Entering the 2023 season, the Baltimore Orioles had one of the most stacked farm systems in baseball. 

The list no longer included Adley Rutschman, a former top-two prospect who had graduated from prospect status. Baltimore’s system did, however, showcase a new top prospect in the game, Gunnar Henderson, as well as six other prospects ranked within MLB Pipeline’s Top 100: Grayson Rodriguez, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Heston Kjerstad and DL Hall. 

As some became Orioles and others were dealt for established talent, the O’s high-end prospect pipeline began to dwindle. But over the last few seasons, reinforcements have entered the system, and have vaulted the Orioles back into the conversation as one of the best farms in the game. 

For the first time since that 2023 season, the Orioles have at least six prospects ranked within MLB Pipeline’s most recent top 100. That number is tied for the most of any system in baseball alongside the Dodgers, Mariners and Rays. 

While the lengthy list of names from 2023 has found varying degrees of success in the bigs, they have still combined for multiple All-Star appearances with the potential for more. And though success at the big league level is the priority, there’s no doubt that a successful farm is an important piston in the engine. 

At the top of the Orioles’ current list is EJ Booth, the seventh-overall pick in the most recent MLB Draft. The Mississippi native checks in at No. 36 on Pipeline’s top 100 and No. 8 among all outfielders. 

Though we aren’t able to draw much from his first 18 professional games in Delmarva, his improvement in his brief time at the level, with a .440 batting average and 1.037 OPS in six games in September, is encouraging. Booth’s father was a former draft pick turned record-breaking college kick returner, and EJ, a junior, brings a similarly impressive level of athleticism to the diamond. 

 

We’ll learn more from his first full professional season in 2027, but the tools are enough to be encouraging on their own. 

The next three prospects on the list are all pitchers: Anthony Eyanson, the highest-ranked at No. 45, Joseph Dzierwa, who checks in at No. 69, and Caden Hunter, the 92nd-ranked prospect in the top 100. 

Eyanson and Dzierwa were recently named to Pipeline’s All-Prospect first and second teams, respectively, and were two of 2026’s most dominant minor league pitchers. 

Eyanson, acquired at the deadline from the Boston Red Sox, tossed just shy of 100 innings in his debut season, and surrendered just 17 earned runs, good for a 1.54 ERA across High-A and Double-A. The right-hander was incredible in his organizational debut, too, striking out over 13 batters per nine innings and allowing just seven earned runs in six starts for the Chesapeake Baysox. 

Dzierwa, the Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year, wasn’t far behind Eyanson in the dominance department. The big lefty’s numbers barely took a hit after his mid-season promotion to Double-A, with an ERA just 0.08 runs higher in Chesapeake than Delmarva. Perhaps most impressive was his walk rate throughout the year, which sat at just 2.1 batters per nine innings across 131 frames. 

Finally, there’s Hunter, who joined Eyanson and Dzierwa in Chesapeake to cap off the 2026 season. In seven games there, the USC product showcased his strikeout stuff with 49 punchouts in 35 innings, but will need to get the walks down as he advances to higher levels. 

All three arms were members of the 2026 draft class, and though they may not be in the conversation to crack next season’s Opening Day roster, sustained success could lead to a big league promotion sooner rather than later. 

Rounding out the Orioles’ list of top 100 prospects are a pair of outfielders in Ike Irish and Enddy Azocar. 

Irish, currently playing in the Arizona Fall League, was on a roll for the Delmarva Shorebirds before his season ended abruptly due to a meniscus tear. In his final 20 games before going down, the 2025 first-rounder was hitting .375 with six home runs and eight doubles and was surely on his way to a promotion to Double-A. 

It wouldn’t be a surprise if he starts next season there anyway. 

Defensively, Irish will be an interesting case to monitor. The Auburn product was drafted as a catcher, but did not play there at all in 2026. He did note before the season, though, that while his time behind the dish was not a top priority, the Orioles did not rule out the possibility of him returning there in the future. 

Azocar, the No. 99 prospect on Pipeline’s top 100 list, was on a similar offensive ascent to Irish with a .944 OPS in his final 30 games of the season. Another deadline acquisition, the young outfielder pairs his great right-handed bat with a bazooka for a right arm. 

It’s unlikely that we see more than one or two of this group make their big league debuts in 2027. But while the major league club looks for answers, it’s encouraging to know that some could be coming down the pipeline.