If the Baseball America prospect rankings will determine the Baltimore Orioles’ future, better days will be coming very soon.
The Orioles have the top prospect in baseball for the second consecutive year according to Baseball America. For the first time, those prospects are different players from the same draft class.
Baltimore Orioles have bright future based on prospect list
Adley Rutschman had been the top prospect in baseball according to Baseball American heading into the 2022 season. The first overall selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, he rocketed through the system and took the majors by storm, posting a .254/.362/.445 batting line with 13 homers and 35 doubles in his 470 plate appearances. The AL Rookie of the Year runner-up, Rutschman also finished 12th in the MVP vote as the Orioles were markedly better once he made his debut.
Now it is Gunnar Henderson’s turn to carry the mantle. He was their second round draft choice in the 2019 Draft, and like Rutschman, rocketed through the system. He also made his debut last season, posting a .259/.348/.440 batting line with four homers and seven doubles in his 132 plate appearances.
Henderson is not the only member of the Orioles represented in the Baseball America top 100 prospect list. Eight players in the Orioles’ system were selected, with Grayson Rodriguez and Jackson Holliday joining Henderson in the top 15. The future certainly appears to be bright in Baltimore.
Those younger players will need to make an impact if the Orioles are going to contend this year. They have not done much to supplement the roster in the wake of their surprising 83 win season, instead focusing on allowing those younger players to take another step forward. Those upcoming prospects will go a long way to determining if this strategy works.
The Baltimore Orioles have consecutive top overall prospects from the same draft class. Their future certainly appears to be a bright one.