Orioles prospects flying high in Arizona Fall League

The Arizona Fall League is well underway and a number of Orioles prospects are looking good out in the desert. In total, the O's sent 8 players out to Arizona to play for the Surprise Saguaros. Five of them have made it into game action, including all three hitters and two of the five pitchers.

Outfielder Jake Cunningham has been the best of the bunch. In 6 games, Cunningham has hit .391/.423/.652 with 2 homers, 8 runs batted in, and a steal. Coming into the Fall League as a 22 year old, Cunningham didn't have the best year in 2024.

Though Cunningham worked his way through three minor league levels this year, he didn't hit for power at any of them and struggled with plate discipline at every stop. He struck out nearly 32% of the time at Single-A and after his promotion to High-A, managed just three extra base hits in 78 plate appearances.

The main thing Cunningham has going for him is his speed. He notched 29 steals in 91 games across Single and High-A this year and is a good outfield defender. We'll see if he's able to maintain this level of play throughout the rest of the Fall League and carry that success over into 2025.

These Orioles prospects are showing out in the 2025 Arizona Fall League

Outfielder Douglas Hodo III has also played well during his limited time. In 9 games, Hodo has hit .222/.382/.444 with 4 doubles, a triple, 3 steals, and has walked more than he's struck out. After struggling to draw walks at Double-A in 2024, Hodo looks as good as he has in the past against the pitching in Arizona.

Hodo will look to recover the plate discipline in 2025. He's a talented prospect with a chance to break into the majors in early 2026 if everything breaks right. Continuing to hit well for the rest of the Arizona Fall League season is a good place to start.

Like the previous two, catching prospect Creed Willems has hit well during his time with the Saguaros. Willems has gotten 39 plate appearances for Surprise, good for second most on the roster. With the opportunity, he's hit .256/.326/.436 with a homer and 5 RBI.

There are still lingering questions about Willems' ability to stick behind the plate as he continues his development but from what we've seen so far, the bat should play. He's been an effective hitter at all levels of the minors and has a good enough hit tool to project as a major leaguer. Willems has good power, good pitch recognition, and enough talent to make it work. It's possible we see him in Baltimore toward the end of 2025, or early 2026.

Both Preston Johnson and Juan Rojas have seen time on the mound for the Saguaros but neither have looked good. Johnson has allowed 4 runs in 7.1 innings, while Rojas has allowed 6 runs in the same 7.1 innings. Rojas has allowed 8 walks, with just 2 strikeouts. Johnson hasn't been much better, striking out 4 while walking 5. Both will look to improve on those marks before they leave the desert.