With the draft and the trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to update our top 50 Baltimore Orioles prospects list.
We update this list monthly with a full bonus podcast explaining our monthly changes over on Patreon, but this is the first public update we’ve done since February. A lot has changed, to say the least.
As usual, the three of us each submit our own lists and they are combined to form our final ranking each month. For a deeper discussion on our list, check out our full breakdown on YouTube, or on our podcast feed, available on all platforms.
RHP Anthony Eyanson (Preseason rank: NR): The former LSU standout and third-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2025 slots in as the top prospect in the system after coming over in the Adley Rutschman trade. A high-slot righty, Eyanson brings multiple plus secondaries and a fastball that’s been up to 99 mph, leading to an eye-opening pro debut.
OF Eric Booth Jr (Preseason rank: NR): This year’s first-round draft pick of the Orioles, Booth Jr was widely regarded as the top outfielder in the 2026 draft class and enters the organization with arguably the highest ceiling in the system. A physically gifted athlete who brings plus speed, impressive raw power, and a rising hit tool to the table, Booth Jr impressed so much down in Sarasota after the draft that he is scheduled to make his pro debut with Delmarva on August 11th.
LHP Joseph Dzierwa (Preseason rank: 14th): Dzierwa now features two distinct breaking balls and has added velo to his fastball, allowing his entire repertoire, including his daunting changeup, to perform better in pro ball. Just 100+ innings into his first season of pro ball, Dzierwa is On The Verge of a promotion to Triple-A after striking out more than 30% of batters with a sub-6% walk rate and a 2.12 ERA across two levels.
1B/OF Ike Irish (Preseason rank: 4th): Irish’s first full pro season ended early due to a torn meniscus, but the former Auburn star hit .286 with 16 home runs and a 133 wRC+ across 76 High-A games and joined Dzierwa in representing the Orioles at this year’s Futures Game. He should be full-go for the start of the 2027 season, where it’s certain he will begin in Double-A.
LHP Caden Hunter (Preseason rank: NR): Hunter wasn’t ranked on our, or anyone’s, initial list, but takes the crown as the highest rising prospect since we started this endeavor six years ago. Now sitting in the mid-90s (up a couple of ticks from his time at USC), Hunter is one of the top strikeout arms in all of minor league baseball and has been promoted twice, with a third promotion not out of the question before the end of the 2026 season, but not likely seeing as he’s already far beyond the 70 innings he pitched last year in college.
SS Wehiwa Aloy (Preseason rank: 5th): Aloy hit 15 home runs with a 122 wRC+ in 84 games with Frederick before being promoted to Double-A, where the power and strong walk rate have continued to shine. Defensively, Aloy has been a gem at both shortstop and third base, leaving no doubt that he will stick on the left side of the infield as he moves up. Even with the hit tool and swing and miss concerns, Aloy’s power and premium defense at a premium position profiles as a future big leaguer.
LHP Luis De Leon (Preseason rank: 6th): It was an up-and-down start to the year for De Leon, but the 23-year-old posted a 0.73 ERA in July and earned a promotion to Triple-A. The hard-throwing groundball merchant should find himself on the 40-man roster in the near future.
RHP Nestor German (Preseason rank: 12th): German is knocking on the doors of the majors after a strong second-half performance. Armed with a high-release, lively fastball and splitter that should be a swing-and-miss weapon in the majors, German’s rise from little-known prospect from Seattle University to potential big league starter has been a fun follow.
RHP Michael Forret (Preseason rank: NR): He’s back! The former 14th round JUCO pick who overhauled his repertoire, added a noticeable amount of strength and velocity, and became one of the biggest risers in the system before being traded to Tampa Bay as part of the package for RHP Shane Baz, Forret was the return for RHP Tyler Wells at this year’s trade deadline, bringing with him a bit of Triple-A seasoning belief from the Orioles that he’s major league ready.
RHP Trey Gibson (Preseason rank: 3rd): Gibson made his MLB debut earlier this season and could be in line to log more innings with the Orioles down the stretch. With a wide arsenal of pitches and elite extension, Gibson has earned a runway to settle in at the big league level and showcase his potential.
OF Ty Head (Preseason rank: NR): A second-round pick of the Orioles this year out of NC State, Ty Head reportedly had suitors in the top ten picks of the first round, but the draft-eligible sophomore fell to Baltimore to give them a fun pair of outfield prospects to kick off the 2026 MLB draft. Head showcased improvements in his batted ball quality, including more power, while hitting for a higher average, increasing his walks, and lowering his strikeout rate, all while showcasing plus-defensive abilities in center field.
