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Orioles giving up on former top draft choice is another black mark against Mike Elias

Not a good look
ByBrian Burrows
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Sep 14, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Heston Kjerstad (13) follows through on an RBI double against the New York Mets during the second inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Heston Kjerstad (13) follows through on an RBI double against the New York Mets during the second inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Mike Elias took over the Baltimore Orioles, the franchise was at an all-time low. The team had won just 47 games the season before, and Elias had a major rebuild on his hands. It took a couple more 100-loss seasons, but by 2023, Elias' fifth season, the team had won 100 games and was back in the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.

That 2023 season was led by Elias' first two draft selections: Adley Rutschman, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, and Gunnar Henderson, the No. 1 pick in the second round of the 2019 draft. Those two becoming star players rocketed the Orioles into contention, and it looked like Elias was about to turn the Orioles into an American League powerhouse led by multiple top-10 draft selections in the first few years of his tenure. That wasn't the case, though.

None of the Orioles' draft choices since 2019 have developed into players their draft choices would have suggested they would become. Baltimore had the second pick in the 2020 draft and used it to select outfielder Heston Kjerstad. The lefty played 117 games across four seasons for the Orioles, and according to Andy Kostska of the Baltimore Banner, he has been waived and will become a free agent.

A deeper look at Mike Elias' draft history shows why the Orioles fell out of the playoffs so quickly

Kjerstad is the low mark for Elias' top draft choices, but others haven't been a lot better. He also drafted Jordan Westburg in that draft, who was an All-Star in 2024, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy either. In 2021, he drafted Colton Cowser with the fifth pick, and his best season was his rookie year in 2024. In 2022, Jackson Holliday was selected No. 1 overall, and he has severely underwhelmed in his MLB career. 2023 first-round pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. has yet to make his MLB debut and is eligible for the Rule 5 draft if he isn't added to the 40-man roster this offseason.

Elias' poor drafting since 2019 has affected the team extremely negatively. While Rutschman and Henderson became pillars of the rebuild, none of the other draftees developing as expected have pushed them backward to the point where they have missed the playoffs for back-to-back seasons. Elias also being willing or unable to trade these players for proven MLB talent hasn't helped.

The Orioles just brought in Jared Banner to be the GM and take over the internal development of the organization. While that may help the players already here, it means Elias is turning to outside acquisitions, which include the draft. With his track record in the last seven drafts, it doesn't seem like the smartest idea.

Elias already has people rooting against him and calling for his job. He has struggled to adequately supplement the core of young players that emerged a few seasons ago, and many fans hold that against him. Waiving a player taken with the second pick in the draft and not being able to turn him into some sort of value will not help his cause.

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