When Adley Rutschman was dealt to Boston at this year’s deadline, the highlight of Baltimore’s return was starting pitching. The two arms that the O’s acquired, Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, have done nothing but further that notion. 

Through five starts with Double-A Chesapeake, Eyanson, now the top pitching prospect in the Orioles’ system, has an ERA of 2.00 with 40 punchouts in 27 innings. Witherspoon only made three starts with High-A Frederick before hitting the injured list with a shoulder impingement, but had allowed just two earned runs in just over 14 innings of work. 

Those two have the makings of important big league rotation pieces, and certainly deserved the attention they got at the deadline. But don’t forget about another top prospect that the Orioles acquired: outfielder Enddy Azocar. 

Azocar, 19, was recently named the South Atlantic League Player of the Month for August, his first month in the O’s system. 

The former international signing made his Keys debut on Aug. 4, and proceeded to slash .353/.398/.588 for the rest of the month, good for a .986 OPS. In fact, in his first three games in the organization, Azocar totaled seven hits, four of which were for extra bases.

Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America note Azocar’s loud exit velocities that compliment some quality bat-to-ball skills, though he will need to continue to cut down on his chase. Just Baseball’s Aram Leighton, a frequent guest on “MASN All Access,” goes as far as to list Azocar as the O’s highest-ranked prospect overall on the outlet’s top 100, coming in at No. 49. 

Leighton notes that, despite Azocar’s age, the outfielder keeps his offensive operation simple and repeats it consistently. Plus. raw power and the ability to be a quality defensive outfielder have helped Azocar get on the map. 

Speaking of quality outfield defense, it may be time to get former first-round pick Vance Honeycutt back on your radar. 

The center fielder was recently promoted to Double-A Chesapeake and has taken off offensively. In High-A Frederick this season, the North Carolina product hit just .182 with a .644 OPS. But now, through 13 games at a higher level, Honeycutt is slashing .313/.400/.583 with a .983 OPS. 

Of course, it is a small sample size of a baker’s dozen games, but the difference in numbers is staggering. 

According to Fangraphs, Honeycutt’s strikeout rate in Frederick this season was up at 42.8 percent. With Chesapeake, entering Friday’s contest, that number was down at 21.8 percent. His contact rate vaulted from 64.5 percent to 76.6 percent, wOBA from .295 to .426, and wRC+ from 67 to 150. 

“That’s a real thing, change of scenery, for sure,” Honeycutt said in Chesapeake. “Just trying to stay with the process and continue to build a good foundation off the field. Whether I’m having a good day at the plate or a bad day at the plate, good game, bad game, all of that stuff just kind of stays the same. The people that are in your circle, no matter if you played good or bad that day, they’re going to have the same reaction to you after the game.

“For sure, I have that confidence in myself and have that chip on my shoulder. But I’m not trying too hard to just go out and do it. Just letting the game come to me, more so.”

While Honeycutt’s offensive improvements deserve the attention, the center fielder’s other attributes have always been a highlight. His defense in center field has been considered, by some, to rival Enrique Bradfield Jr.’s. Honeycutt is a great athlete, too, swiping 35 bags in 76 games.

A strong finish to 2026 will do wonders for Honeycutt’s future outlook. And perhaps a change of scenery did the trick. 

Starting pitching talent, highlighted by the recently-acquired Eyanson, has been the headliner of Baltimore’s minor league system. But thanks to Azocar and Honeycutt, some outfielders are doing their best to steal some spotlight.