OF Enddy Azocar (Preseason rank: NR): Acquired as part of the return for Adley, Azocar is a 19-year-old outfield prospect who has seen astronomical gains in his 90th percentile exit velocity over the last two years (98.5 mph to 107.6 mph), which has resulted in increased production and a promotion to High-A already. Better contact/production against breaking balls and offspeed pitches will unlock a new dimension of his game that could take him near the top of every Orioles prospect list.
RHP Kyson Witherspoon (Preseason rank: NR): Yet another piece from the Adley trade, Witherspoon received a $5 million signing bonus last year after being selected 15th overall by Boston out of Oklahoma. His first season of pro ball has had plenty of ups and downs and mechanical changes to his delivery, but he’s an uber-intriguing ball of clay that deserves plenty of patience as Orioles pitching development begins the molding process.
RHP Levi Wells (Preseason rank: 9th): If not for undergoing core muscle surgery earlier this season, Wells would be pushing for a major league debut right now, or more likely would have already made his big league debut. Before surgery, Wells was sporting a career-low 6.9% walk rate in Triple-A, with multiple offerings possessing unique traits and shape.
OF Nate George (Preseason rank: 7th): There hasn’t been any official word on what has caused George to miss the 2026 season, which makes this ranking difficult to assess. From strictly a baseball perspective, George has the tools to be one of the top prospects in the system, but a missed year of development is a missed year of development. Whatever George has been going through this year, we wish him the best.
2B Aron Estrada (Preseason rank: 11th): Estrada may have dropped five spots from our pre-season ranking, but it’s due to an increase of top talent entering the organization and not a sign of a downward trend for Estrada. He’s established a defensive home at second base this year, is on track to double his home run output as a 21-year-old in Double-A, and has used the second half of the season to show he can hit for a high average as well.
LHP Boston Bateman (Preseason rank: 13th): Bateman’s first full year in the Orioles system has seen his stock rise. The 6’8” lefty regularly runs his fastball into the upper-90s and is striking out opponents at a career-high rate this season. He won’t turn 21 until after his season is complete and should begin 2027 prominently in the Double-A rotation.
C Ethan Anderson (Preseason rank: 22nd): Anderson’s stock is up after a strong offensive season in Double-A, including 17 home runs and a 122 wRC+, before suffering an ankle injury that has kept him out for more than a month now. Paired with his defensive progression, Anderson now looks like a potential pairing with Samuel Basallo in the major leagues within the next year or two.
RHP JT Quinn (Preseason rank: 16th): Quinn entered pro ball with limited production in college and questions about control, but answered those questions in High-A with 93 innings worth of work and a 7% walk rate before earning a promotion to Double-A last week. There may be questions about the fastball shape, but Quinn features multiple potential plus secondaries and is on pace to exceed his entire collegiate innings total in his first professional season, showing off his workhorse capabilities.
IF/OF Jaiden Lo Re (Preseason rank: NR): Lo Re has skyrocketed up prospect lists as he’s shown off a strong hit tool and quality defense at multiple premium positions. To put his profile into as analytical terms as possible: he’s a gamer. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him close out the year in High-A as a 19-year-old.
OF Enrique Bradfield Jr (Preseason rank: 8th): The elite speed and defense give Bradfield a high floor and path to being a big league contributor. For those concerned about the bat, he’s shown notable improvements in the second half of the season. Bradfield’s max EV is up nearly two ticks to 105.3 mph, his overall whiff percentage is down 5% to 18%, and his in-zone contact rate is up three ticks to 87%.
OF Kevin Roberts Jr (Preseason rank: NR): Roberts brings the ceiling and intrigue that can be rare to find by the time a team has reached the fourth round of the draft, but the Orioles were able to pull the Florida baseball commit, who also had SEC football offers, away from Gainesville and bring him into Sarasota where the Orioles player development will get to work with one of the most highly gifted athletes in the class. Based on ceiling alone, Roberts is a slam dunk top 10 prospect, but we’re being conservative to start, until we see him in action.
LHP Sebastian Gongora (Preseason rank: 40th): Gongora has had a strong season in Double-A, highlighted by a sub-7% walk rate that is down from his 12% walk rate in Single-A/High-A last year. His path to becoming a potential big league starter has become more clear in 2026.
IF/OF Brandon Butterworth (Preseason rank: NR): Butterworth was one of the biggest gainers of 90EV last year across all of minor league baseball and he’s added strong center field defender to his resume this year. The former NC State standout has seen time at six different positions this year. The Blaze Alexander comps seem appropriate.
OF Jhomnardo Reyes (Preseason rank: NR): The 18-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder was acquired from Minnesota for RHP Dean Kremer at this year’s deadline, coming off a .950 OPS campaign in the FCL and massive gains in the power department. He’s been challenged in Single-A so far, but both Minnesota and Baltimore deemed the teenage prospect worthy of the challenge. His early EV gains with his physical projection are noteworthy.
RHP Dominic Voegele (Preseason rank: NR): A third-round pick out of Kansas this year, Voegele was a prominent strikeout artist in the Big 12, bringing with him a fastball that he can run into the upper-90s, two distinct breaking balls, a changeup, and “the ability to manipulate the hell out of a baseball.”
RHP Juaron Watts-Brown (Preseason rank: 15th): A shoulder injury delayed his start to the year and led to some early-season struggles, but Watts-Brown was able to put it all together in June to earn a promotion to Triple-A at the beginning of the month. He’s battled control issues in a small handful of outings since the promotion, as most pitchers experience with the bump up to Triple-A (different ball and strike zone), but the pitch data is very intriguing.
OF Reed Trimble (Preseason rank: 27th): Injuries have once again severely limited Trimble’s playing time this season, but when he’s been healthy and in the Triple-A lineup, he’s been electric. At the time of this writing, Trimble has 11 home runs in 30 games played across multiple levels. He’s currently on the 40-man roster, can play all three outfield spots, and brings a fun power/speed combo to the lineup.
OF Jordan Sanchez (Preseason rank: 18th): Sanchez has battled multiple injuries this year, including a concussion earlier this summer, and was also played out of position early in the season. He’s battled through it all and earned a promotion to High-A just recently. The power is impressive and the swing can be majestic at times, but there’s still a long way to go with his development. He’s lowered the strikeouts and increased the amount of contact he’s making this season. Continued improvements in those areas will be critical.
OF Thomas Sosa (Preseason rank: 19th): Still just 21 years old, Sosa struggled to find consistent footing in Double-A this year, but he seems to be turning a corner. Since July 1st, Sosa’s bat has been 20% above league-average. It was 40% below league-average for the first three months of the season. He’s more than two years younger than the average Double-A player, which is notable. If his July/August turnaround is real, Sosa could climb his way back up closer to his pre-season rank.
RHP Braxton Bragg (Preseason rank: 17th): Bragg hasn’t pitched in 2026 after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, but his development in 2025 had him on track to becoming one of the top pitching prospects in the system and potentially a major league debut last year.
C Creed Willems (Preseason rank: 26th): Willems may not profile as an everyday backstop, but his bat will carry him to the big leagues. Whether that’s with the Orioles or in another organization is the question. His 82nd percentile barrel rate has him set to surpass his career-high home run mark with a lot of baseball still to be played at the Triple-A level.
OF Stiven Martinez (Preseason rank: 23rd): The Orioles promoted Martinez to Single-A last year at the age of 17, showing just how much they believe in him. He’s been back with Delmarva this year where the game power has started to shine through more, the strikeout rate is down significantly, and his overall contact rate is up 11% to nearly 70%. There’s still a very, very long way to go with his development, but the now 19-year-old has shown improvements in all facets of his game this year.
OF Christian Franklin (Preseason rank: NR): Acquired from the Washington Nationals in exchange for minor league reliever Joe Glassey, Franklin brings strong outfield defensive abilities, speed, and a patient approach to the major league roster. He also hits the ball incredibly hard, it just ends up on the ground too much. He could potentially fit into the Orioles’ outfield plans moving forward.
RHP Kiefer Lord (Preseason rank: 49th): Lord opened the 2026 season with just 9.2 professional innings under his belt after being selected in the third-round of the 2023 draft out of Washington. He looked like the pitcher we had been hoping to see for years at the start of the year (fastball at 95+ mph with a pair of prominent breaking balls), earned an early promotion to High-A, but suffered an oblique injury and has been shelved for nearly two months now.
LHP Andri Hidalgo (Preseason rank: 42nd): The Orioles have very clearly been taking a different approach to Hidalgo’s development compared to previous flame-throwing, young international pitching prospects who have come up through the system. He’s been limited to two starts recently, each lasting just one inning, where he’s touched 99 mph but was able to pitch more effectively in the 94-95 mph range with a pair of devastating breaking balls. The much more cautious and methodical approach to his development will be interesting to follow over the next couple of seasons.
RHP Yeiber Cartaya (Preseason rank: NR): An adjusted arm slot, more fastball velo, and a weapon of a slider, Cartaya took a step forward in 2026 before an injury shut him down a couple of weeks ago. There’s never been any doubt about his electric stuff and hitters have put together a .194 average against him across 283 career minor league innings, but walks have continued to be a big issue for Cartaya.
