Samuel Basallo 2023

[Just Regular]

The basic dynamic is we have Adley four more years, and four more months like this he'll be perhaps as strong a September lineup candidate as '22 Gunnar was.

In about a year Hyde may have opportunity to write a lineup with Adley, Basallo, Holliday, Gunnar, Mayo, Cowser, Mullins and Kjerstad.

A #RisingTide strong enough can drown the world's O'Hearns, Mountcastles, Hayses and Santanders as well.

While I've come to feel Santander overall is slightly preferred to Hays to keep a 600 PA role for '24, Hays one year earlier along the Arb track may have the $$$/WAR efficiency advantage.

In the next few years, maybe in the next few months, there are going to be Appreciation Threads for better Orioles than we've had to write them about in a long time.

[Mooreisbetter27]

Basallo won the Carolina league MVP and the Top MLB Prospect for the circuit.  Was voted on by the league managers.  

MiLB reveals Single-A All-Stars and award winners for 2023 (mlb.com)

[Chaka Garcia]

I wonder what happens to Creed with Basallo ahead? Seem to have a good year -  decent power and walks.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Chaka Garcia

[Mooreisbetter27]

13 minutes ago, Chaka Garcia said:

I wonder what happens to Creed with Basallo ahead? Seem to have a good year -  decent power and walks.

I feel like Creed is a good ways behind Basallo.  Creed struggled at Aberdeen.  .586 OPS.  He will be repeating.  Whereas in his first small taste of AA, Basallo was very good and most likely will start next year in Bowie.  Willems will have to come back really strong next year in Aberdeen, but I wouldnt be shocked to see him spend a good portion of the year there.  

[Frobby]

5 minutes ago, Mooreisbetter27 said:

I feel like Creed is a good ways behind Basallo.  Creed struggled at Aberdeen.  .586 OPS.  He will be repeating.  Whereas in his first small taste of AA, Basallo was very good and most likely will start next year in Bowie.  Willems will have to come back really strong next year in Aberdeen, but I wouldnt be shocked to see him spend a good portion of the year there.  

Me neither, but that’s fine.  He’s got some potential. He’s pretty young to have spent a half-season at Aberdeen, it’s just that Basallo is even younger and now ahead of him.  

[Mooreisbetter27]

9 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Me neither, but that’s fine.  He’s got some potential. He’s pretty young to have spent a half-season at Aberdeen, it’s just that Basallo is even younger and now ahead of him.  

Agreed.  Creed is a good prospect.  But Basallo has put himself in the conversation for top 50 in the majors at this point IMO.  

[CHIP]

1 hour ago, Chaka Garcia said:

I wonder what happens to Creed with Basallo ahead? Seem to have a good year -  decent power and walks.

When I see assumptions like this, "Seemed to have a good year - decent power and walks", I wonder what you are looking at specifically.  I never had the impression that Creed was a OBP machine and the power was sporadic at best due to his injury history.  

IN looking at MiLB and Fangraphs, which I am going to reference Fangraphs here because they do the math for me...  In 2021 in Florida Complex league, he had BB/K of 8% and 28% (2 and 7 so only 9 games...  but the pattern starts there). 

2022  in Delmarva 68 Games (246PA): 14 BB to 68K with 4HR.  5.7%/27.6% and 1:17 HR/K ratio.  

2023 in Delmarva 30 Games (120PA):  This is is only good stretch.  20BB to 29K 16.7%/24.2% with 8 HR a 1:3.6 HR/K ratio

2023 in Aberdeen 75 Games (311PA):  26BB to 86K which was 8.4%/27.7%.  with 9 HR 1:9.5 HR/K ratio.

Fangraphs has wRC+ aslo.  2021 was 49, 2022 was 65 in A-, 2023 was 192 in A- (this is what got most folks excited), and then back down to 60 in A+ Aberdeen.

So for a short span of 30 Games he seemed good.  Otherwise, I don't see the value from his $600K signing bonus and he isn't showing he can stay healthy behind the plate. 

[deward]

3 hours ago, Chaka Garcia said:

I wonder what happens to Creed with Basallo ahead? Seem to have a good year -  decent power and walks.

Basallo separated himself into a completely different conversation from Creed by going nuclear at Aberdeen (whereas Creed struggled to find his footing there). He'll go back to Aberdeen to start 2024. Given that DH might be his best role, and the logjam that already exists ahead of him, he seems like a good candidate to be included in a trade package at some point.

