Orioles 2023 #31-50 Prospects

[Tony-OH]

As always, don't get too caught up in the the rankings at this point. While we did take into some consideration the rule of who we would rather have being the higher prospects, most of these guys are in bins with several players that are similar in rankings.

31. Levi Wells – RHP (NCAA): The Orioles 4th round pick on the 2023 draft, Wells is a four-pitch starter who improved his stock in college after cleaning up some delivery issues that him pegged as a reliever coming out of high school. The 6-2 right-hander throw a fastball that sits 91-93, and topped out at 95 this season though his velocity was down in the lower 90s in some starts. His spins two different breaking balls, both of which can flash plus movement with the curveball being slightly ahead of the slider. He throws a firm changeup that does get some fade at times, but it's a pitch he'll need to continue to develop.

32. Teddy Sharkey – RHP (FCL/A-): The Orioles 7th round pick in the 2023 draft, this 6-0 right-hander brings a mid-90s fastball and two different breaking balls to the mound. In his pro debut, he sat 94-95 with a mid-80's slider and a low 80s curveball with good downward movement, both of which can miss bats. He actually flashed a firm changeup against lefties that had a little fade. His fastball has pretty good ride and also garners swings and misses up in the zone. The questions for Sharkey is the consistency of his offerings and the fact he's a relief only arm. There's effort in the delivery and the command will need to improve, but the quality of stuff is there to be a big league reliever.

33. Jean Pinto – RHP (A+/AA): Short right-hander who absolutely dominates lefties with a changeup that has plus movement down and away from them. He'll also use the pitch effectively against righties as well. He gets a ton of swing and miss and ground balls, particularly from lefties who roll over on the change. His fastball is 91-93 and tops out around 94 and when he's spotting it, it works, but when he gets hit it's usually when he missing in the middle of the plate with the pitch. He rarely get swings and misses on the fastball. His slider is his main breaking ball and while its inconsistent, it can occasionally get some good dive. He started to throw a big loopy high 70s curveball occasionally as well, but it’s more of a get me over pitch. Overall, his xFIP of 3.48 was the best in the organization with any pitcher over 55 innings. The Orioles rarely let him throw more than 75 pitches in an outing so there is some durability questions. There's an outside chance he can stick as a back of the rotation starter but may end up a reverse split reliever who can come in and get those tough lefties out.

34. Keegan Gilles – RHP (A+/AA): A 6-8 right-handed reliever with a mid-90s fastball that dominated A+ hitters and did well in his first taste of Double-A. A 15th round pick in 2021, Gilles suffered through an injury ridden 2022 campaign before showing up full go in 2023. A 5th year senior out of Tulane, Gilles was already 25-years old this season as he dominated Sally Leaguer hitters to a ridiculous .039/.107/.096/.203 slash line with a 27 K to 4 BB ratio over 15.1 innings before getting promotion to Double in mid-June. Had a few rough outings in Double-A here and there, but held batters to a .195/.287/.356/.643 with 34 Ks and 10 BB in 24 innings. He offsets his mid-90s fastball with a split change that gets swings and misses, a cutter and an occasional curveball . The split-change is his best pitch and while it can be inconsistent at times, when it's on hitters found it hard to lay off. He seems to work his fastball low in the zone a lot, but does get swings and misses on the pitch suggesting it has good carry. He should start the year in AAA, but if he's throwing well next year, he could be in the mix for a bullpen spot if there becomes a need.

35. Miguel Rodriguez – C (DSL): Under the radar kid who does everything well defensively. At just 17-years old, he showed an above average arm, was a good blocker, and even frames well. At the plate, he showed a great awareness of the strike zone walking 24 times and striking out just 13 in 131 PAs while putting up a team high .489 OBP in the DSL. He rarely swings and misses and while he did not show much pop, his 21.8% line drive rate suggests gap power could develop. While he's long ways off, he's one to watch at the Florida Complex League next year.

36. Hudson Haskin – OF (AAA): An injury riddled season for the former 2nd round pick was ended when he underwent season-ending surgery to repair a left hip impingement in July. He was off to a great start in AAA slashing .391/.500/.652/1.152 though his first 13 games when a hamstring injury shelfed him for a month. A lot of his success though was BABIP driven.  After a two-week rehab through Aberdeen and Bowie, returned to Norfolk and really struggled slashing .111/.180/.222./402 in 10 games before getting shut down due to the hip issues. When healthy, Haskin is a line drive machine with a little pull pop. The 24-year old right-handed hitter has traditionally hit lefties well though he did not hit them very well in the small sample size last year. Haskin has plus speed which helps him make up for some poor jumps and routes in the outfield at times. He probably fits better in left field than center and has a below average arm. He's expected to be ready for spring training. Haskin may not have a high ceiling, but seems to have a 4th/5th outfielder floor if he can show the ability to hit left handers in sporadic playing time.

37. Tavian Josenberger – OF/INF (FCL/A-): A switch-hitting table setter, the Orioles nabbed this 21-year old in the 3rd round of the draft this year. A quick twitch athlete who transferred from Kansas to Arkansas for his junior year, Josenberger hit the ball with more authority though he's more of a gap to gap guy than a home run guy. He has plus speed and is a threat to steal when on the bases.  He showed a good ability to work counts in his pro debut, but didn't drive the ball much in his first taste of pro ball. He's a solid average outfielder with the speed to play in center field and good enough arm to play in the corners. He was a second baseman at Kansas and the Orioles gave him a few looks there as well. If his bat ends up a little light, his speed, versatility, and strike zone judgement could make him a good fit as a utility player.

38. Jake Cunningham – OF (FCL/A-): A toolsy outfielder selected by the Orioles in the 5th round of the 2023 draft, Cunningham brings some upside if his hit tool develops. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Cunningham is a big guy who had plus speed before an ankle injury slowed him in 2023. He brings plus raw power to the plate but has yet to be able to translate that to consistent game power in college or in his brief professional trial last year. His hit tool was a big question after hitting .267 at UNC Charlotte during his junior year and why he was still available in the 5th round despite above average tools elsewhere. Defensively he's a solid average defender who played center field in college, but played corner outfield mostly with Delmarva due to Bradfield Jr. on the same team. He should start 2024 in Aberdeen.

39. Michael Forret – RHP (CC): An ECU recruit who went to a community college so he would be draft eligible this year was taken by the Orioles in the 14th round and given an overslot $450k signing bonus. At 19-years old, Forret is the youngest pitcher the Orioles drafted this year. At 6-foot-4 with room to fill out, he's a projectable pick that could add velocity to his already low 90s 4-seamer that has good ride. He spins a nice high 70s curveball and low-mid 80 split change as his offspeed offerings. Like most of the Orioles drafted pitchers this year, he was never assigned to an affiliate and will make his professional debut next spring when it's expected he'll be assigned to Delmarva.

40. Billy Cook – 2B/OF/1B (AA): The 24-year old infielder/outfielder has an interesting combination of speed, power, and a little versatility. A mistake hitter who can do some damage if a pitcher gets behind and has to come in with a fastball, Cooks smacked 24 home runs but got homer happy late in the year and hit a few homers, but his average tumbled and his strike out rates rose. He's susceptible to chasing offspeed pitches and older more mature pitchers gave him a harder time. He's a plus runner who stole 30 bases in 33 tries. Defensively he made starts at RF (42), 2B (35), CF (12), LF (10) and 1B (8). By the end of the year he was mainly playing second base, but he's a below average defender there, but won't kill a team. In the outfield, Cook catches everything he gets to and his speed allows him to make up for some bad jumps and routes on occasion. He's got an average arm strength wise, but his throws can be erratic at best.

41. Alex Pham – RHP (A+/AA): A short, four-pitch pitchability righty who can throw all four of his offerings over for strikes. Mixes his pitches up and is able to keep hitters of balance by changing speeds and hitting his spots.  His fastball sits 90-92 with some arm side run, but doesn't miss many bats so he has to be very fine with the command. The change is his best offspeed offering and he'll throw them against righties as well as left-handed hitters. He can get some swing and miss on the pitch because he throws them for strikes and then moves them just off the plate with two strikes. His 12-6 curveball can be soft at times and his slider is more of a cutter with limited vertical movement. With no plus pitch, it's hard to see him as anything more than a 5th starter/long guy type. He does have a little Zach Davies in him so don't count him out, but he'll need to prove it AAA next year to get a chance.

42. Stiven Accevedo – OF (A-): Every once in a while, a toolsy guy will just stand out despite the lack of statistical evidence to suggest he's a guy. A 6-foot-4 guy with the ability to add more to his frame as he grows into his man strength, Acevedo raw power, speed and arm all rate above average and give hope that he'll put it all together one day. Turning 21-years old this August, this would have been his junior year of college so think of him as that toolsy 3rd/4th rounder who's hit tool is a bit of question mark. The right-handed swinger is an absolute wild card and next year will be a big year for prove his prospect status. He has just as much chance of being in the top 30 next year as being off this list.  He might end up one of those hitters that hit better as the pitcher's command gets better so he could break out in Double-A if he continues to earn that chance.

