Checking in on some top prospects on the farm

Takes of all temperatures are flown about a variety of Orioles spaces. 

But one take should be freezing cold: this team sure knows how to draft. 

The minor league season is underway, and there are plenty of outstanding performances to highlight. The Orioles are in the midst of a long homestand, so let’s take some time to take a look down on the farm. 

The 2024 Draft Class 

The Orioles held the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, their lowest first-round draft pick since 2016. With that choice, they selected Vance Honeycutt, an outfielder out of North Carolina. After a rocky start to his pro career, Honeycutt has started the 2025 season firing on all cylinders down in Aberdeen, to the tune of a .310/.487/.517/1.004 slash line. He does have 13 strikeouts through nine games, but he also leads the team in walks with nine. 

Second-round pick Ethan Anderson has been even better for the IronBirds, with a .375 batting average and as many walks as strikeouts. The catcher, yes the catcher, is also tied for the team lead with six stolen bases. He’s got two more steals than third-round pick Austin Overn, who many scouts graded with an 80 speed tool. Overn, a former USC wide receiver, has an OPS close to 1.000 in High-A. 

And how about some pitching? Fourth-round pick Chase Allsup is still down in Delmarva, but he’s primed for a quick promotion. In his first two starts of the year, the right-hander has allowed just two runs, walked two and struck out 14. 

The Big Dogs 

Remember how everyone was freaking out about Coby Mayo’s start to the season in Triple-A Norfolk? After a tough seven games, let’s look at the next seven: .360/.469/.720, 1.189 OPS. Mayo has nine hits, and five of them have gone for extra bases, including three home runs. That’s more like it. 

Samuel Basallo is on the seven-day injured list, but appears to have adjusted well to Triple-A pitching. After a .638 OPS in 21 games for the Tides a season ago, Basallo started the new campaign with an .868 OPS. Hopefully he will be back on the field shortly after a hamstring injury. 

Speaking of getting back from injury, Enrique Bradfield Jr. is on the seven-day injured list with a hamstring injury of his own. But when he was on the field, the bat was showing every improvement we thought was possible in spring training. Yes, it was just a six-game sample size. But in those six games, Bradfield hit .389 with a .476 on-base percentage. He struck out just three times and walked just as often. Couple that with elite defense and speed, and you’ve got one heck of a prospect. 

Young Arms 

There’s a lot of names to run through, because a lot of young arms are off to fantastic starts. 

So, let’s start in Aberdeen, where neither Braxton Bragg nor Michael Forret have allowed a run in either of their first two starts. In a combined 19 innings of work, the two have struck out 21 batters and allowed just six hits. 

In Bowie, Alex Pham has struck out a whopping 14 batters in just over nine innings of work in his first two outings of the year. He’s one of three starters with an ERA below three to start the season, joining Trace Bright and Pat Reilly, who both join Pham in the O’s top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. 

And finally, in Norfolk, Brandon Young has been stealing headlines, posting a 2.76 ERA through three starts. Praised for his control, Young has struck out 17 batters while walking just two. Kyle Gibson had a nice return to the mound for the Tides, but the 37-year-old may have aged out of our prospect conversation. 

We may be in a new era for the farm system, as it's no longer considered the best in baseball, but the success remains. The O’s know how to draft, and this organization knows how to develop. 

And early on, they’re showing off.