[Tony-OH]

57 minutes ago, CHIP said:

When I see assumptions like this, "Seemed to have a good year - decent power and walks", I wonder what you are looking at specifically.  I never had the impression that Creed was a OBP machine and the power was sporadic at best due to his injury history.  

IN looking at MiLB and Fangraphs, which I am going to reference Fangraphs here because they do the math for me...  In 2021 in Florida Complex league, he had BB/K of 8% and 28% (2 and 7 so only 9 games...  but the pattern starts there). 

2022  in Delmarva 68 Games (246PA): 14 BB to 68K with 4HR.  5.7%/27.6% and 1:17 HR/K ratio.  

2023 in Delmarva 30 Games (120PA):  This is is only good stretch.  20BB to 29K 16.7%/24.2% with 8 HR a 1:3.6 HR/K ratio

2023 in Aberdeen 75 Games (311PA):  26BB to 86K which was 8.4%/27.7%.  with 9 HR 1:9.5 HR/K ratio.

Fangraphs has wRC+ aslo.  2021 was 49, 2022 was 65 in A-, 2023 was 192 in A- (this is what got most folks excited), and then back down to 60 in A+ Aberdeen.

So for a short span of 30 Games he seemed good.  Otherwise, I don't see the value from his $600K signing bonus and he isn't showing he can stay healthy behind the plate. 

Willems got a $1 million bonus, not 600K.

Still, he was pushed aggressively to Aberdeen and struggled there, but part of that may be just him wearing down in the summer. One of the drawbacks of being a "chubby" guy, especially a guy playing behind the plate, that it take a toll. 

Since August, Willems has been pretty brutal at the plate slashing .149/.241/.237/.477 with 38Ks and just 2 homers and 11 walks in 133 PAs.

So the question is, was he worn out, or did he reach a level that he was not able to make adjustments to yet? He had the same problem with his first go around in Delmarva so I'm not going to bury him too much until we see what he looks like next year in Aberdeen.

Saying all that, it's unfair for anyone (not saying you did) to compare him to Basallo. Basallo is a special kind of prospect. There aren't many that look like him at his age.

[RZNJ]

Per Baseball America.  Players who made their hot sheet 3 or 4 times.

24. Samuel Basallo, C, Orioles

Age: 19

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: Gunnar Henderson won Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2022. Jackson Holliday took home the 2023 award. Might 2024 be the year of Basallo? The big backstop was one of the biggest breakout prospects in the minors in 2023, when he moved from Low-A to Double-A as a teenager. He was one of just four minor leaguers this season to hit 20 or more apiece of doubles and home runs and steal 10 or more bases while striking out fewer than 100 times. He’s made strides behind the plate and has a double-plus throwing arm, but his bat should fit in the middle of an order no matter where he plays defense. (JN)

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

Per Baseball America.  Players who made their hot sheet 3 or 4 times.

24. Samuel Basallo, C, Orioles

Age: 19

No. of Hot Sheet Appearances: 3

The Scoop: Gunnar Henderson won Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2022. Jackson Holliday took home the 2023 award. Might 2024 be the year of Basallo? The big backstop was one of the biggest breakout prospects in the minors in 2023, when he moved from Low-A to Double-A as a teenager. He was one of just four minor leaguers this season to hit 20 or more apiece of doubles and home runs and steal 10 or more bases while striking out fewer than 100 times. He’s made strides behind the plate and has a double-plus throwing arm, but his bat should fit in the middle of an order no matter where he plays defense. (JN)

Thanks for sharing these.  

Last year we were all excited about Gunnar being named BA MiLB POY.  On the heels of Adley’s debut we were rightly stoked.  A year late we’re yawning at Jackson winning POY!  When Basallo wins it next year, are we even going to post about it?!  

[bobmc]

22 minutes ago, btdart20 said:

Thanks for sharing these.  

Last year we were all excited about Gunnar being named BA MiLB POY.  On the heels of Adley’s debut we were rightly stoked.  A year late we’re yawning at Jackson winning POY!  When Basallo wins it next year, are we even going to post about it?!  

Only if his K’s are fewer than his BB’s and CS% is 35%.  

Edited September 26, 2023 by bobmc

[RZNJ]

Per mlb.com

Orioles: 162 wRC+
Samuel Basallo, C/1B (No. 5/MLB No. 46)
The Orioles, as everyone knows, have more hitting prospects than they know what to do with. But even with Hitting Prospect of the Year Jackson Holliday, big league contributors like Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad, and sluggers like Coby Mayo, it was Basallo who led the organization with his 162 wRC+ in 2023. He also finished second in OPS (.953) and slugging (.551), while finishing third in OBP (.402) and second in batting average (.313).