Baltimore Orioles See Two Prospects on New Top 50 List

One Baltimore Orioles prospect on this new list is status quo, but the other might surprise people.

Jul 18, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles first round draft pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. takes batting practice prior to the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

It's very well known at this point that the Baltimore Orioles have a knack for developing hitters year after year. Even just this season, they have graduated prospects like Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser. There are still plenty more to come, one of whom is a consensus top 10-15 prospect in baseball and some more recent draft picks.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden recently released his own top 50 prospect list, which is different from many that are out there. For reference, MLB Pipeline's list has two Orioles as well, with both Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo both in the top ten. Bowden's has two Baltimore prospects on his list as well, but Mayo is not one of them.

Basallo checks in at number nine on the top 50. The 20-year-old has moved quickly through the minors since being signed in 2021. The left-handed hitter played across three levels in 2023 and began 2024 at Double-A, but has already reached Triple-A at his young age.

In 114 games this season, Basallo has a .791 OPS with 22 doubles, 17 home runs and 58 RBIs. Since his promotion to Triple-A, he has struggled to get going. In eight games, he is just 6-for-35 with one home run.

Basallo has come up as a catcher, but with the obvious road block of Adley Rutschman, he has played some first base this season in order to get him comfortable at a different position. He has played 30 games at first this season, and 32 more at designated hitter.

Even though the young hitter has moved at a lightning fast pace, it's not likely he will see time in the Majors this season, especially after his slow start in Norfolk.

The second Orioles prospect on this list is a big of a surprise. It's not highly-touted prospect Coby Mayo or even 2024 first round pick Vance Honeycutt. Instead, it's 2023 first round pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. at number 36.

Bradfield is different from pretty much every other recent young star that Baltimore has seen. Players like Gunnar Henderson, Rutschman, Cowser are power hitters. Bradfield is not that.

His best traits are his speed and defense, which are considered to be elite. In 100 games this year, Bradfield has stolen 69 bases across two levels. He's also considered to be one of the best defensive outfielders in the minor leagues.

However, he's not exactly a slouch with the bat. While he won't provide much power, with just three home runs this season, he's hitting .271 on the year and will smack some doubles and triples in place of hitting 30 home runs.

At 22-years-old, Bradfield is playing at the Double-A level and with a stacked Orioles outfield in the Majors, he might still be a year or so away.

If anything, this list from Bowden goes to show the depth of the Baltimore Orioles system. They can graduate players year after year, but continue to restock the system with plenty of different types of players.