This overlooked Orioles prospect is demanding your attention ahead of second half

Every year, MLB Pipeline ranks their 250 best prospects for the upcoming MLB Draft. Last season, that list was highlighted by names like Jac Caglianone, Chase Burns and Nick Kurtz, all of whom have made the major leagues already.

For Orioles fans, their focus may have been on prospects ranked in the 15 to 25 range, as Baltimore held the 20th overall pick. Names like Carson Benge, Tommy White and Vance Honeycutt may have come to mind, with Honeycutt ultimately being the selection.

Some fans may have even dove deeper, looking at prospects around the O's pick at No. 31. But it's hard to imagine that there were many that fared to venture out of MLB Pipeline's top 250 names to consider who the Orioles might select in the 16th round, 489th overall.

That's where Baltimore selected high school outfielder Nate George.

George was actually ranked 272nd by Baseball America in their top 500 draft prospect rankings last season. Some highlights from his scouting report read that George had "present physicality and double-plus speed." It also noted some concerns about his hit tool.

To start 2025, George has begun to answer some of those questions.

Orioles' 16th-round pick Nate George making loud first impression

Starting his pro career as a 19-year-old in the Florida Complex League, George couldn't have gotten off to a much better start. The outfielder played 23 games for the FCL Orioles, hitting a whopping .383 with a .451 on-base percentage and an OPS over 1.000. He struck out just 14 times, stole 13 bases, and hit three home runs.

As such, his promotion to Single-A Delmarva didn't take much time.

There, in his first 11 games, George has continued to mash. While his strikeout numbers have taken a jump, the outfielder is still hitting .364 with a .417 on-base percentage and a .985 OPS. Growing pains are too be expected when moving from level to level, but the speedster seems to be taking the change in stride.

A former track athlete, according to Baseball America, George's speed seems to be a huge benefit to his early success. With just 34 games under his belt, the outfielder has nabbed 21 bases. That speed will also be of great help as he grows as a center fielder defensively, too.

Of course, such a small sample size makes it hard to truly evaluate a prospect in his first professional season. But the tools certainly appear to be there for George, who figures to fly up prospect rankings if his excellent numbers continue.

The draft, now just a few weeks away, isn't just about nailing your top picks. The O's farm system, along with its renownded player development, will thrive by finding diamonds in the rough. So far, George, a 16th-round pick, looks like one of them.