Breakout Orioles prospect’s path to professional baseball is anything but typical

More often than not, we have a good idea as to which prospects have a good chance of impacting the game in the big leagues before they arrive. There is so much information available from the minor leagues these days; experts and teams alike have gotten very good at identifying talent early on and generally invest real money and/or early draft picks to bring them into the fold. However, Baltimore Orioles prospect Nate George is bucking that trend.

When the Orioles picked George in the 16th round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of a small Illinois high school, the only thing that stood out about him was that he was an overslot pick with a $455,000 bonus. George was thought to be a pretty good prospect, but most expected him to go to college and potentially be a high draft pick in a couple of years.

Instead, George made the jump to professional baseball early despite his draft position, and not only has he held his own, but he is quickly becoming the talk of the Orioles' farm system and may move faster through the minor leagues than we initially thought.

Nate George's breakout 2025 season has him potentially on the fast track with the Orioles

At 6'0 and 200 pounds, George doesn't immediately stand out when you first look at him. However, the level of energy he plays almost immediately becomes apparent and allows his tools to play up from sheer effort and force of will. George is unlikely to ever be a true home run threat, but he does hit the ball hard, and what he lacks in current power, he makes up for with his bat-to-ball skills and speed, which are both top-notch. Combine all that with the ability to be a very good or better center fielder, and you have a truly exciting prospect.

After not playing at all during his draft year, which is not uncommon for high school draft picks, George took the minor leagues by storm in 2025 with a .337/.413/.483 line across three levels of the minor leagues. It is somewhat rare to see a high school pick make it all the way to high-A at 19 years old, but George pulled it off and was an absolute menace at the level.

George is not a finished product, and anyone hoping he will debut in the big leagues in 2026 is being hopelessly optimistic. While he doesn't swing and miss much, George is aggressive at the plate and chases a bit too much at the moment, which will absolutely get him eaten alive in the big leagues without an adjustment. It would also be nice to see him grow into his body a bit more and show some more pop before Baltimore starts actually considering him.

Those are small quibbles, though. At the end of the day, the Orioles appear to have a special talent for an absolute bargain and the only question now is just how far George can take this opportunity.