Orioles’ in-division prospect dominance appears to be over with latest rankings

It is no surprise that Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo is still seen as the preeminent prospect in the American League East, but it is clear that the rest of the division is catching up with the Orioles when it comes to prospects.

A recent ranking of AL East prospects has Basallo at the top, but the rest of the top ten is dominated mainly by the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, with a dash of the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays thrown in.

Rest of AL East is catching up with the Baltimore Orioles prospect-wise

The Orioles had three other players ranked on the list, with right-handed pitcher Trey Gibson ranked 10th, outfielder Dylan Beavers ranked 15th, outfielder Nate George ranked 16th, left-handed pitcher Luis De León ranked 18th, and utility bat Ike Irish ranked 20th.

Baltimore is well represented on the list overall, but some of the more promising players of the future are like the likes of Trey Yesavage of Toronto and Payton Tolle on the Red Sox. It would not be a surprise if Basallo squares off against those pitchers for years to come, especially after he signed an unprecedented extension last year that locks him up through 2033.

Perhaps that extension is what will give the Orioles a leg up over the rest of the AL East when it comes to prospects. Everyone knows the names on that list could flame out or be traded away in a few years, but Baltimore has its most promising crown jewel wrapped up for a long time.

2025 was a bit of a struggle for the 21-year-old Dominican product. He slashed .165/.229/.330 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in across 31 games and 109 at-bats.

It is far too early to raise any alarms, but Orioles fans certainly would have loved to see more from the team's highly touted top prospect. His 23 homers in Triple-A last season show that he has a lot of pop in his bat, so 2026 may be the year he displays that left-handed power at the big league level.

While 2025 was not a great year in the big leagues, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Basallo could be the AL Rookie of the Year in 2026. MLB executives view him as one of the favorites to take home the award next season.

Even if the rest of the AL East is creeping up, the Orioles should feel good that they still have the most promising prospect in the division and will have him for a long time.