Evaluating the Baltimore Orioles' farm system

While the Toronto Blue Jays farm system has improved slightly this year, there's still some room for improvement, especially when compared to the rest of the division. There's perhaps no team that exemplifies that the Baltimore Orioles, who have become the gold standard for producing homegrown MLB talent.

Here's a look at that talent-rich farm system.

This story is part of a series analyzing the farm system for each team in the American League East. To read the story about the Yankees' farm system, click here.

Baltimore Orioles (Divisional Rank: 3)

If you’re a fan of any team in the AL East not named the Baltimore Orioles, you’ve got a problem on your hands. For years, the O’s were the lovable losers, but those days are long gone. The Orioles are here and will likely be good for a long time. How did they do it? A perfect storm of elite scouting, data-driven player development, and patience.

The Strengths: Using the draft and prioritizing development

Jackson Holliday (SS): The future behind Gunnar Henderson?

The son of Matt Holliday, he’s an on-base machine with elite speed and defense. He could be Baltimore’s shortstop for the next decade if Henderson hadn't panned out... but he did. Holliday got a taste of the Bigs last year (60 games), and had a bit of a rough time (.189 average). It looks like he will start the year in the big leagues again, but he will need to bounce-back after last year.

Samuel Basallo (C): Another future All-Star behind the plate?

Bassallo is another solid left-handed bat that's ready for the show. The No. 13 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, Basallo hasn't grabbed as many headlines as some other O's prospects, but he's shown a level of consistency beyond his years. His bat will get him to the Majors, and his ability to throw out runners will help, but he will have to improve his overall defense to stay in MLB. That said,nobody keeps a catcher that can hit like this down for long.

Coby Mayo (3B/1B): Future hot corner star

Mayo has a career OPS of .921 in the minors and has demonstrated an ability to hit for power at every level. Mayo played in 17 games with the Orioles last year and didn't hit very well (.098), but that's not enough to judge him on. He's also got a cannon for an arm at third, even if he has the propensity to pick up the occasional error.

The Pitching Has Arrived

Baltimore’s biggest flaw for years was pitching. It was like a bad horror movie: you knew disaster was coming, you just didn’t know when. Then they hired Chris Holt as their pitching guru, and suddenly, they’re stocked with quality arms.

Cade Povich (LHP): Strikeout machine

Povich has been mowing down pitcher in the minors (89 strikeouts in 77.2 innings in Triple-A), and holding opponents to just over a .200 batting average. He did get 16 MLB appearances in 2024, and is expected to start this season with the big league club.

Chayce McDermott (RHP) - Filthy

McDermott's full-season K/9 has never been below 11 in the minors and he's only finished two seasons with an opponent batting average over. 200. He struggled in his one MLB appearance last year, but be back in Baltimore this year.

Brandon Young (RHP): Commander of the zone

Finally, an Oriole who isn't so good as a prospect that he's bordering on MLB regular.... yet. There's a good chance Blue Jays fans see Young this season since his MiLB numbers eye-popping. Young's strength is his command. His arsenal is a common one (fastball, curveball, cutter and changeup) but his ability to command all four of them is what makes him so hard to hit.

The Weaknesses: The division they're in

Let's call a spade a spade: the Orioles are hoarding and developing prospects in a way that can't compare. They are no longer the top farm system in baseball, but that's due to the fact they've either called up all their top prospects or used them to acquire other talent. The reality is that they won 101 games last year and still have a bunch of great prospects in their system.

Best Case Scenario: Dynasty

This team is already the near the top of the most competitive divisions in baseball and are showing no signs of slowing down. They made a splash by acquiring Tyler O'Neill in free agency, and still have the aforementioned wealth of talent coming up.

Worst Case Scenario: Making the wrong move to try to get over the hump

This is a classic AL East conundrum that fans of every team in the division are familiar with: You've gone from the basement to a contender, but you need to beat the Yankees and, eventually, the Dodgers. What do you do? If the Orioles decide to dump some young prospects for win-now players, they'll likely be disappointed. They need to trust what got them here and stay the course.

Final Verdict: The Orioles could write a book on rebuilding

Sure it took a few years (decades?) to figure it out, but the Orioles have simply presented a masterclass on how to build a franchise. They're the class of the division when it comes to a rebuild.

They have waves of talent, and, by the end 2025, will have one of the most cost-controlled, young, and elite rosters in baseball.

If you’re a fan of another AL East team, we have bad news: The Orioles are here, and they’re not going away anytime soon.