Looking Back: The 2019 Draft Class

In the early hours of Monday, June 3, 2019, high school and college prospects littered the Orioles’ draft board. Birdland sat patiently, wondering which top prospect was destined to join the team as the first overall pick in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, just the second time in franchise history Baltimore held the reigns to the inaugural selection,

After being hired mere months earlier in November 2018, Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias had no easy task navigating the draft waters for the first time as a general manager. Hours later, catcher Adley Rutschman’s name was called, representing one of the first bricks laid in the foundation of the Orioles’ future. The work had just begun as the Orioles continued maneuvering through draft selections before wrapping up on June 5.

At the time, Elias’ selections were deemed a major success. Bleacher Report graded the Rutschman pick an “A+.” Infielder Gunnar Henderson, the O’s second-round pick, was seen as potential first-round pick by many teams according to ESPN’s Keith Law, and outfielder Kyle Stowers, the supplemental second-round selection, had already established himself as a legitimate power hitter out of Stanford.

Fast forward a couple years, and Baltimore ranks as the best farm system in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Three of the Orioles’ top eight prospects are 2019 draftees, and their impact has already begun to show at the Major League level. Here are some of the most impactful picks of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft.

#35 C Adley Rutschman | Age: 24 | HT: 6-2 | WT: 220
B: S | T: R | Current Level: MLB

Adley Rutschman, the top prospect in Major League Baseball per The Athletic, Baseball America, ESPN, FanGraphs, and MLB Pipeline, was selected first overall, becoming the franchise’s second first overall pick, joining Ben McDonald in 1989. Rutschman made his MLB debut on May 21, 2022, recording a triple for his first career hit, the ninth Oriole to triple as their first career hit and the first Oriole catcher to do so since Matt Wieters on May 30, 2009.

Since June 10, the Oregon native is slashing .290/.343/.597 (18-for-62) with 10 doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, 10 runs scored, and five walks, recording his first career three-hit game and home run in the process. The switch-hitting backstop had a career-high six-game hitting streak and six-game extra-base hit streak from June 21 through 27. His extra-base hit streak tied the O’s rookie record held by Ryan Mountcastle (5/31-6/6/21) and Chito Martínez (8/12-17/91). On the defensive side, his 28.6 caught stealing percentage ranks tied for sixth in the American League (min. 200 innings caught).

Rutschman’s success far preceded the MLB level. Across parts of three Minor League seasons, Rutschman slashed .281/.390/.487 (183-for-651), tallying 38 doubles, three triples, 30 home runs, 111 RBI, 117 runs scored, and 110 walks in 180 games. His Minor League success is best expressed by his plethora of awards, including being named the Orioles 2021 Brooks Robinson Minor League Co-Player of the Year, earning a 2021 Futures Game Selection, and the 2021 MiLB Rawlings Gold Glove at catcher, and twice being named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star (2019 and 2021).

# 83 OF Kyle Stowers | Age: 24 | HT: 6-3 | WT: 200
B: L | T: L | Current Level: Triple-A Norfolk

Kyle Stowers, currently ranked as the Orioles No. 8 prospect via MLB Pipeline and No. 9 by Baseball America, was drafted in the supplemental second round with the 71st overall selection. Stowers made his MLB debut on June 13 in Toronto and recorded his first career hit later that night when he doubled in the seventh inning to score fellow 2019 draftee Adley Rutschman.

This season Stowers has tagged 14 homers and 44 RBI, good for an .894 OPS, which ranks 13th in all of Triple-A. He set a Tides franchise record when he recorded three home runs on May 22 against Charlotte, earning International Player of the Week Honors after batting .480 (12-for-25) with five homers, 10 RBI and a 1.767 OPS from May 16-22.

The 24-year-old shined in 2021, slashing .278/.383/.514 (125-for-449) across three different levels, en route to being named the Orioles Brooks Robinson Minor League Co-Player of the Year, and an MiLB Organizational All-Star. Stowers finished the 2021 season with 23 doubles, a triple, 27 home runs, 85 RBI, 73 runs scored, and 73 walks, leading Orioles Minor Leaguers in home runs.

