A little over a month ago, former Baltimore Orioles franchise cornerstone Adley Rutschman was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
Now, for the first time in Rutschman’s big league career, he is not wearing orange and black at Camden Yards. For almost every Oriole fan, that is a complete shock to the system and will definitely take some time to get used to.
However, while it may be difficult to watch Rutschman play in a different uniform, especially for a division rival, it is important to remember that Major League Baseball is a business-first league.
Due to the demand for catchers at this year’s trade deadline, the Orioles received an extremely talented group of young prospects in return from the Red Sox.
It has already started to look like an overpay by Boston, with the trade package being headlined by breakout prospect Anthony Eyanson, who has been fantastic since joining the organization.
However, another prospect from that package has started to make his impact known just as much.
Enddy Azocar was not the biggest name in the return to Baltimore, but he has given fans in Birdland every reason to be excited about his arrival. There is an easy argument to make that Azocar could be the most exciting player from that deal.
The 19-year-old outfielder has been on a scorching tear since joining the organization. His impressive opening month with the Orioles has already earned him South Atlantic League Player of the Month honors for August.
Azocar has spent his entire tenure in the Orioles’ farm system with the High-A Frederick Keys, where he has been nothing short of dominant.
Azocar’s August Stats:
- .365 batting average — led the league
- 35 hits — led the league
- Nine doubles — led the league
- 24 runs scored — second in the league
- 63 total bases — second in the league
- Two triples — second in the league
- 10 multi-hit games
- A career-high four hits on August 19
There are many things that make Azocar an extremely exciting prospect. The first being his age.
The Venezuelan native is just 19 years old and thriving. For the full 2026 season, Azocar leads all teenagers in total bases and is doing it against players several years older than him.
Next, Azocar has continued his success while hitting near the top of the lineup for one of the best High-A teams in MiLB. He has rare power for his age, hitting 21 home runs in 107 games this season. He has also recorded 34 doubles and eight triples, showing that his power extends well beyond just hitting the ball over the fence.
Enddy Azocar is one of the most complete and high-upside players in the entire organization. This is the reason why we at The Baltimore Battery have him ranked as high as fifth in the O’s system.
Finally, it is simply difficult to find a flaw in his game. You could possibly point to his walk rate and defense in the outfield. However, as he matures as a hitter, this is something that can be fixed.
Even though Adley Rutschman was traded to a division rival, which hurts, he could be a gift that keeps on giving for years to come.
What are your thoughts on Enddy Azocar? 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!
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