Publication Highlights Baltimore Orioles Prospect’s Eye-Popping Exit Velocity

A future catcher for the Baltimore Orioles is considered one of the most powerful young hitters among all prospects under 21 years old.

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 are used to having prospects rocket through their minor-league system. The latest is 19-year-old catcher Samuel Basallo, who started his professional career three years ago.

He’s now the Orioles’ No. 3 prospect and one of the top prospects in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline. The two prospects in front of him — infielders Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo — have been in the Major Leagues this season.

The future catcher is coming fast. And he wields a powerful bat, according to Baseball America.

Recently, the publication profiled 15 power hitters who are 21 years old or younger, in the minor leagues and have shown exceptional power at the plate.

The metric used was 90th percentile exit velocity and all 15 hitters were among the top two percent in the category in the age group.

Basallo — who has spent all season at Double-A Bowie all season — made that list with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 106.7 mph, which was in the 98th percentile.

The publication pointed out that it actually skipped 10 hitters that ranked higher than Basallo in this article and did so because none of those 10 hitters had “…the same kind of outstanding production as a professional that Basallo does.”

His lifetime slash in 301 career games is .289/.369/.482/.851 with 46 home runs and 189 RBI. Through 103 games at Bowie is right on those averages, with a slash line of .286/.352/.456/.808 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI.

He’s dealt with injuries this season, but his numbers haven’t dipped and Baseball America has the data to back it up.

“Basallo has been 26% better than the average Eastern League hitter, and his power metrics rank even higher,” the publication wrote.

After participating in the MLB Futures Game earlier this year, Basallo is still on course for a potential call-up in 2025. At the least, there’s a good chance that he’ll start the 2025 season with a promotion to Triple-A Norfolk.

He had a breakthrough season in 2023 as he played for three different Orioles affiliates and slashed .313/.402/.551/.953 with 26 doubles, seven triples, 20 home runs and 86 RBI.

Basallo signed with Baltimore as an international free agent in 2021 and was given a $1.3 million bonus, which at the time was a franchise record. He didn’t play in the Dominican Summer League and made his stateside debut in 2022 with the Florida Complex League Orioles, the team’s rookie affiliate.

In 43 games that year he slashed .278/.350/.424/.774 with five doubles, six home runs and 32 RBI.