who appeared on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list at some point since the 2011 season.
Let’s dive in.
2011: Zack Britton (No. 19)
Zack Britton was once one of the highest-rated prospects in the Orioles’ system, though it is easy to forget that he ranked as a top 20 prospect ahead of the 2011 season.
Coming off his fifth year in the minors, Britton had little left to prove after posting a 2.70 ERA across 153.1 innings between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.
Britton made his MLB debut on April 3, 2011, and spent his first three seasons with the Orioles as a starter. During that stretch, he logged 254.2 innings with a 4.77 ERA. Everything changed after the 2013 season, however, when the Orioles moved him to the bullpen, a decision that completely altered his career trajectory.
From 2014 through 2016, Britton emerged as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball, recording ERAs of 1.65, 1.92 and a historic 0.54 mark. He notched three consecutive 30-plus save seasons, including a career-high 47 saves in 2016.
Britton remained with Baltimore until he was traded to the New York Yankees in 2018. He ultimately retired in 2022, having transformed from a highly-regarded starting prospect into one of the best left-handed closers of the 2010s.
2014: Eduardo Rodríguez (No. 68)
Eduardo Rodríguez’s 2013 campaign was his most complete year in the minor leagues, as he threw a career-high 145 innings across 25 starts while posting a 3.41 ERA. He also set a personal best with 125 strikeouts that season.
Rodríguez would never appear in orange and black. At the 2014 trade deadline, the Orioles dealt him to the Boston Red Sox in a one-for-one swap for left-handed reliever Andrew Miller, as Baltimore pushed for a division title.
Rodríguez went on to spend six seasons with Boston from 2015 to 2021, compiling a respectable career line with a 4.16 ERA while averaging roughly 148 strikeouts per season. He then signed with the Detroit Tigers for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, where he was even more effective, posting a 3.58 ERA over 243.2 innings.
Now entering his third season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Rodríguez is coming off back-to-back seasons in which his ERA climbed above five.
2017: Chance Sisco (No. 99)
As someone who closely follows prospects, Chance Sisco is a name I know well. In 2017, Sisco ranked 99th on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list, and at the time, most fans felt that ranking undersold his potential as the O’s catcher of the future.
Sisco enjoyed a breakout season in 2016, posting an .833 OPS with 135 hits, 28 doubles and 51 RBIs down on the farm. He looked like the kind of contact-oriented, defensively capable catcher teams covet.
After debuting late in the 2017 season, he initially showed promise, collecting six hits, four of them for extra bases. However, Sisco struggled to find consistency at the major league level.
Across 191 games with the Orioles, the left-handed-hitting backstop slashed .199/.319/.339 with a .658 OPS. Over five seasons, he totaled 101 hits, 23 doubles and 16 home runs.
Waived in 2021, Sisco briefly appeared in five games with the New York Mets before being sent down. He later spent time in the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league system and now plays independent ball in the American Association with the Chicago Dogs.
2018: Austin Hays (No. 23)
Austin Hays was long regarded as a cornerstone prospect in the Orioles’ system, but it is easy to forget that he ranked as a top 25 prospect in baseball entering the 2018 season.
In 2017, Hays tore through the minor leagues, posting an eye-popping .958 OPS and establishing himself as a premier hitting prospect.
Hays debuted later that same year, and while he struggled initially, posting a .555 OPS across 20 games, those early results did little to define his long-term outlook. From 2017 through 2024, Hays carved out a steady career in Baltimore, posting a .262 average with a .748 OPS. During that span, he accumulated 510 hits, 121 doubles, eight triples and 66 home runs.
The Orioles traded Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024 in exchange for right-hander Seranthony Domínguez, but injuries limited his impact that season. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 2025 and rebounded with one of the better seasons of his career, recording a .768 OPS and 101 hits in 103 games.
2023: Joey Ortiz (No. 99)
Joey Ortiz was a popular figure among O’s fans, though his presence on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list is something many may not remember.
In 2023, Ortiz dominated Triple-A, compiling a .321 average with an .885 OPS. He made his major league debut with Baltimore that same season but struggled in a limited sample, posting a .448 OPS with seven hits and four RBIs across 15 games.
During the 2024 offseason, the Orioles traded Ortiz to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the deal that brought Corbin Burnes to Baltimore.
Since then, Ortiz has developed into a dependable contributor for Milwaukee, averaging 106 hits per season over the past two years while continuing to showcase elite defensive skills in the Brew Crew infield.
Did you remember any of these players being top 100 prospects? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Zack’s content? Follow him on X – @Zackattack8211 and @OsMilbUpdates for all the latest news and updates on the O’s farm system!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment