2 Orioles prospects who should be protected from the Rule 5 draft, 2 who shouldn't

The deadline for teams to protect players from the 2024 Rule 5 draft is this Tuesday, November 19. The Orioles have a large group of players who will be eligible for the draft, though most of them are easy decisions.

The vast majority of the group won't be added to the 40-man, and be subject to the draft. It's possible that the Orioles lose a player or two during the process, but they'll also have the opportunity to add talent, if they see fit.

2 Orioles prospects who should be protected from the Rule 5 draft

Brandon Young hasn't been a top prospect throughout his career but he had some excellent results in 2024 down at Triple-A Norfolk. In 89 innings, Young pitched to a 3.44 ERA with a 25.6% strikeout rate. He also threw 22 innings at Double-A and while he gave up a few unlucky runs, he ran an incredible 40.9% strikeout rate there.

Young was seen as a potential candidate to get called up in September this past year but the Orioles never turned to him. That will change in 2025, assuming he's on the roster. The Orioles' 40-man currently sits at 37 players, so there's absolutely space for Young. We should expect to see the Orioles add him prior to the deadline on Tuesday.

The other guy who should be kept is starter Juan Nunez. The 23 year old threw just 29.1 innings in 2024 but they were good innings at that. He posted a 2.45 ERA with a 32.2% strikeout rate. Nunez has had trouble with walks and injuries in the past but he's been a strikeout machine when available.

Nunez has yet to make it past High-A but should be in line to start the season at Double-A, assuming the Orioles retain him. If Nunez is left unprotected, he's a candidate to be selected by another team who could use an upside bullpen arm.

2 Orioles prospects who don't need to be added to the 40-man ahead of the Rule 5 draft

Ultimately, most of the prospects in the Orioles' system are there for a reason, and we've watched them develop over the years. This isn't to say that these guys have no place in Baltimore, but there are reasons why it makes sense to leave them unprotected.

Catcher Maverick Handley is eligible, but realistically he's far down the line in terms of guys who'll get called up. Blake Hunt and Rene Pinto are already on the 40-man, and the O's are probably going to add someone in free agency to back up Adley Rutschman. On top of that, top prospect Samuel Basallo is nearly ready to debut.

While Handley still has some upside behind the plate, he struggled a bit in 2024. He was lights out at Bowie the year prior but hit just .202 with a .287 slugging percentage at Norfolk this year. That's not good enough to get him ahead of the other guys in the system.

Additionally, TT Bowens could wind up on the outside looking in on Tuesday. Bowens was an intriguing prospect coming into the system but he's already 26 years old and he completely cratered in his first taste at Triple-A in 2024. The righty hit just .155/.234/.321 in 24 games.

Bowens could potentially still provide value in the future but with Basallo and Coby Mayo in line for reps at first base, at least ahead of Bowens, it won't be surprising if the Orioles choose to leave Bowens eligible for the draft.