43. Jacob Cravey – RHP (NCAA): The Orioles nabbed this 6-for-6 right-hander in the 6th round after being the Friday night pitcher for Samford University this year. Cravey brings a low-90s fastball (91-93) to the mound but has touched as high as 97 on occasion. His fastball has good ride and garners swings and misses up in the zone. He throws a slider and changeup with the changeup being a pretty good at times against lefties although it's inconsistent. He's got a bit of a hitch in his delivery so there is some reliever vibe in him, but he'll get developed as a starter for now. He'll most likely start his career in either Delmarva or Aberdeen depending on how he looks next spring.

44. Jesus Palacios – RHP (DSL): This Venezuelan made big strides in his second go through the Dominican Summer League leading all Orioles farm hands with 50 or more innings in swinging strike percentage (41.3%). The 6-foot-2 right-hander showed real good feel for throwing all three of his pitches over for strikes, keeping batters guessing. His fastball sits in the low 90s for now, but there is some belief he's going throw harder as he gets stronger. He spins a solid curveball and has good feel for a changeup already. He'll make his way to the states next year and could surprise and end up making Delmarva with a good spring. Even if he doesn't start there, don't be surprise if he gets some full season ball some time next season.

45. Aron Estrada – 2B/LF (FCL): Injured his leg just three games into his FCL season and never really found his groove upon his return in mid-July. Still showed good plate discipline walking 15 times and striking out just 11 times in 81 PAs. He's an athletic switch-hitter who mostly plays second base, but was moved to left field towards the end of the season with Leandro Arias getting the starts at 2B. Not a burner, but he runs well. It will be interesting to see if the Orioles move him up to Delmarva next season or return him to the FCL.

46. Justin Armbruester – RHP (AA/AAA): The big right-hander made his way to AAA in 2023 with mixed results after starting the year pitching in Bowie. Throws a 90-94 MPH fastball that touches 95 that can get some swing and miss at times, but when he catches too much of the plate he can get barreled up. He abandoned a poor changeup in favor is using a cutter this year and that has helped defend himself better against lefties. He throws both a slider and curveball with the slider being the more consistent offering though neither are consistent swing and miss pitches. He doesn't really have a go to strike out pitch and that will limit his major league effectiveness unless he develops one.

47. Edgar Portes – RHP (A-): This 6-foot-2 right-hander repeated Delmarva with solid improvements including increasing his strikeout percentage, lowering his walk percentage, and improving the quality of his slider. His fastball sits 92-93 and tops around 94. His slider is his best pitch, but it's still in inconsistent offering though he can get swings and misses on the pitch. He has a change and was working on a curveball at times, but he doesn't have much feel for either. His command still has a long way to go and he needs to improve the change up to have a better chance to defend himself against lefties who put up a .788 OPS against him.

48. John Rhodes – OF (AA): The 22-year old outfielder is best described as mediocre.  He really doesn't do anything badly but also doesn't have a carrying tool that suggests his major league role would be anything more than a 4th/5th outfielder.  He hits for some power, has average speed, is average defensively with an average arm, but his hit tool is below average. He doesn't have great plate discipline and will chase at times. He's prone to being streaky as well. He'll flash some promise here and there and he was only 22-years old last year, so it's too early to give up on him, but next year will be a big year for the former 3rd round pick.

49. Maverick Handley – C (AA/AAA): Actually held his own offensively at AAA slashing .236/.373/.329/.701 in 264 AAA PAs. A bit of a pull hitter who put up a decent 24.8% line drive rate in AAA, he sometimes gets a little too pull happy and tries to hit home runs despite below average power. He looks like he cheats a bit with good velocity leaving his open to getting fooled on good offspeed pitches. Defense though has always been his calling card and while he did well throwing out runners attempting to steal, he dropped a few too many pitches than most would like. He didn't have many passed balls though and his blocking was good overall.

50. Silas Ardoin – C (A+/AA): Solid defensive first catcher showed a little signs of life with the bat at AA. Slashed .286/.359/.410/.769 in 117 AA PAs. Still strike out too much for a guy without a lot of power, but he does a good job getting on base against left-handers. Ardoin is a solid defensively catcher who blocks and receives well, but his throwing has been only been ok. Still, he projects out as a backup catcher who could be the right-handed side of a platoon behind the dish.

