For several years, the Baltimore Orioles have been considered to have the best farm system in the league. That hasn’t changed much, but with new departures, a new crop of players is at the top of their list each year. This year is no different, and after the draft and the deadline, their MLB Pipeline Top 30 looks very different.
While much has changed on their list, one thing remains the same: Jackson Holliday is still at the top. That won’t change until he graduates. But the rest of the top five has also been shaken up by some brand new players.
First, both Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo remain in the top five, but they are now swapped from last season. Mayo comes in second while Basallo is in third, meaning Mayo moved up from fourth to third and took the silver medal.
Mayo excelled in the minors this season before getting the call, posting a 1.003 OPS with 23 home runs in 81 games before being promoted. He has yet to get a hit in the majors and has 10 strikeouts in 17 at-bats.
Basallo, on the other hand, continued to pitch well in Double-A, but was narrowly outperformed by Mayo’s performance.
The biggest addition to the top 5 was their first-round pick Vance Honeycutt, who landed at No. 4. The 21-year-old is an elite defender with a lot of power, but his hitting power leaves a little to be desired.
He has very high upside, but his potential might be more in pure defense. His strikeout rate scared off some teams in the draft, but if Honeycutt can get it under control, the sky’s the limit.
Another familiar face made the top five: Cade Povich. The left-hander was a top-15 prospect at the start of the season, but his performance in Triple-A has given him a boost. However, he has struggled in eight games in the major leagues.
The biggest drop in the new update was Luis Almeyda, who fell all the way off the list from No. 20. The 18-year-old Almeyda has just a .653 OPS in rookie ball this year, but given his age, he still has time to develop and get back on the list.
On the other hand, Stiven Martinez was unranked at the start of the year but has worked his way up to No. 12. Martinez is only 17 and signed with Baltimore in January, but has since posted a .283 batting average with four doubles, four triples and three home runs in the Dominican Summer League.
Even as players like Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad graduate and the Orioles trade Connor Norby, they continue to sign exciting players while developing their stars like Holliday, Mayo and Basallo.
