Three prospects flourishing on the farm

So how about those minor leagues, eh? 

Without much going the O’s way up in the big leagues, let’s take some time to highlight some prospects who are thriving down on the farm. 

Braxton Bragg

How about starting with a pitcher that isn’t even currently ranked in MLB Pipeline’s 30 best Orioles prospects?

Bragg has been utterly dominant in 2025, splitting time between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Chesapeake. In his first seven games of the season, Bragg has a ridiculous 0.80 ERA with 47 strikeouts in just 33.2 innings. 

Aberdeen was clearly not providing much of a challenge for the former eighth-round pick, who tossed 16.1 innings of scoreless baseball in just three starts at the level. Even more impressive, he hasn’t skipped a beat jumping up to Double-A. Bragg has allowed an earned run in just two of his four appearances, averaging 15.1 strikeouts per nine innings and walking just 2.6 per nine. 

Few would have anticipated this kind of jump from the 24-year-old who did not earn a promotion from Low-A Delmarva a season ago. Now, it’s fair to wonder whether the Dallas Baptist product will need to spend much more time in Double-A before earning another promotion to the Norfolk Tides. 

Bragg boasts a dominant high-velocity fastball, the most notable pitch of an arsenal that has been playing up across the board in 2025. He may not have been in the O’s top-pitching tier group with Michael Forret, Keeler Morfe, Patrick Reilly and Nestor German to begin the season, but he certainly is now. And Bragg could end up being the best among them. 

Samuel Basallo 

Basallo is a bad, bad man at the plate. 

Since his return from injury on April 25th, the O’s top prospect has mashed for the Norfolk Tides, to the tune of a .264/.344/.566 slash line, good for a .910 OPS. That has, of course, included some absolutely mammoth home runs with eye-popping exit velocities. 

Most notably, on Tuesday, Basallo was back behind the dish catching for the Tides. He also happened to go 3-for-4 with two home runs that day. Between a hamstring injury and right elbow inflammation, the 20-year-old has been eager to get the catching gear back on, and it showed. 

Coming into the season, a path for Basallo to quickly make a jump to the big league roster didn’t seem clear. Gary Sánchez was signed to be the backup catcher, and between Heston Kjerstad and Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore had plenty of left-handed designated hitter options. 

But Sánchez has been out for an extended period of time, and with Colton Cowser’s injury, Kjerstad has been needed more as an outfielder than just a left-handed power bat. 

The O’s need a shot in the arm offensively, and Basallo could be just the guy to provide it. 

Jud Fabian 

At this point in Fabian’s minor league career, you know exactly what you’re getting: great outfield defense and a powerful bat that will hit plenty of home runs but generate a lot of swing-and-miss. 

Fabian, through his first 36 games of his season with the Norfolk Tides, leads the team with eight home runs. The strikeout rate has improved, too, with 37 strikeouts in those 36 contests. That, at least, is an improvement from his 177 strikeouts in 128 games a season ago. 

“Juddy Jacks,” as he was affectionately called during his time at Florida, also provides some great defensive versatility. The 24-year-old patrols an excellent center field, and has also made plenty of appearances in the corners throughout his career. 

The O’s don’t have a glaring need in the outfield with quality depth like Ramón Laureano and Dylan Carlson, but if Baltimore needs some quality defense and good power, Fabian is just the man for the job.