#13 INF Gunnar Henderson | Age: 21 | HT: 6-2 | WT: 210
B: L | T: R | Current Level: Triple-A Norfolk

Henderson was just 17 years old when his name rang out as the 42nd overall pick in the 2019 First-Year Player draft. He currently slots as the 43rd overall prospect, third in the O’s system by MLB Pipeline_, and the 34th overall prospect, fourth in the O’s system by _Baseball America.

Since being drafted, Henderson has continued to make a name for himself in the Orioles top-ranked farm system. The Alabama native started the 2022 season with Double-A Bowie, where he ranked among Eastern League Leaders in on-base percentage (1st, .452), runs (1st, 41), OPS (2nd, 1.025), RBI (3rd, 35), batting average (4th, .312), and slugging percentage (4th, .573), before being promoted to Triple-A Norfolk on June 6.

Since his promotion, Henderson has slashed .324/.446/.608 (24-for-74) with four doubles, five homers, 15 RBI, 24 runs scored, 16 walks, and a trio of stolen bases in 20 games. He hit for Norfolk’s first cycle since 2000 on June 28, finishing 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI, one day before celebrating his 21st birthday on June 29.

His early success this year has earned him a pair Eastern Player of the Week honors, including May 2 through May 8 when he hit .529 (9-for-17) with a double, home run, four RBI, five runs scored, two walks, four stolen bases and a 1.365 OPS, and from May 30 through June 5, batting .476 (10-for-21) with three extra-base hits, seven RBI, and a 1.357 OPS during that week.

Henderson started his 2021 season with Low-A Delmarva before being promoted to Double-A Bowie after slashing .312/.369/.574 (44-for-141) in 35 games for the Shorebirds. He was later named a 2021 MiLB.com Organization All-Star.

#6 INF Joey Ortiz | Age: 23 | HT: 5-11 | WT: 175
B: R | T: R | Current Level: Double-A Bowie

Joey Ortiz was drafted in the fourth round (No. 108 overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, becoming the highest-drafted player in the history of New Mexico State. The 23-year-old entered the year as the O's seventh-ranked prospect according to The Athletic’s Keith Law_._

He made his first appearance with Double-A Bowie on April 8, marking his first game since June 22, 2021, after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. The versatile infielder has appeared at three different positions so far this year, boasting a .986 fielding percentage across 178.0 innings at second base. After a slow start, at the plate, Ortiz has started to heat up. He recorded seven hits over a three-game span from June 15-17, going 7-for-15 with a solo home run and a stolen base. .

After participating in the team’s Fall Instructional League camp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in 2020, the 23-year-old finished the 2021 season slashing .265/.353/.449(36-for-136) with 15 extra-base hits, 17 RBI, 25 runs scored, and 16 walks with High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie.

Ortiz made his professional debut with Short-Season A Aberdeen in 2019, batting .406 (13-for-32) with a .513 on-base percentage over his final nine games. He currently sits as the No. 14 Orioles prospect by MLB Pipeline and the 21st ranked prospect via Baseball America.

The 2019 Orioles draft class has already begun making significant impacts in the Major Leagues. Adley Rutschman and Kyle Stowers both have made their MLB debuts, with more knocking at the door at the Triple-A and Double-A levels. This draft class helped the Orioles farm system earn its No. 1 overall ranking, and the continued development of these prospects has been made clear throughout each level of the organization. The future of Birdland is bright as the Orioles boast five of the top 100 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. With the first overall selection in the 2022 First-Year Player draft, more talent is yet to come.

Next week, Birdland Insider will highlight the 2020 Orioles draft class, featuring Heston Kjerstad, Jordan Westburg, Hudson Haskin, Anthony Servideo, Coby Mayo, and Carter Baumler.