Orioles Make History in Latest Top 100 Prospects Update

The Baltimore Orioles’ system shows its historic strength in the latest Top 100 Prospects list update

With any hopes of a postseason run by the Baltimore Orioles crushed by the weight of 83 losses to this point in the season, the attention of O’s fans turns to what the future has in store for the club. On Wednesday, MLB.com released its annual midseason update to its Top 100 Prospects rankings, accompanied by a piece from Jim Callis, adding context to which players entered the list, which players fell off the list, and which players graduated into the Major Leagues.

Coming as no surprise to those who follow Minor League Baseball, Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman holds down the top spot in the latest update. As only the second first overall pick in franchise history, the Orioles have very high hopes for what Rutschman could become as a big leaguer. Just earlier this month, the team moved the 23-year-old up to Triple-A for the first time in his career. Since the call-up, Rutschman has amassed four extra-base hits and six runs batted in, slashing .419/.438/.613 over his first seven games with the Norfolk Tides.

Falling in as the eighth-best prospect across baseball in the update is the Orioles’ top pitching prospect, Grayson Rodriguez. Selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft, Rodriguez has pitched with the High-A Aberdeen Ironbirds and the Double-A Bowie Baysox this season. Rodriguez has a 2.10 ERA in 18 starts combined across the levels, paired with a very exciting 14.2 K/9.

As it turns out, Rutschman and Rodriguez are the highest-ranked position player and pitcher, meaning the Orioles’ minor league system boasts the very best prospect on both sides of the ball. According to Callis, the Orioles with Rutschman and Rodriguez are just the second instance in the history of MLB.com’s prospect rankings in which a single team rosters the best position player and pitcher on the list, joining the 2017 Chicago White Sox.

Orioles prospects D.L. Hall, Gunnar Henderson, and 2021 MLB Draft first-rounder Colton Cowser each made the cut in the update.