“I guess I’ve been around here for a while now,” area scout Dave Jennings joked. He was thinking back to the last time he helped the Orioles select a left-handed hitting outfielder with the seventh overall pick in the MLB Draft: 2003, when Baltimore drafted Nick Markakis. 

23 years later, the O’s drafted Eric Booth Jr. with the No. 7 overall pick. The Mississippi high schooler flashes some loud tools, especially in the speed department, and has massive upside. There was a reason that he was frequently highlighted in our “MASN All Access” draft content leading up to draft day. 

While Booth Jr. is the exciting name from the Orioles’ draft class, he’s far from the only player with intriguing upside. Let’s take a closer look at the O’s next three selections. 

Ty Head, OF, NC State 

“He gets on base.” 

Billy Beane wasn’t pointing across the Moneyball table in reference to Ty Head, but you get the point. In his two seasons at NC State, Head posted a .447 on-base percentage with a ridiculous 51:105 strikeout to walk ratio. A 10-homer jump from his freshman to draft-eligible sophomore season didn’t come at the expense of that approach, either. 

That added up to Head becoming the 46th pick in the draft, the O’s second selection of the night. The draft-eligible sophomore is a bit of a throwback. 

He leaves something to be desired from a power perspective, with a 45 grade on the tool according to MLB Pipeline and a 35 on Baseball America. But according to Pipeline, the center fielder does a “masterful” job of controlling the zone, attacks strikes, and rarely swings and misses. According to Baseball America, Head had an 88 percent contact rate and 91 percent in-zone contact rate last season.  

He’s also a good athlete, with Pipeline projecting him as a “no-doubt” center fielder at the next level. He stole 26 bases in his final college season, too. 

It remains to be seen how Head’s bat will translate once the material changes from aluminum to wood. But that kind of plate approach plays at any level, as does athleticism with quality defense at a premium position. 

Dominic Voegele, RHP, Kansas 

ERA doesn’t matter much when scouting college pitchers. 

It didn’t matter for Nestor German, one of the O’s top pitching prospects, who posted a 5.97 ERA in his final season at Seattle. A 6.75 ERA in his final season at Liberty didn’t stop Trey Gibson from developing in Baltimore’s system, either. Baltimore is hoping the same can be said for Dominic Voegele, who, despite a 5.22 ERA in his career at Kansas, was the Orioles’ third round selection. 

The right-hander features a fastball that will sit 93-96 but can get up to 98 mph, according to Pipeline. He’s described as a pitcher that’s athletic and can “provide consistent strikes,” though that didn’t translate to great results. His peripheral numbers, namely his 11.1 strikeouts and 3.2 walks per nine in his junior season, would point to good things in his future projection. 

His scouting reports point to some areas of potential growth. 

Despite a high-velocity fastball, Pipeline points to that pitch not having much life. Baseball America notes the lack of extension in Voegele’s delivery, but does highlight some high-spin offspeed offerings. 

There are plenty of positives to Voegele’s game as it is. But with some adjustments, he could have a higher ceiling than currently projected. 

Kevin Roberts Jr., OF, Jackson Prep HS 

Speaking of high upside, here’s Kevin Roberts Jr., another high school outfielder from Mississippi. Pipeline indicates that the 6 ‘5 center fielder has “one of the highest ceilings in the high school class.” 

Baseball America had Roberts Jr. as a top-100 entering the draft, saying that he “looks like a big leaguer right now.” With huge bat speed and power potential, BA has Roberts Jr. at a 70 for power upside. They note that he has “better contact skills than you would expect,” too, with a solid eye for the strike zone and a solid overall approach. 

Where the industry seems to be split is in evaluating Roberts Jr.’s overall performance. Inconsistent play against some tough competition on the showcase circuit has left some questions marks about his ability to hit good spin. 

At his highest upside, Roberts Jr. profiles as an athletic center fielder with 30 home run and stolen base potential. And at only 17-years-old, there’s plenty of room for growth.