With the 2026 minor-league season winding down, prospects have anywhere from two to four weeks left to continue making their case for the future.
At the same time, affiliates across the Baltimore Orioles’ farm system have little time remaining to make their final pushes toward the postseason.
With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at this week’s Baltimore Battery O’s Prospects of the Week.
Triple-A Norfolk: Enrique Bradfield Jr. – OF / Dietrich Enns – LHP
Former first-round pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. displayed several of the tools that have the Orioles still so high on his future. In 18 at-bats this past week, Bradfield Jr. collected seven hits, including a double, while also drawing six walks and reaching base 13 times during the Tides’ series against Gwinnett.
Once on base, EBJ did what he does best. The 24-year-old stole three bases and scored five runs. Most importantly, however, he struck out just once during the series.
Bradfield Jr. currently has an eight-game on-base streak and has reached base in 10 of the 12 games he has played this month. The Battery’s No. 22-ranked prospect has also recorded four multi-hit games this month.
For the season, EBJ is slashing .263/.362/.344 over 74 games, collecting 68 hits, including eight doubles, two triples and three home runs. He has driven in 27 runs, scored 57 and has stolen 32 bases in 37 attempts while drawing 38 walks.
On the mound, veteran left-hander Dietrich Enns could be someone to watch as the Orioles’ postseason push intensifies. Enns appeared in two games for the Tides this week, totaling four innings while allowing no runs on two hits and one walk.
The 35-year-old has had an up-and-down season but still has something left in the tank, as evidenced by his 3-0 record and sub-4.00 ERA with the Orioles this season.
For Norfolk, Enns has appeared in 22 games, compiling a 2-1 record with one hold and one blown save. His ERA sits at 6.75 through 33.1 innings, while his WHIP is 1.68.
His numbers in the majors have been somewhat better, as Enns has posted a 1.50 WHIP while holding opposing hitters to a .236 batting average over 16 innings. In Norfolk, opponents are hitting .264 against him.
Double-A Chesapeake: Aron Estrada – 2B/OF / Micah Ashman – LHP
These types of weeks from Aron Estrada seem to be becoming more regular as the season goes on, and his latest stretch was another example of just how dangerous he can be when he gets hot.
Estrada recorded at least one hit in all five games he played this week, including an incredible five-hit performance on Saturday. In total, Estrada collected nine hits for the week, with five of those hits leaving the ballpark. He also added a double, giving him six extra-base hits for the week.
The power was not the only impressive part of Estrada’s week. He drove in 10 runs over the five-game stretch while striking out just three times. To put that into perspective, Estrada had twice as many extra-base hits as strikeouts during the series.
Weeks like this are becoming less surprising from Estrada, who continues to show the ability to impact a game in multiple ways. Whether it is making consistent contact, providing power or driving runners in, The Battery’s No. 2-ranked prospect has continued to put together stretches that make you take notice.
This week, a whole gang of arms showed out, making this week’s pitching honor a little out of the ordinary. With several pitchers turning in impressive performances, the honor ultimately goes to Micah Ashman.
On Friday, Ashman delivered a dominant two-inning outing in relief. Over those two innings, the left-hander did not allow a hit while striking out five of the batters he faced. Those five strikeouts matched his season-high, which came during his first outing of the season on April 12.
For Ashman, it was another encouraging performance as he continues to make his case out of the Baysox bullpen. While two innings may not seem like a massive workload, the ability to come into a game and miss bats at that level is exactly what makes an outing like this stand out.
Five strikeouts in two innings shows just how dominant Ashman was during his appearance and gives the Baysox another arm capable of creating swings and misses when they need them.
High-A Frederick: DJ Layton – INF / Kyson Witherspoon -RHP
In his first week as a Frederick Key, DJ Layton has already made his case as a Prospect of the Week.
Over five games, Layton slashed .357/.526/.571 with a 1.097 OPS. He tied for the team lead with five hits, including his first High-A home run. He also drove in a run, drew five walks and stole six bases in seven attempts.
The Battery’s 26th-ranked prospect is slashing .252/.402/.397 for a .799 OPS this season. He has collected 83 hits, including 19 doubles, four triples and seven home runs. His plate discipline has been impressive, with 78 walks on the season, while his speed has also been on display with 38 stolen bases in 53 attempts.
Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Layton is developing into an intriguing switch-hitting threat for the future.
Just two weeks ago, Kyson Witherspoon was traded to the Orioles in the blockbuster Adley Rutschman deal with the Boston Red Sox, and he is already making an impact on the mound.
The 22-year-old right-hander made his second start with the Keys this week and allowed just two earned runs over five innings. The former Sooner recorded nine strikeouts, the most by a South Atlantic League pitcher in a single game this week, while walking just two batters.
Since being acquired on August 3, Witherspoon has posted a 1.93 ERA over 9.1 innings with Frederick. He struggled in his first start with the Keys, walking five batters, but his second outing showed much more of the potential that made him an intriguing acquisition.
Witherspoon owns a 4.78 ERA over 17 starts this season, but the Battery’s ninth-ranked prospect has shown encouraging signs since the trade deadline.
Low-A Delmarva: Jaiden Lo Re – INF/ Francisco Morao – LHP
Jaiden Lo Re continues to put together an impressive offensive season, with another week of consistently getting on base.
Lo Re slashed .313/.522/.438 with a .960 OPS over five games. He collected five hits, including a triple, while driving in three runs. He also stole a base and drew seven walks during the week.
In his first professional season, Lo Re has looked like a legitimate offensive threat for the Orioles’ future. The 19-year-old infielder has played in 70 games and is slashing .343/.451/.463 with a .914 OPS. He has collected 83 hits, including 14 doubles, three triples and three home runs, while driving in 48 runs.
Lo Re has also stolen 23 bases and owns an impressive 49-to-26 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
On the mound, left-hander Francisco Morao turned in two fantastic starts this past week.
Morao pitched 7.2 innings, allowing a combined six hits and two earned runs while walking just one batter and striking out seven. He also held opposing hitters to a .207 batting average and posted a 0.91 WHIP.
Originally signed in 2023, Morao made his first appearance of the season with the Shorebirds last month. He has pitched 47.1 innings this season, primarily in the Florida Complex League, and owns a 3.23 ERA.
Morao has allowed 33 hits and 17 earned runs while walking just 23 batters and striking out 56. After dealing with injuries earlier this season, the 20-year-old is beginning to find his rhythm at the right time as the season enters its final weeks.
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