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.

BALTIMORE -- Enrique Bradfield Jr. donned an Orioles hat and jersey for the first time Tuesday afternoon, a day after the 2023 first-round Draft pick signed with the club. The 21-year-old Vanderbilt University product then spent the rest of the evening and night at Camden Yards.

Bradfield, who was selected by Baltimore with the No. 17 overall pick on July 9, was introduced at a press conference, with his family seated in the front row. He walked out onto the field and took in the surroundings at his potential future home ballpark. He hung out during Orioles batting practice, and he was introduced to the crowd during the O’s 10-3 loss to the Dodgers.

It was the culmination of a whirlwind week-plus for Bradfield, who is the fifth player selected by the Orioles in the first round of a Draft since Mike Elias became general manager in November 2018.

“You always have a vision and a dream of what Draft night and after the Draft will look like, but you quite honestly never know,” Bradfield said. “So just being able to really take every moment and cherish it and be with my family and the people I love has been truly special.”

Bradfield and Baltimore didn’t need long to agree to terms. He signed for the exact pick value of $4,169,700, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis, and the outfielder will now report to Sarasota, Fla., to begin his professional career.

If Bradfield follows a path similar to the previous first-round Draft picks of the Elias era, he’ll have no trouble reaching the big leagues in the future. The Orioles have done a tremendous job of getting young players through the Minor League ranks and up to the Majors.

Adley Rutschman (the No. 1 overall pick in 2019) is an All-Star catcher in his second MLB season. Colton Cowser (No. 5 in ‘21) has made it to the big leagues, too.

Heston Kjerstad (No. 2 in 2020) is tearing up the top levels of the Minors and could make his Major League debut before the end of the ‘23 season. Jackson Holliday (No. 1 in ‘22) likely won’t, but the 19-year-old made it to Double-A Bowie less than a year after getting drafted.

Bradfield is optimistic that he’ll also have a quick, upward trajectory through the O’s system.

“Everybody’s maximizing their potential,” Bradfield said, “and I feel like with the coaching staff and the coaches in this organization, I’m going to be able to find my next step and maximize my potential.”

Elias called bringing in players via the Draft and then developing them the “lifeblood” of the Orioles’ organization during his tenure. That’s hard to argue against, as recent Baltimore lineups have featured Rutschman, Cowser, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, all players who were drafted within the past four years.

The franchise is “healthy,” as Elias has repeatedly put it. And with a 2023 Draft class headlined by Bradfield set to replenish the system, the front office’s plan is continuing to work in Baltimore.

“We’ve got a young, talented Major League team that’s not going anywhere. And then, we’ve got a historically good group in the Minor Leagues that’s coming. And now, we’ve got guys like this,” Elias said. “It’s important for us to keep feeding that pipeline, because I know how good our competitors are at doing the same thing. 

“To me, this is the path for this franchise to continue to be successful, is really doing a great job with scouting and player development.”