RHP Patrick Reilly (Preseason rank: 48th): Fresh off Tommy John recovery, Reilly is back in Double-A showcasing his loud stuff, with expected control/command issues that follow early returns off surgery. In his initial rehab outings down in the FCL, Reilly was sitting 95 mph with 20+ inches of IVB and public models grading out his entire repertoire at a 112 Stuff+.
SS Wilfri De La Cruz (Preseason rank: 21st): De La Cruz didn’t have the type of performance that was expected this year in the FCL, but he made a decent amount of contact at good angles. Based on data alone since there’s zero footage of FCL games, it seems as if one of the 18-year-old’s bigger issues this year may have come down to timing. If he has a strong fall and spring down in Sarasota and begins 2027 in Delmarva, take note.
IF/OF RJ Austin (Preseason rank: NR): A third-round pick out of Vanderbilt last year, Austin fills up the stat sheet and provides strong defense at multiple positions. The bat has impressed more than expected this season, which has added even more intrigue to his profile.
SS Will Plunkett (Preseason rank: NR): A northeast area high school prospect who has been lauded for his defensive abilities on the left side of the infield and physical projection, Plunkett was picked in the 8th round of this year’s draft and bypassed his commitment to Binghamton to turn pro.
IF/OF DJ Layton (Preseason rank: NR): After hitting .183 with a wRC+ of 85 last year in the FCL, Layton began the year in Single-A and put together a 123 wRC+ with 29 extra-base and an 18.5% walk rate before being promoted to High-A last week. There are contact concerns here, but the 20-year-old has put himself firmly on the map in 2026, and even kicked off his High-A career with a 3-4 performance, including a home run to dead center in his first at-bat.
LHP Zane Adams (Preseason rank: NR): The Orioles grabbed Adams in the sixth-round of this year’s draft out of Alabama. Lefties with his type of general profile have had a high-degree of success in the system recently, leading to plenty of intrigue around Adams. The curveball and changeup popped in some public models during his college days.
SS Jimmy Anderson (Preseason rank: NR): Anderson went back to his JUCO program after being selected by the Orioles in the 19th round of the 2025 draft, hitting .465 with 26 home runs this year. The Orioles were so impressed with his development, they turned the card with his name on it in the fifth-round this year. He’s scheduled to make his professional debut with Delmarva on August 11th.
RHP Esteban Mejia (Preseason rank: 10th): Mejia’s stock couldn’t have been higher last year, but it’s tumbled back to Earth after a rough 2026 that’s featured extreme control issues. He was put on the Development List for a stretch late in the year to work through a new program, but the results have been even worse since returning. He’s still just 19 years old, but there’s a lot of work to do over the offseason.
1B Victor Figueroa (Preseason rank: NR): The home run leader down on the farm, Figueroa shows very real power to all fields that will help push him up the organizational ladder (he’s now reached Double-A this year), but an improved contact rate could be a major factor that unlocks more.
C Miguel Rodriguez (Preseason rank: NR): Rodriguez missed the 2025 season due to a fractured ankle, but has been able to pick up where he left off in 2026 back with Delmarva. The 20-year-old Venezuelan backstop has a plus hit tool, strong eye at the plate, and budding defensive abilities. In an organization flush with catching talent, Rodriguez stands out as the best pure hitter of the bunch.
SS Jemone Nuel (Preseason rank: 47th): A 19-year-old switch-hitting shortstop, Nuel earned a promotion to Single-A to close out the 2026 season, coming off a .939 OPS campaign in the FCL where he walked 45 times compared to 33 strikeouts, and went 29-34 in stolen base attempts to give him 94 stolen bases in his first 153 career games.
IF Payton Eeles (Preseason rank: 45th): Injuries have limited Eeles’ playing time in Triple-A this year, but he’s been productive when on the field. The 5’5” infielder brings a strong hit tool and propensity to get on base to a lineup and could see big league time in Baltimore as a utility bat. He was acquired last year from Minnesota in exchange for catcher Alex Jackson.
RHP Gunnar Garrison (Preseason rank: NR): The 6’5”/225 pound righty out of Eaton, Colorado was drafted in the 18th round of this year’s draft and chose to sign with the Orioles instead of going through with his commitment to Arizona State. It was a big get for the organization as they bring in a rare high school pitching prospect to the system. Garrison brings a mid-90s fastball and multiple secondaries with him, but we’ll see what the full repertoire looks like next year when he makes his professional debut.
Received votes: OF Braylon Whitaker, LHP Micah Ashman, C Andrew Tess, OF Ariel Roque. These four prospects appeared on at least one of our individual lists, but did not crack the overall top 50.
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