Orioles' top prospect looking to flip the script on Mike Elias' recent track record

During the Mike Elias era, the Baltimore Orioles have relied heavily on the draft to build their roster. Every year, their lineup features more homegrown, drafted, and developed players than almost any other team in the big leagues. This was made possible by having several drafts in a row where the Orioles got multiple impact players.

In 2019, six of the Orioles' first seven picks turned out to be major leaguers. In the Covid-shortened 2020 draft, four of the Orioles six total selections made the big leagues. In 2021 and 2022, the Orioles first and second round picks both made the majors. Not all of those players and superstars or even all-stars, but drafting that many major leaguers in such a short span is good work.

Ike Irish looks like the Orioles best draft pick in a long time

Since 2022, though, the Orioles have not been as successful in the draft. Despite having a host of early-round comp picks in 2023 and 2024, the Orioles have not been able to convert any of those picks into top prospects or major leaguers. There have been some decent later round picks like Levi Wells in 2023, who will hopefully debut for the Orioles at some point this year, and Nate George in the 16th round of the 2024 draft, who is now the Orioles top prospect according to most ranking services. But overall, both the 2023 and 2024 draft classes are massive duds of the Orioles front office, and those duds are partially responsible for the team stalling out the way it has.

Which is why it comes as such a relief that the Orioles appear to have hit with first-round pick Ike Irish.

After taking two defense-first centerfielders with questionable bats in Enrique Bradfield Jr and Vance Honeycutt in the first round of the last few drafts, the Orioles went the exact opposite direction with Irish. Coming into the 2025 draft, Irish was seen as one of, if not the highest floor bat, in the draft. In his final year, Aubern Irish slashed .364/.469/.710 with 19 homers in 55 games.

The fact that he went from a catching prospect to most likely an outfield prospect (and not in a Dalton Varsho way) took some of the wind out of his draft stock sails, but he was still projected to go high in the draft, and it was a surprise when he fell to the Orioles at 19.

Now, in his first full season in the Orioles system, he's showing why his bat was so well regarded, slashing .320/.427/.560 at High-A Frederick, barely missing a beat from his college days. He's really doing everything at the plate well. He's making good contact, and his power has translated to the wooden bat. With Irish looking this comfortable, it shouldn't be long before he's moved up to double-A, and it's very possible that he could advance even further.

In recent years, the trend has been that these college bats are making it to the majors within a year of being drafted. The Orioles haven't done that with their college bats, but the bats they've drafted that could have moved fast got hung up by extenuating circumstances. Covid disrupted Adley Rutschman's first year in the system, and Heston Kjerstad almost had a career-ending health issue. The fastest in recent years would be Colton Cowser, who was drafted in 2021 and called up in late 2023.

If Irish's bat holds up with every promotion, he could find himself as the Orioles September call-up and in doing so would cement himself as the Orioles best draft pick in three years.

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