Baltimore Orioles news: 19-year-old prospect destroying minor leagues, making case as potential September call-up

The Baltimore Orioles have the strongest minor league system in baseball, and they now have a 19-year-old prospect who is rapidly climbing the ranks and could force a call-up in the fall.
The Orioles have a top-five record and are on the verge of becoming the league’s best team. They’re no longer a rising club; instead, they’re one of the great powerhouses in the American League, thanks to the young players on the squad who were developed internally.

Who knows where this team would be this season without players like Ryan Mountcastle, Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Grayson Rodriguez? Yet, what makes the long-term outlook so exciting beyond some of their best being in their 20s is that their farm system is stacked with elite prospects, including Jackson Holliday — the No. 1 ranked player in all of baseball on MLB.com.

Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, and Coby Mayo are sure to get serious looks at the big league level in the next year if they aren’t moved in a blockbuster deal. However, the Triple-A players could soon be joined by 19-year-old slugger Samuel Basallo.

The Bowie Baysox player who can play catcher and first base has been crushing Double-A pitching this season, especially in his last 14 games. After hitting an impressive .313 over three different levels in 2023, he has a very nice slashline of .289 AVG/.341 OBP/.477 SLG/.818 OBP in his first full season at Double-A. And he already has 10 homers in 51 games after hitting 20 in 114 games all of last season. Last 14 games. After hitting an impressive.313 over three levels in 2023, he has a very strong slashline of.289 AVG/.341 OBP/.477 SLG/.818 OBP in his first full season at Double-A. And he already has 10 home runs in 51 games, after hitting 20 in 114 games last season.

The Baltimore Orioles front office will be looking at any hot hand in the minors who could give them a lift late in the season in September, so if he can continue to perform at this level, there’s no reason not to expect a promotion to Triple-A shortly.

Basallo is rated as the 13th-best player in baseball by MLB.com and is ranked second in the O’s system.