3 infielders the Orioles should target in the 2024 MLB Draft

The Orioles have the 22nd pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, which begins this Sunday and will run through Tuesday afternoon. They'll also benefit from the newly minted "Prospect Promotion Incentive" pick thanks to Gunnar Henderson's Rookie of the Year award in 2023, which gives them the 32nd overall pick as well.

The Orioles have been tied to a couple different prospects in the 22nd slot but since they're so far down the list in the first round, there are a lot of different scenarios that could play out before their first choice.

Mike Elias and the Orioles front office have done an outstanding job strengthening the minor league system and there are few weak spots throughout the organization. As such, the O's won't be restricted or forced to target any particular position groups - they'll be free to go after the best available players throughout the draft.

These three infield prospects would help boost the Orioles organizational ceiling

Ranked number 14 overall by MLB Pipeline, third baseman Cam Smith might be gone by the time the Orioles get to pick on Sunday. Nonetheless, Smith would be a steal for the O's if he were do drop a few spots and be on the board at the 22 spot.

A big right handed hitter out of Florida State, Smith has shown advanced plate discipline and plenty of pop in the bat over the last two years. He was impressive in the Cape Cod league last summer, hitting .347/.406/.575 with 6 homers in 44 games.

Smith built on his strong 2023 with a standout year in 2024, going .387/.488/.654 in 66 games for a good FSU team that made it through Super Regionals but fell short in the College World Series tournament. Scouts seem to think Smith will stick at third but it's his bat that will eventually carry him to major league success.

Kaelen Culpepper is another college bat, a third baseman that transitioned to shortstop before the start of last year. Culpepper excelled at Kansas State in 2024, hitting .328/.419/.574 with 11 homers, 15 doubles, and 17 steals.

Culpepper will likely be more of a third baseman than a shortstop moving forward. He's not an elite defender but has proven capable enough to play both spots on the left side of the infield.

The main knock on Culpepper seems to be that he struggled with the wood bats in the Cape Cod league in 2023, slugging just .318 in 17 games with Harwich. The young righty has enough of a track record at KSU and has shown a penchant for hitting line drives to all parts of the outfield, so there's still a ton of optimism and upside with his skillset.

Lastly, coming in at number 20 on MLB Pipeline's rankings is LSU third baseman Tommy White. While White may end up as a first baseman in the majors due to a lack of range at the hot corner, he has an advanced approach at the plate and huge power upside.

Per MLB Pipeline's write up, White has elite exit velocities and raw power, but he's also an excellent contact hitter and doesn't strike out nearly as much as you'd expect from a power hitting corner infielder.

White slashed an impressive .300/.401/.638 for the Tigers this year and launched 24 homers in 66 games. There's risk in this profile to be sure, but White has so much upside as a power hitter that it would be tough for the Orioles to look past him if he ends up being available with the 22nd pick.