8 Orioles prospects confirmed to play in the 2024 Arizona Fall League

Earlier this week, the Arizona Fall League rosters were announced and the Orioles will send 8 prospects to the desert to play against some top talent from around the league. Included in the group are catcher Creed Willems, outfielders Douglas Hodo III and Jake Cunningham, right handed pitchers Zane Barnhart, Tyler Burch, Preston Johnson, and Houston Roth, and left handed pitcher Juan Rojas.

Notably absent from the group is the recently dubbed top prospect in baseball, catcher Samuel Basallo. While Basallo had an outstanding year overall, he did have to work through some challenges once he reached Triple-A. The Fall League would have given Basallo some extra time to work on the career-high 31% strikeout rate he posted in 21 games at Norfolk but the Orioles decided the 20 year old had done enough this year to warrant the time off.

In Basallo's stead, the Orioles will send an intriguing group of prospects out to the desert. Creed Willems has been having himself a year. He tore up High-A to the tune of a .238/.332/.456 line with 13 homers en route to a mid-season promotion to Double-A Bowie.

Willems likely won't be a catcher long term, as he doesn't seem to have the arm or mobility to work behind the plate at the highest level. Despite those shortcomings, he held his own at Bowie and should, at the very least, enter 2025 with an opportunity to continue his development and prove us wrong.

8 Orioles prospects set to take the Arizona Fall League by storm

Jake Cunningham is an interesting name who's been mostly a speed and defense guy thus far. He's got the ability to swipe 20-30 bases at any level but he'll need to improve his plate discipline if he wants to put that speed to use at higher levels.

Douglas Hodo III stole 42 bases at High-A and hit well after getting promoted to Double-A, though the small sample size caveat applies there. Hodo had posted exceptional walk rates in each stop prior to Bowie, but the pitching caught up to him at Double-A and his walk rate dropped all the way down to 4.2%. He'll look to improve on that mark in 2025.

Juan Rojas has some interesting peripherals but hasn't been able to put it all together to this point. He posted a 4.53 ERA in a return to Single-A Aberdeen, and the double-digit walk rate for a guy repeating a lower level aren't a great sign. We'll see what the Orioles can do with the 20 year old this winter.

Preston Johnson has some swing and miss stuff, a trait the Orioles love to see. However, a 16% walk rate at High-A is just not going to cut it. Johnson's colleague in Aberdeen, Zane Johnson, had better luck, pitching to a 2.47 ERA in 30 appearances. Pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, Johnson might not have the control to make it to the majors but at just 22, there's still time to figure it out.

Tyler Burch threw just 9 total innings in 2024 but he wasn't particularly good in them. He's struggled on the mound dating back to 2021, though he did have some success early on in his career when he was with the Phillies.

Houston Roth might turn out to be the most interesting name in the entire group. While he's already 26, Roth was solid out of the bullpen at Bowie this year. He pitched to a 3.35 ERA with a strikeout rate over 30% and was able to keep the walks in check. He's a long shot to make the 2025 Orioles opening day roster but stranger things have happened.