Orioles’ 2025 draft strategy is becoming abundantly clear after latest mock draft

Back in 2019, the Baltimore Orioles' first eight selections were position players. Six of them made the big leagues, and two of them have been All-Stars in Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson. The shortened 2020 draft provided another All-Star in Jordan Westburg, and two more big leaguers in Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo. A year later, Colton Cowser and Connor Norby, the O's first two selections, have found themselves in major league uniforms. Jackson Holliday is the only hitter in the 2022 class to reach the major leagues, but Dylan Beavers may be donning Orioles orange sooner rather than later.

The last two season's draft classes are too early in their development to evaluate, but Enrique Bradfield Jr. has been showcasing the tools that many believed made him a surefire major leaguer coming out of Vanderbilt.

Point being: Baltimore has had a ridiculously high success rate when selecting hitters in the MLB Draft. And, despite not drafting many pitchers highly, the O's have still been able to acquire pitching talent like Corbin Burnes, Trevor Rogers and Zach Eflin by selecting and developing the bats. In a recent mock draft, it appears that experts don't anticipate the Orioles wavering from that strategy.

Baseball America mock draft has Orioles pursuing college power bats including Jace LaViolette

In a new mock draft from Baseball America, there's a familiar name heading to Baltimore: Jace LaViolette, an outfielder from Texas A&M. After an elite sophomore season, many had LaViolette pegged as one of the best players in college baseball and a potential number one overall pick in this year's draft. But after a bit of a "down" year, his stock has dipped.

Some scouts have pointed out, though, that while the baseball card may not look as good, it wasn't really a "down" year. Sure, the OPS dipped from 1.175 to 1.003, and his batting average decreased by about 50 points. But LaViolette did a lot of things that the Orioles like: his walk rate increased, his strikeout rate decreased, and he still hit for power.

The physical LaViolette, standing at 6'6, fits the mold of what Baltimore looks for. He boasts great power, doesn't chase a lot, and is a good enough athlete to play a premium position in center field. If history is any indication, LaViolette could very well be the O's selection at No. 19.

While many fans may be clamoring for Baltimore to select a pitcher in the first round, that's just not how this front office has operated. And the draft has been, in large part, one of the biggest success stories of this front office's tenure. As such, don't expect their strategy to change.

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