Orioles top prospect quiets concerns with impressive defensive flexibility

On June 3, 2019 Mike Elias made his first draft pick as GM of the Baltimore Orioles by selecting Adley Rutschman, catcher, out of Oregon St University. Since then, Rutschman has gone on to become the best backstop in the game and appears to have locked down the catcher position for many years to come. But before Rutschman could become the next Orioles superstar, Elias struck again. This time signing Samuel Basallo as an international amateur back in 2021.

Basallo signed as a catcher out of the Dominican Republic for a then franchise record $1.3 million. He was only 16 years old at the time but was already listed at 6'3 weighing 200 pounds. The Orioles have brought him along slowly, partly due to some injuries, but it has allowed Basallo to develop into one of the top prospects in baseball.

The breakout season for Basallo came in 2023. He started the season with the low-A Delmarva Shorebirds and advanced all the way to the double-A Bowie Baysox. His combined stats over those three levels were .313/.402/.551 with 26 doubles, seven triples, 20 homers and 86 RBI, showing a rare combination of power and speed while being able to hit for average. Basallo has continued to perform well offensively for Bowie this season and a call-up to triple-A Norfolk could be in his near future, but where does he go from there?

When will we see Samuel Basallo join the Orioles in Baltimore?

Basallo is currently the Orioles #3 prospect behind Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo who are both currently with the big club. While his promotion to the majors likely won't come this season, the O's don't appear to have an opening for an everyday catcher coming up any time soon. With that in mind, the Orioles began giving Basallo reps at first base immediately, and he has responded very well.

So far this season, Basallo has appeared in 25 games at first base. In that time he's handled 163 chances by making 155 putouts and recording seven assists while making just one error, giving him a .994 fielding percentage. For reference, the MLB average fielding percentage for first baseman in the 2023 season was .995.

Having positional flexibility (as well as physical flexibility) is one thing the Orioles look for. They have stock-piled players that are able to play multiple positions and Basallo has shown that he can be added to that list. Basallo is now ranked as the #11 overall prospect overall and the top catching prospect in baseball. He's on track to make his major league debut in 2025.

Ryan O'Hearn currently holds the roster spot of a left handed hitting first baseman and has a team option for the 2025 season, but he could look for a team that will give him an everyday spot in the lineup after that. Rutschman has hit very well this season as a DH and James McCann is in the final year of his contract. Brandon Hyde is great at finding ways to get players into his lineups and by the time Basallo is ready, Hyde will have plenty of room for him.