Orioles’ MLB Pipeline Top 30 Prospects List Released

The Orioles latest top 30 prospects list is here

This month, MLB Pipeline has been rolling out its annual preseason top 30 prospects lists for each team. Today, the Baltimore Orioles list was released. Lists like these are a great benchmark showing for how a team’s rebuild is going. As more young talented players move closer to their Major League ETA dates, fans can expect to see their team edge its way back into contention.

Here’s the complete list from MLB Pipeline:

1. Adley Rutschman, C
2. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP
3. Heston Kjerstad, OF
4. DL Hall, LHP
5. Ryan Mountcastle, OF/1B
6. Gunnar Henderson, SS
7. Jordan Westburg, SS
8. Dean Kremer, RHP
9. Michael Baumann, RHP
10. Yusniel Diaz, OF
11. Keegan Akin, LHP
12. Zac Lowther, LHP
13. Terrin Vavra, SS
14. Adam Hall, SS/2B
15. Kyle Bradish, RHP
16. Ryan McKenna, OF
17. Hudson Haskin, OF
18. Coby Mayo, 3B
19. Kevin Smith, LHP
20. Jahmai Jones, 2B/OF
21. Alexander Wells, LHP
22. Maikol Hernandez, SS
23. Carter Baumler, RHP
24. Rylan Bannon, 2B/3B
25. Tyler Nevin, 1B/3B
26. Kyle Stowers, OF
27. Anthony Servideo, SS
28. Samuel Basallo, C
29. Drew Rom, LHP
30. Garrett Stallings, RHP

Unsurprisingly, Adley Rutschman ranks at the very top of the Orioles’ prospect rankings this season. The team drafted Rutschman out of Oregon State University with the first overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft and hopes for him to lead an Orioles team into contention someday in the near future. MLB Pipeline projects Rutschman to make his MLB debut this season, although he has yet to play above Single-A in his professional career.

Here’s what Baseball Savant’s scouting reports had to say about Rutschman:

"During his time with the Orioles in Bowie, Maryland, last summer, Rutschman had the chance to sharpen what was already a pretty full suite of plus tools. The switch-hitter has an incredibly advanced approach, walking more than he struck out in college. He can drive the ball from both sides of the plate, with a ton of over-the-fence pop, while never selling out for power and showing the ability to make rapid adjustments against a higher level of competition last summer.His already-plus defense also got better in his first full year of pro ball as he acclimated well to working with high-level pitching talent. He knows how to call a game, works very well with pitchers and has soft hands and excellent agility behind the dish. He couples that with a very strong arm, which should help to control the running game and is already exhibiting the kind of leadership teams covet from a big league backstop, something he should be in the very near future."

Ryan Mountcastle falls in at fifth on these prospect rankings, although he has already debuted in the Major Leagues. Last season, Mountcastle slashed .333/.386/.492 with a 140 OPS+ in 140 plate appearances at the big-league level. Because Mountcastle only recorded 126 at-bats, he still has rookie eligibility heading into 2021, where he will likely be Baltimore’s everyday first baseman.

Other top 30 prospects projected to debut/graduate in 2021 include Dean Kremer, Michael Baumann, Yusniel Diaz, Keegan Akin, Zac Lowther, Ryan McKenna, Jahmai Jones, Alexander Wells, and Rylan Bannon.