Checking in on O's new Top 30 prospects

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Even though the Orioles have become competitive at the big league level again, that doesn’t mean they’re going to lessen the focus on growing and developing their farm system. After all, that’s how the organization got to this point.

“It’s important for us to keep feeding that pipeline, because I know how good our competitors are at doing the same thing,” general managerMike Eliassaid in July. “To me, this is the path for this franchise to continue to be successful -- really doing a great job with scouting and player development -- so we’re always going to keep that close to heart.”

MLB Pipeline released the midseason re-rankings of its Top 100 Prospects list and Baltimore’s Top 30 Prospects list on Thursday night. Both served as reminders of how much talent still exists in the Orioles’ Minor Leagues, with another crop of promising youngsters likely to arrive within the next couple of years.

Let’s break down Baltimore’s farm system following MLB Pipeline’s midseason update.

Here’s a look at the Orioles’ top prospects:

1. Jackson Holliday, SS (MLB No. 1)
2. Colton Cowser, OF (No. 14)
3. Heston Kjerstad, OF (No. 25)
4. Coby Mayo, 3B (No. 28)
5. Samuel Basallo, C (No. 50)

Complete Top 30 list >>

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:

Jump: Leandro Arias, SS (Preseason: 28 | Midseason: 19) -- Arias, who signed for $600,000 out of the Dominican Republic in January 2022, moved up nine spots because of his performance in the Florida Complex League. After playing in the Dominican Summer League last year, the 18-year-old has been solid since coming stateside, slashing .264/.333/.408 with five doubles, two triples, three homers, 17 RBIs and seven steals through 37 FCL games.

Fall: Ryan Watson, RHP (Preseason: 24 | Midseason: NR) -- Watson, who signed as an undrafted free agent in June 2020 and was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in ‘22, has struggled in his first full season at Triple-A Norfolk. The 25-year-old right-hander has a 5.17 ERA through 23 games (11 starts).

New to the list

Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:

No. 8 Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF (Draft, first round)
No. 13 Mac Horvath, INF/OF (Draft, second round)
No. 25 Jackson Baumeister, RHP (Draft, Competitive Balance Round B)

Impact callup: Kjerstad
Kjerstad has hit everywhere he’s gone in the past year -- from the Arizona Fall League (a .357/.385/.622 slash line in 22 games) to big league Spring Training (.381/.409/.810 in 23 games) to Double-A Bowie (.310/.384/.576 in 46 games) to Triple-A Norfolk (.337/.407/.579 in 50 games). It’s only a matter of time before the Orioles make room for the 24-year-old’s potent bat and make the 2020 No. 2 overall pick the fifth Top 100 prospect to debut for Baltimore this year (Grayson Rodriguez, Ortiz, Jordan Westburg, Cowser).

Best tools (Players are graded on a traditional 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.)

Hit: 70 -- Holliday
Power: 60 -- Mayo (Jud Fabian)
Run: 80 -- Bradfield
Arm: 70 -- Mayo
Defense: 65 -- Ortiz
Fastball: 60 -- DL Hall (Chayce McDermott, Seth Johnson, Luis De Leon, Juan Nunez)
Curveball: 55 -- Carter Baumler
Slider: 55 -- Hall (McDermott, Johnson)
Changeup: 55 -- Hall (Cade Povich)
Control: 50 -- Justin Armbruester (Johnson, Baumler)