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Mike Elias and the Baltimore Orioles front office are cracking open a bottle of champagne after making their first-round selection during the 2025 MLB Draft. Auburn catcher Ike Irish fell all the way to No. 19 after most draft experts expected him to be selected in the top-10. Irish is considered by many pundits to be one of the best college bats available, meaning the O's may well have secured the biggest steal of the draft thus far.
Irish is listed as a catcher, but for those who are worried that this could be Adley Rutschman's long-term replacement, take a deep breath. Though he played behind the plate for the Auburn Tigers this season, Irish will likely transition into the corner outfield. Most scouts couldn't foresee Irish sticking behind the plate, which was one of the biggest reasons for his fall in the draft.
Last season with Auburn, Irish hit .364/.469/.710 with 19 home runs and 58 RBI. His 2025 campaign with the Tigers represented the second consecutive season Irish posted an OPS above 1.000. Make no mistake, Orioles fans, this was a massive pick up on the part of Elias and Baltimore's front office.
Mike Elias pulls off 2025 MLB Draft thievery after Orioles secure Ike Irish with first-round pick
MLB Pipeline ranked Irish as the 11th-best prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft, citing his ability as a left-handed hitter to hit well against both lefties and righties. While it wouldn't be a surprise to see Irish continue to log reps behind the plate early during his professional career, Baltimore may prefer to just bite the bullet immediately and transform him into an outfielder.
With Rutschman already in the fold — and hopefully soon to sign a long-term contract — along with top prospect Samuel Basallo able to handle duties behind the plate, there's really no need to continue to allow Irish to continue to don the tools of ignorance on a regular basis as he ascends up through the O's farm system.
Hats off to Elias and Co. for their brilliant selection with the Orioles first-round draft choice. The O's top executive, however, will have to be mindful moving forward as Baltimore still has several more selections before Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft is over.