Orioles prospects off to a hot start in Arizona Fall League

Earlier this fall, the Orioles sent 8 players to the Arizona Fall League, where they were set to suit up for the Surprise Saguaros. Now that the games have begun, we're starting to see a few of those prospects getting off to hot starts, an encouraging sign for the O's development team.

Outfielder Jake Cunningham has been the best of the bunch. Cunningham has gotten 12 plate appearances with the Saguaros, third most on the roster, and he's absolutely delivered. In those plate appearances, Cunningham has hit .500/.538/.750 with a homer, four RBI, and three runs scored.

The 22 year old wasn't a standout player in 2024 but there were encouraging signs. Cunningham showed improved plate discipline in High-A after being promoted from Single-A Delmarva. While his calling card thus far has been the speed, it's possible that this trip to the Fall League will allow him to unlock other parts of his game.

Multiple Orioles prospects off to strong starts in Arizona Fall League

Outfielder Douglas Hodo III has looked good in limited time as well. Hodo has hit .250/.333/.375 with a double and two runs scored. He's been a much more patient hitter than Cunningham but hasn't gotten to the point where he can consistently impact the ball and hit for power.

Hodo finished the year at Double-A Bowie and while it's unlikely that he'll make his debut in Baltimore next year, a strong showing in the desert this fall would put him in a good spot heading into the spring.

Infielder Creed Willems is also with the Saguaros and has notched a few plate appearances, but has yet to do anything of note. That will hopefully change with a bit more playing time.

On the pitching side, Juan Rojas has thrown 3 scoreless innings so far. He's allowed two hits and two walks with just one strikeout. Rojas was very strikeout focused during his time in Single-A this year but didn't quite have the results you'd like to see. He walked too many batters and wasn't quite there with the run prevention.

There are reasons to be excited about Rojas, however. The lefty is still just 20 years old and if he can get his command in order, could be a viable major league arm for the O's down the road.

Right hander Preston Johnson has also seen the mound for the Saguaros but was hit hard in his lone appearance. Johnson gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in 2.1 innings while striking out just one batter.

Like Rojas, Johnson was a strikeout machine in the minors but walked far too many batters and let in a bunch of runs due to the extra baserunners. Because Johnson is already 24, time is running out for him to figure out the right pitch mix and approach if he wants to be a major leaguer.