[Frobby]

I’m pretty surprised not to see Deivy Cruz in here somewhere.  He had a pretty solid season at 19 in Delmarva.  

No. 36 should say Hudson Haskin, not Hunter Haskin.  I’m somewhat encouraged by his write-up.
 

[btdart20]

10 out of 20 are pitchers.  Quite a few from the 2023 draft and a few international guys too.  Pinto and Armbreuster seem like the only carryovers from 2022.

Palacios has a live arm in the limited clips that I’ve seen.  I’m excited to see what he does in 2024.

Can Pham continue channeling his inner David and conquer Goliath?  Inquiring minds…. He’s an underdog who’s easy to root for!

[Tony-OH]

9 hours ago, Frobby said:

I’m pretty surprised not to see Deivy Cruz in here somewhere.  He had a pretty solid season at 19 in Delmarva.  

No. 36 should say Hudson Haskin, not Hunter Haskin.  I’m somewhat encouraged by his write-up.
 

Cruz will be in the next batch. I had him higher initally but after watching him more, I just have more questions. He's a small left-hander with a low-90s fastball and a sweeper slider and jut a beginning stages of a usable changeup. The command is not very good either so that's a lot to overcome. 

[LookinUp]

There's a lot of guys in that list who were just drafted and haven't really shown their strengths or warts yet. I feel like there's a fair amount of upside here though. I was pleasantly surprised reading that list.

Part of me feels like we're 12 months from being considered a pitching-heavy system, but if Basallo doesn't graduate and a couple of Horvath, Tavera, Liranzo, Sosa, Almeda and Arias really take off, I guess that might not be the case. 

[Tony-OH]

Just moving this to the major league board for a little visibility for abit.

[baltfan]

Some of these guys would have been in the top 15 a few years ago.  Times have changed. 

[RZNJ]

Going strictly on stats and what I’ve read I’d guess that Aron Estrada (45) is the biggest mover on this list next year.

My two sleepers are Estrada and Matthew Etzel.

[UMDTerrapins]

This generally looks like the Rule V range. Has anyone made a list of most likely to get poached yet? Haskin, Young, Vavra, Handley, Pinto, Brnovich……who else is at risk?

[Yossarian]

What percentage of players ranked 30-plus in an organization's depth chart ever make it to the Big League squad?  I have to think it is quite low, right?

[LookinUp]

10 minutes ago, Yossarian said:

What percentage of players ranked 30-plus in an organization's depth chart ever make it to the Big League squad?  I have to think it is quite low, right?

No clue. Seems like a few of the arms have a chance to be at least bullpen pieces. Maybe 1/2 becomes a ML starter? 

Without seeing them much on the field, it's hard to project.

[Frobby]

22 minutes ago, Yossarian said:

What percentage of players ranked 30-plus in an organization's depth chart ever make it to the Big League squad?  I have to think it is quite low, right?

I’d say a lot of relievers make it.  

[jerios55]

42 minutes ago, Yossarian said:

What percentage of players ranked 30-plus in an organization's depth chart ever make it to the Big League squad?  I have to think it is quite low, right?

A relatively unknown 17 yo from the international program vs US drafted players are likely different.  I'd expect the drafted players to be lower, but international I could see being a very mixed bag. 

[RZNJ]

27 minutes ago, jerios55 said:

A relatively unknown 17 yo from the international program vs US drafted players are likely different.  I'd expect the drafted players to be lower, but international I could see being a very mixed bag. 

Exactly.  Thomas Sosa was #71 last year.  Top 20 this year.   If you are 22 or older and not in the top 30 you’re probably never going to be a top 10 guy.

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, Yossarian said:

What percentage of players ranked 30-plus in an organization's depth chart ever make it to the Big League squad?  I have to think it is quite low, right?

There are a lot of factors that decide who goes into the top-30, but I would agree that age and time in the system would have to be taken into consideration when it comes to figuring out that percentage. When I look at this 31-50 list, I could see multiple guys breaking out and ending up in the top 30. We'll have a better idea of guys that were just drafted last year after a full season of pro ball next year and of course, ranking  16-17 year olds is tough because some are going to absolutely flame out, and others like Sosa are going to grow three inches and come back a different guy. 

My goal with going out to 75 players increments of Top 30, 31-50, and 51-75 is to give the fan an idea of legitimate prospects (Top 30), Guys that could become Top 30 next year (31-50), and guys to keep an eye on who could break out as well but may have more things that need to happen to get there (51-75).