Baltimore Orioles MLB Draft Day Two Recap

Written by: Nick Stevens

The 2026 MLB Draft is complete.

20 picks. 11 pitchers. 4 outfielder. 3 infielders. 1 catcher. 1 utility player.

A whopping 8 high school picks. 1 JUCO product. 10 Division-I players. 1 NAIA player.

The day one recap of rounds 1-4 can be found here and all three of us will be breaking down this year’s draft class on Monday night’s show, so make sure you are subscribed!

Before that, some initial thoughts on day two:

In my 2025 draft recap, Jimmy Anderson was my late-round pick to click for a couple of reasons, mainly the elite production he put up in the wooden-bat Northwoods League after his freshman season at Heartland. He hit .340 with four home runs and 18 walks to 12 strikeouts in a highly competitive collegiate summer ball league and handled a wood bat incredibly well. One year later, Anderson finds himself being selected by the Orioles again, this time in the fifth round.

Anderson had a monster 2026 campaign: .465 average, 26 home runs, 22 doubles, 37 BB/18 K, 18 SB. The 20-year-old right-handed hitter is now listed at 6’0/190 pounds and brings a strong infield glove, a strong hit tool, and I’d bet a real belief by the Orioles that there’s more power in the tank than many think. He is committed to Kentucky and expected to replace Tyler Bell in 2027, but the Orioles have made it crystal clear that they want him in the organization. Fun reminder, he was travel ball teammates with current Orioles prospect Nate George.

Adams was looking like an early round pick in 2025, but got sick just weeks before the 2025 season and was never able to quite get his stuff back on the mound, and even with pro teams offering big money after a down year, he withdrew his name from the 2025 draft and bet on himself as he returned to Alabama for the 2026 season. The bet paid off. After adding 3-4 ticks to his fastball, the 6’4” lefty struck out a career-high 25% of hitters this season, while walking 7.6% across 90 innings.

Now sitting more in the 92-94 mph range (T96 mph), Adams also brings a big breaker, a low-80s slider, a cutter, and a changeup that can dive bomb below barrels. My one viewing of Zane Adams this year came on Opening Day back in February against Washington State. My notes from that outing: “Grabbed 96. Continued to regularly hit 94 into the 5th on a crisp, February afternoon. Throwing with much more conviction compared to 2025. Change and curve are whiff machines.”

I’ve had Ryan Piech circled as an Orioles target from the moment I watched him pitch for the first time back in February. Listed at 6’3/215, Piech made 14 starts for Xavier, striking out 31% of hitters he faced, while walking sub-10% and limiting opponents to a .204 average against, an impressive performance against a very tough 2026 schedule. In four non-conference starts against ECU, Arkansas, Cal State Fullerton, and Oregon State, Piech pitched to a 3.50 ERA with 26 K/5 BB.

From my March article on Piech: Piech delivers from a high arm slot with a deceptive delivery and impressive arm speed. His fastball sits 92-94 and touched 96 mph with an average of 20 in. IVB and his main secondary weapon, his curveball, tunnels well from his high slot, producing a good number of whiffs as hitters struggle to differentiate between the two offerings. He’s also mixed in a changeup and slider. Piech’s fastball has been thrown for a strike 72% of the time, 23rd best mark in the country, per Synergy, and has been effective against multiple high-quality lineups. Piech will still be just 20 years old on draft day with limited mileage on his arm and a big up arrow next to his name.

Piech had one Division-I offer out of high school, missed a year due to Tommy John surgery back in 2024, and is now a seventh round pick of the Baltimore Orioles.

Listed at 6”3/195, Plunkett had a lot of steam heading into the draft and has been tabbed as an early favorite by many in the industry, with the late steam largely a product of being a northeast prospect with limited run on the showcase circuit. The 18-year-old right-handed hitter is committed to Binghamton and brings a collection of 50 grade tools to the table. Per Joe Doyle’s grades: 50 hit, 50 power, 50 run, 50 arm, 45 field. Plunkett is dripping with projection. His broad shouldered, 6’3 frame leaves a lot of room to grow physically, he’s a high-end athlete, and based on many public scouting reports on his swing, it appears that his swing development will be more about small adjustments here and there and smoothing out some slightly rough edges versus any major overhaul. The hit tool already features a strong foundation and when you watch him at the plate, the power potential is clear as day.

