Baltimore Orioles to Host Marquee Matchup in Spring Breakout Game

The Baltimore Orioles drew a Spring Breakout game opponent that is sure to drive the box office in spring training.

Shorebirds' Samuel Basallo (21) swings in the game against the Cannon Ballers Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland. The Shorebirds defeated the Cannon Ballers 7-2. / Lauren Roberts/Salisbury Daily Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Baltimore Orioles have one of the best farm systems in baseball, so it is fitting their prospects would face the prospects from one of baseball’s marquee franchises next year.

Major League Baseball announced that the Orioles will host the New York Yankees in next year’s Spring Breakout game on March 15, with the game time and rosters to be determined.

Baltimore is an organization that knows how to turn prospects into Major Leaguers. Six of its last eight first-round draft picks have made their MLB debuts with Baltimore, and five are still with the organization. The other two were selected in the last 13 months and are not yet ready for the Majors.

But, each could play in next year’s Spring Breakout. That would be 2023 first-rounder Enrique Bradfield Jr., who is now at Double-A Bowie, and last month’s first-round selection, outfielder Vance Honeycutt out of North Carolina.

It’s likely the O’s roster will be filled with Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB Pipeline. One of them probably won’t be current No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday. He is back in the Majors and on track to graduate from the prospect rankings this year.

The same could be true for corner infielder Coby Mayo, who just started his MLB career and was sent back to Triple-A Norfolk. He may be competing for an Opening-Day job next spring, even if he doesn’t get the service time to graduate before next spring.

Another Orioles pitcher who could be competing for a rotation spot next spring is Cade Povich, who made his MLB debut earlier this year and is back in the minors.

The same could hold true for the Yankees’ top prospect, outfielder Jasson Dominguez, who missed most of this season recovering from Tommy John surgery but is at Triple-A. He will probably be competing for an MLB job next spring.

Those competitions could influence who makes the game. But one should expect a roster filled with future MLB players.

Since the first Spring Breakout games in March, 95 participating players have made it to the Majors and 35 of them have been MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects. When the MLB Futures Game was held last month during All-Star Game weekend, 48 of the 54 players in the game participated in Spring Breakout.

The Orioles’ only prospect at the MLB Futures Game was catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo, who is with Bowie. The 19-year-old prospect is probably at least a year away from being ready for the Majors.

Other Baltimore prospects who could be selected to play in the game are right-handed pitcher Chayce McDermott, outfielder Dylan Beavers, shortstop Griff O'Ferrall and right-handed pitcher Juan Nuñez.