As he sat next to Mike Elias at his introductory press conference, Jared Banner fielded plenty of questions about the Orioles’ methods of player development. Specifically, at the major league level. 

In order for Baltimore to have a successful 2027, core players like Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday and more must take a step forward in their production. Those two were among a talent pipeline that many viewed as one of, if not the best, in the game, a labor of the rebuilding Orioles that the present-day club is waiting to bear all the fruit from. 

While observers’ development focus has turned to the big leagues, the farm hasn’t stopped producing intriguing talent. Banner believes, as he noted at his presser, that the Orioles have “a top-five farm system in the league,” with players that are “fairly close to the major league level.” 

Let’s talk about a few. 

Enrique Bradfield Jr. 

Bradfield is the most obvious name to be among this group of potential 2027 call-ups, but the most obvious is also the most logical. 

The former first-round pick started and finished his age-24 season at Triple-A Norfolk without an MLB debut in between, a promotion many had predicted for Bradfield at some point in 2026. But the season wasn’t without its pros. 

If you’ve been watching the World Series, you’ll know that OPS is not a proper measure of what the likes of Chandler Simpson, Taylor Walls and David Hamilton bring to their teams. Much has been made about Bradfield’s offensive production, but the value he brings as a defender and baserunner, similarly to Simpson, Walls and Hamilton, will likely outweigh any offensive shortcomings in the majors. 

That doesn’t make the offense unimportant, though. 

In Norfolk this season, Bradfield slashed .263/.344/.363, good for a .707 OPS. And in the 36 games after August 1, that OPS jumped up to .771. Bradfield’s lack of major home run power will likely keep that number lower than average at the next level, so his on-base percentage might be the biggest indicator of his offensive success. If the speedy center fielder can get on, he can be a headache on the bases. 

The potential gold glove defense in center field doesn’t hurt, either.

The Vanderbilt product now has 103 Triple-A games under his belt. That’s the exact number of games that Dylan Beavers played for the Tides before earning his promotion to the show. Bradfield doesn’t just have a chance to make an impact at some point in 2027 – he has a chance to make the Opening Day roster. 

Ethan Anderson 

To say that Anderson impressed in his first Triple-A impression would be an understatement.

Back close to home in Norfolk, the Virginia Beach native had four extra-base hits in five games for the Tides and boasted a 1.309 OPS. We’ll do our best not to take too much from the small sample size, but it was certainly a fun start. 

The switch-hitting catcher hit over .270 in 82 games in Double-A, too, and mashed 21 home runs along the way. As I wrote about a few weeks ago, his numbers in his age-22 season stack up with the likes of Adley Rutschman. 

Speaking of Rutschman, the O’s catching situation has gone from arguably the best in the league to a bit of a question mark. Samuel Basallo has all the talent in the world, but Baltimore won’t want him to catch every day. As such, a quality number two catcher is in order. The Orioles did acquire Carlos Narváez in that Rutschman deal, but he left a bit to be desired offensively. 

That answer to that problem could be Anderson, who will likely start the season in Triple-A, but may not be far off from joining the big league club. 

Anthony Eyanson 

Is there any reason to believe that Eyanson won’t continue to dominate? 

A third-round pick in the 2025 draft, Eyanson needed just five games to earn a promotion from High-A in his first professional season. One earned run, 34 strikeouts and three walks in just over 20 innings tends to do that. 

In 17 games in Double-A, his ERA didn’t even crack 2.00. The right-hander’s WHIP did barely get over 1.000, though, if you’re looking hard for room for improvement. All in all, it’s a 22-game minor league career in which Eyanson has allowed more than two earned runs in a start just once. 

One time. 

Kudos to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. 

Eyanson, the No. 45 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, can attack hitters with a dominant slider, a fastball that’s steadily improved since his time at LSU, and a splitter and curveball that should continue to progress. He has dominant strikeout stuff, limits walks, and has the ERA that showcases how everything comes together. 

2027 will only be Eyanson’s second season as a pro. But the talent and production may be too much to ignore.