There’s always extreme risk with a high school prospect, but Plunkett represents a great process to the draft- identify under-the-radar, high-end projection prospects committed to mid-major programs, get them to sign early before hitting early at their mid-major program, transferring to an SEC or other P4 program and then having to compete with massive NIL deals. Looking at the rest of the board for the Orioles and all of their high school picks, it looks like this was their attempt to stay two steps ahead.

A 6’5”/217 pound righty, McKinney started his career at Baylor before spending the last two years at Arizona. He recently entered the portal and was committed to Houston, but instead he will very likely be signing with the Orioles on an under-slot deal.

After starting for his first two years, McKinney was used in more of a swing-man role this year at Arizona, posting a career-best 26% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate, a 4% drop from his 2025 mark.

Like a few Orioles draft picks in the past, a very strong MLB Draft League performance likely solidified his draft stock. Pitching for West Virginia, McKinney made three starts this summer, striking out 16 with just three walks and two runs allowed across nine innings. Per MLB Draft League Data, McKinney sat 95 mph (T97 mph) with 17+ inches of IVB, while also throwing an 89-90 mph cutter and a 2,700+ rpm curveball in his final outing. McKinney brings plus extension from his 6’5” frame, knows how to spin a baseball, and brings the velo with improved control. I do think there was something to him not being used in a set role at Arizona last year, so I’m very curious to see how he performs in 2027 in a regular rotation role, likely in Frederick.

Now the highest-drafted player out of NAIA powerhouse LSU-Shreveport, Sanchez is another under-slot pick here for the Orioles. Listed at 6’0/190, Sanchez hit .388 with 12 home runs this season at LSU-Shreveport, before heading to the MLB Draft League this summer where he played primarily catcher, with some run at second base and left field as well. He hit .308 with nine doubles, four home runs, and a 16/14 K/BB.

A native of Venezuela, Sanchez said he transferred to LSU-Shreveport because he likes to win. Well, the program became the first college baseball program to go undefeated, finishing the 2025 season with a clean 59-0 record. I imagine the plan for Sanchez is to use him similarly to how 2024 5th round pick Ryan Stafford has been used in the system, filling roles at catcher, first, second, left and right field.

A 6’7”/220 pound righty, Norman stepped up for Coastal Carolina this season after multiple high-profile pitching injuries left the Chanticleers in need of some real help if they were going to repeat their fascinating 2025 run. Norman, a Georgia State transfer, made 16 starts for Coastal, striking out 18% of hitters across 78 innings and walking just 5%. I now forgive him for throwing a shutout against my alma mater this season and apologize for the not so nice things I might have said while watching that game.

Norman saw immediate gains after moving from Georgia State to a much more prominent program in Coastal, seeing the velo jump to 93 mph with extra life (19+ inches of IVB), and more than 6.5 feet of extension from his 6’7” frame. He’s now sitting 93-95 mph, touching 97 mph, and has flashed the makings of a starter’s repertoire, but was primarily a two-pitch pitcher. I expect Norman to be on a starter’s track once he signs, showing off 4-5 improved pitches after the Orioles are able to work with him a bit.

A 6’1/220 pound high school catcher, Marrero has shown impressive exit velos with a wood bat from the left side already and has some experience in the outfield. The power shines but the hit tool shouldn’t be overlooked here. He’s committed to USF, but the Orioles can offer up to $150K without having to dip into their signing bonus pool.

A 6’3” righty out of BYU, Sumner was D1Baseball’s “pick to click” for the Cougars entering the 2026 season after being one of the few arms on BYU’s staff who could limit walks, not signing with the Red Sox after being drafted in the 20th round last year, and returning to campus with improved stuff across the board. The improved stuff led to a spike in strikeouts this season as Sumner made 15 appearances (10 starts), striking out a career-high 28% of hitters across 66 innings.

I really like Sumner’s arm and potential under the tutelage of a pro development system who will know how to properly develop him. With a high-spin, mid-90s fastball, a whiff-generating slider, and a 2,800+ rpm curveball, Sumner will be a very intriguing arm to follow as he starts his pro career. Circle this name.

On The Verge is a staunchly pro-Mercer podcast (Zach and Bob, when you read this, just go with it), so I love seeing a Mercer Bear join the fold. A 6’3/215 pound former two-way player, Hugas transferred to Mercer this year from the JUCO ranks and entered Mercer with a 90-94 mph fastball, an advanced changeup, and was viewed as one of the top four draft-eligible prospects in the SOCON to start the year.

