The Orioles’ farm is not held in the same esteem as it once was. 

Gone are the days of the 2023 system, one that featured three prospects ranked in the top 12 in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. The organization had a top-two prospect in the game every year from 2021 to 2024, too. 

Those prospects were kept and developed. Now, any evaluation of the minor leagues must include the context of their promotions, plus the understanding that the O’s are buyers, having frequently shipped off prospects in exchange for big-league talent. 

Even still, and despite recently sending some highly-touted names to the Rays and Diamondbacks, Baltimore boasts eight prospects on at least one Top 100 list. Some are established mainstays, and others are on the rise. 

Just one member of the organization was a consensus Top 100 prospect, according to Pipeline, Baseball America, ESPN, FanGraphs and The Athletic: Samuel Basallo. In fact, the recently-extended catcher is a consensus top-10 prospect according to the five outlets, ranked as high as No. 4 by ESPN and FanGraphs. 

Dylan Beavers, despite being named Baseball America’s No. 21 prospect, is not ranked by The Athletic. Neither is Trey Gibson, who came in at No. 46 on ESPN, but isn’t named in Pipeline’s list, either. Nate George went three-for-five, too, missing out on ESPN and FanGraphs’ lists. 

Basallo and Beavers have already made waves in the big leagues, while Gibson and George were named Baltimore’s minor league pitcher and position player of the year, respectively. 

Enrique Bradfield Jr. is perhaps the most well-known name of the remaining four prospects, knocking on the door of the majors at Triple-A Norfolk. The former No. 17 overall pick is as advertised: an elite defender in center field with blazing speed that will need to find ways to get on base without flashy power. 

With just 15 Triple-A games under his belt, the Vanderbilt product will almost assuredly start the season there. But with a glove that is already MLB caliber, a strong showing at the dish could push him to the big leagues sooner than expected. 

FanGraphs is very high on lefty Luis De León, who comes in at No. 64 on their list, twenty spots higher than Gibson. They note, too, that the gap in talent between Sal Stewart, No. 34, and a prospect like De León thirty spots lower is “relatively small.” 

After some inconsistent results in three minor league seasons, FanGraphs noted that De León looked like “the league’s best pitching prospect” at the Arizona Fall League. There, he showcased his dominant 95-98 mph fastball, as well as some impressive secondaries, including a splitter, changeup and slider. 

If the 22-year-old can find the strike zone more consistently, he could find himself in Baltimore’s rotation sooner rather than later. 

Finally, a pair of recent draft picks round out Baltimore’s Top 100 prospects: Ike Irish and Wehiwa Aloy. Neither has much professional experience, but each has an impressive pedigree.

Irish seemingly fell to the Orioles at No. 19 in last year’s draft, as most outlets had the Auburn prospect projected in the first 10 selections. In his final year as a Tiger, Irish hit .364 with a .469 on-base percentage, culminating in a 1.179 OPS. Pair those offensive numbers with an ability to catch or play the corner outfield, and you’re left with an impressive prospect that could fly up rankings in his first pro season. 

Not to be outdone is Aloy, whose selection gave the Orioles two former Golden Spikes Award winners, given to the best player in college baseball. The Arkansas product had an OPS over 1.100, too, mashing 21 home runs and driving in 68 as an impressive defensive shortstop. An aggressive hitter, Aloy will hear plenty of the organization’s emphasis on swing decisions. 

Basallo and Beavers’ graduations will officially leave the organization in a new prospect era. But with six others on Top 100 lists, there’s plenty of talent to fill the void.