Baltimore Orioles Stars Dominate Latest Top 100 Prospects List

The Baltimore Orioles have a deep well of talent and it showed up in one publication’s latest Top 100 prospect rankings.

Jul 12, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad (13) swings through a second inning single against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball America doesn’t have shortstop Jackson Holliday as baseball’s top prospect anymore.

That’s fine. The Baltimore Orioles had four prospects among the Top 30 in the publication’s recent re-rank of the Top 100 prospects after the MLB Draft. The publication added draft picks where appropriate, which did impact some prospects’ standing in the rankings.

It didn’t impact the Orioles. Holliday came in at No. 2, followed by third baseman Coby Mayo at No. 12, catcher Samuel Basallo at No. 17 and outfielder Heston Kjerstad at No. 26.

Kjerstad is with Baltimore right now, while the other three remain in the minor leagues — but likely not much longer.

Holliday has a short stint with the Orioles in April, which dinged his top prospect status but he remain one of the game’s potential future stars. The only player ranked ahead of Holliday is Washington Nationals top prospect James Wood, who was just promoted.

Holliday was Baltimore’s first-round pick (No. 1 overall) in 2022 and he rocketed through their minor-league system last year and had a tremendous spring training in March but was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk.

He hit his way to a Major League debut in April, but he struggled as he batted .059 in April and was sent back to Triple-A Norfolk to continue to work on hitting better against left-handers. Back with the Tides, he’s batting more like he was before the call-up.

The 20-year-old left-handed hitting infielder has slashed .280/.448/.500/.948 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 67 games with Norfolk.

Mayo was the Orioles’ fourth-round pick in 2020 and is with Triple-A Norfolk where he’s been connected to trade talks as the deadline nears next week. He’s having the kind of season that could lead to a call-up, as he has slashed .305/.385/.628/1.013 with 22 home runs and 63 RBI.

Basallo is one of the game’s youngest top prospects. Signed out of the Dominican Republic 2022, he is currently with Double-A Bowie. The 19-year-old left-handed hitting catcher, who can also play first base, has slashed .273/.338/.443/.781 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI.

He was selected to play for the American League in the MLB Futures Game during All-Star weekend in Arlington, Texas, earlier this month.

Kjerstad may not be in the rankings much longer. After 135 MLB at-bats players graduate from the rankings and Kjerstad has 84 since he made his debut last year. He’s batting .296 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 23 MLB games this season. But at Triple-A Norfolk he put up huge numbers, as he slashed .300/.397/.601/.998 with 16 home runs and 48 RBI in 56 games with the Tides.