The second of three native Venezuelans taken by the Orioles in this year’s draft class, Hugas struck out just 15% of batters across 77 innings, but walked just 6.8%. He pitched in the Cape Cod League this summer, closing out games for Harwich, picking up three saves in six appearances.

Hugas has been up to 99 mph and recently transferred to South Carolina. At this point, I’m not 100% sure as to whether the Orioles would like to begin him on a starter’s track (highly likely) or lean into the plus velo and changeup and use him as a potentially fast-moving reliever, but they will need to first get him into the organization.

For a peek behind the curtain, I start my draft prep in October. By mid-February when the college season begins the blank spreadsheet features 700+ players with notes, data, video clips, and links to hundreds of articles. Once the college season begins, I’m updating it daily with observations and updated data. Pulling up the Central Florida tab, I see a note that says “add Braden Smith, you whiffed big time here.” Oof.

A D2 transfer, Smith worked as UCF’s Friday night starter to begin the year, but his season lasted just 8 starts. In a start against West Virginia, Smith took a line drive to the head where he suffered a concussion and facial fractures that ended his season. It was an incredibly scary moment that’s too gruesome to watch. Reports after the incident described his condition as “touch and go” for a bit, before stabilizing and returning to Florida via car because he wasn’t medically cleared to fly. Huge relief to know his recovery is clearly going well and we’ll see what he looks like next year in the Orioles system.

A 6’0” shortstop out of the New Jersey high school ranks, Fry fits the mold I was discussing with the Plunkett selection. A St. Joe’s commit, Fry hit for impressive power over his last two high school seasons and was generating a ton of buzz entering the draft. A plus runner with quick hands and some notable hitting data on the showcase circuit, the Orioles continued their look at northeast prospects with a high degree of projectability who are committed to mid-major programs to hopefully get them in the system early before the price of the brick goes up.

My favorite demographic of college prospect: west coast college pitching. Listed at 6’2”/195, Gutierrez is a 23-year-old 5th year senior who spent four years at Cal State Northridge (missed the 2023 season) before transferring to San Diego for his final year of eligibility. Making 14 starts, Gutierrez saw a massive spike in strikeouts, fanning 28% of hitters he faced, showing better control as he got the walk rate down to sub-11%.

Gutierrez has pitched in the Appalachian League this summer where he earned a spot on the Appy League Select Team to face off against Team USA. He went two scoreless with six strikeouts and nine whiffs as he dominated some of the best college bats in the country. His high-spin fastball has topped out at 94 mph this summer with 22 inches of IVB, producing a 54% whiff rate.

A high school pitcher?! Now we’re really having fun with this class. Garrison could also be a pretty tough sign, but I have no inside information on the financial aspect of the draft and Will Robertson told reporters after the draft that the Orioles went into this year’s draft attacking the high school ranks hard and with purpose. Perhaps they feel confident they can sign Garrison, maybe he was drafted “just in case” someone else doesn’t sign and they can float the extra money to him, either way, he’s an uber-intriguing arm.

Listed at 6’5”, Garrison was throwing 93-95 (T96) this spring, with a slider and a splitter. The big-bodied righty can really spin it. Now listed at 235 pounds, Garrison has shown increased velo over the last year and the ability to pound the strikezone while limiting the walks. He was originally committed to BYU but flipped to Arizona State. Fingers crossed the financials can work here.

A 6’0” outfielder from the Texas high school ranks and third player with Venezuelan roots drafted by the Orioles in this cycle. Salazar is a switch-hitter with impressive bat speed and speed on the bases. There’s moderate power at the moment, but he’s just 18 with more physical projection and room to develop more power. The Orioles have drafted a high school outfielder from Katy, Texas before, one Lamar Sparks. In the limited available video of Salazer, I can see shades of Sparks here. Salazar is committed to Temple College, a JUCO program in Temple, Texas.

The Orioles round out their draft with a second high school arm *faints*. A 6’3/200 pound righty out of Rusk High School in Rusk, Texas, the 18-year-old is currently committed to San Jacinto College, a JUCO program. He reportedly sits 92-94 mph and has touched 96 mph and was one of the top strikeout arms in the entire state of Texas this past season.

Visit www.oriolesontheverge.com - the one-stop shop for all things OTV. Prospect rankings, podcast episodes, bonus episodes/perks on Patreon, and more!