For the first time since the Orioles’ selection of Jackson Holliday, Baltimore has a top-10 pick in the MLB Draft. Unlike 2022, though, the O’s won’t be selecting first overall. This time, they find themselves at No. 7. 

Industry experts seem to agree that this year’s draft class has a consensus top-six prospects, which isn’t exactly ideal for the team picking seventh. But take last year’s draft, where MLB Pipeline’s 18th-ranked prospect went second overall, as an example of how things rarely follow the exact consensus. 

Here’s an early look at a few prospects that the Orioles could target with the seventh selection:

Drew Burress 

Described as a “model darling,” Burress fits the mold of what the Orioles typically look for in the draft: a productive, high-on-base percentage college hitter with power potential and positional value. Burress, a center fielder from Georgia Tech, matches that description to a T. 

If the draft has a clear top-six, Burress might be number seven. Pipeline gives the center fielder at least a 55 grade for each of his tools on the 20-80 scale, with the standouts being his power and arm strength. His productivity isn’t lacking, either, with a .357/.484/.720, 1.204 slash line in three seasons. 

Burress’ 5’9 stature hasn’t held back his power in the ACC. As a freshman, he set the Georgia Tech freshman-record for home runs with 25, and has totaled 60 throughout his college career. Pipeline and Baseball America note that he’s a good enough athlete to stick in center field, though his arm strength is good enough to play in a corner. 

As a hitter, Burress can do it all. And, as a center fielder, he offers positional value up the middle. That has Orioles written all over it. 

Chris Hacopian 

For Terps fans, this name may be familiar. 

Hacopian, a native of Gaithersburg, MD, spent his first two seasons with the University of Maryland, following in his father’s footsteps. Chris mashed nearly 30 home runs with an OPS over 1.000 in his two years as a Terp before taking his talents to Texas A&M to finish his college career. Though his numbers took a slight dip, Hacopian still finds himself in top-10 consideration. 

Pipeline notes that Hacopian’s hitting ability and strike-zone judgement are among the best in the draft, as his 95 walks to 66 strikeouts in college would indicate. As a sophomore, Pipeline notes that Hacopian hit .423 with just a five percent whiff rate against fastballs. 

Though the infielder has played a lot of shortstop in his college career, most profile Hacopian as a second or third baseman. The defense and speed don’t jump off the page, but his offense may just be advanced enough for the Orioles to select him with the seventh pick. 

Jackson Flora 

Don’t adjust your radio dial. A pitcher could be in consideration for Baltimore in the first round.  

Flora, a righty from UC Santa Barbara, was flat-out dominant in his junior season. In 16 starts, the 6 ‘5 arm posted a 1.06 ERA with close to 12 strikeouts and under three walks per nine innings. His fastball sits 96-97 mph, according to Pipeline, and routinely reaches triple digits. That, combined with his slider, has been described as a “lethal” combination by Baseball America. 

All that is why Flora is considered one of the consensus top-six prospects in the draft. But, if he’s the one to fall out of the top six to Baltimore at No. 7, could he be the selection? 

“Absolutely,” Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo told me when asked just that. “I think there’s a very good chance.” The Orioles have, at the very least, been monitoring Flora throughout the season, according to BA’s Carlos Collazo.  

Baltimore clearly likes their strategy of selecting hitters in the first round. They’ve done so every draft of the Mike Elias era. But if there’s an arm to break that trend for, it could be Flora.