Forgotten Orioles prospect now on the comeback trail

In 2023, the Baltimore Orioles had the top-ranked farm system in baseball. Guys like Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, and Jordan Westburg highlighted a Norfolk Tides roster that would eventually go on to win the AAA National Championship. Underneath all of the star power, the Tides had a forgotten prospect who is once again making a name for himself.

Once the No.15 prospect in that loaded 2023 Orioles farm system, Hudson Haskin was a promising young talent. A second-round draft pick in 2020, Haskin had climbed through the O’s farm system until he was just a step away from the major leagues. But that last step was always just out of reach. 

The major league club began the regular season with five outfielders. Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, and Anthony Santander were locks in the outfield. Kyle Stowers, who was making his first Opening Day roster, and Ryan McKenna were there to fill in when needed. The group comprised one of the better outfields in the majors and blocked Haskin from being able to break through. As good as Stowers was already, even he was not able to get regular at-bats. 

Stowers bounced up and down a bit between Baltimore and Norfolk until he suffered the first of two injuries that didn’t allow him to make it back to the majors that season. Unfortunately, Haskin was suffering from his own hamstring injury at the time Stowers went down. He had gotten off to a hot start, slashing .391/.500/.652 with two homers and four steals through mid-April. Haskin was able to come back from that injury in late May, but returned to the injured list when he re-injured the same hamstring just a month later. The hot start may not have been sustainable for the entire season, but the injuries robbed him of the chance. 

In the meantime, the Orioles' top outfield prospect at the time, Colton Cowser, made his major league debut and never looked back. Another of the Birds' top outfield prospects, Heston Kjerstad, seized his opportunity and also debuted for the O’s after having started the season in Double-A. The talent was definitely there for Haskin, but the timing was not. 

Hudson Haskin flashes potential as MLB breakthrough lingers

2024 ended up being a lost season for Haskin. He began the season in High-A with the Aberdeen IronBirds while still working his way back to health after having hip surgery over the offseason. Haskin returned to Norfolk before the end of April but missed almost two weeks in May with a concussion. While he was medically cleared to play, Haskin just wasn’t right for the rest of the season.

Haskin struggled through 2024 and posted career lows in all three slash categories. He still showed off his speed, tying a career high with 22 steals, and was solid playing all three outfield positions, but the offense wasn’t there. As a result, Haskin fell out of the Orioles' top 30 prospects and was sent down to Double-A to start the 2025 season. 

Not one to waste time, Haskin was back in Norfolk after just 25 games with the newly renamed Chesapeake Baysox. Since returning to Triple-A, Haskin has been on fire, reaching base 10 times with six hits in his first six games. He scored six times and drove in three runs in that stretch.

It may still take some time, but the Orioles' outfield has been tormented by injuries this season. Cowser is now back from the IL, but Mullins and Ramon Laureano are still out, and Kjerstad is struggling mightily at the plate. With some people projecting the Orioles to be sellers at the trade deadline, things could be falling into place for Haskin to finally make it to Baltimore. 

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