Baltimore Orioles Call Up Top Prospect Heston Kjerstad With AL East Race Heating Up

Outfielder Heston Kjerstad is one of the top prospects in baseball, and the Baltimore Orioles are adding him to the mix with the postseason approaching.

The Baltimore Orioles have officially called up outfielder Heston Kjerstad to make his MLB debut, the team announced Thursday. The Baltimore Banner's Andy Kostka and Danielle Allentuck were first to report the move late Wednesday night.

To make room for Kjerstad on the active roster, the Orioles optioned outfielder Ryan McKenna and left-handed pitcher Nick Vespi to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore also recalled right-handed pitcher Bryan Baker and utility man Terrin Vavra from Triple-A Norfolk before placing Vavra on the 60-day injured list.

Kjerstad is the No. 3 prospect in the Orioles' farm system. On the league-wide level, Kjerstad is the No. 10 outfielder and No. 24 overall prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB.com.

With Anthony Santander, Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays and Aaron Hicks all healthy in the outfield, it remains to be seen when Kjerstad will make his MLB debut. Manager Brandon Hyde has yet to announce his lineup for Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kjerstad was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft after hitting .343 with 37 home runs, 129 RBI and a 1.011 OPS in 150 games at Arkansas.

Myocarditis prevented Kjerstad from playing in 2021, but he made his professional debut in Low-A in 2022. Kjerstad got some run with the Orioles in spring training this year before starting the season in Double-A and eventually earning a promotion to Triple-A.

Kjerstad was batting .303 with 21 home runs, eight triples, 29 doubles, 55 RBI and a .904 OPS through 122 games in 2023.

MLB.com has graded Kjerstad's tools at 55 power, 55 arm, 50 hit, 50 field, 45 run and 55 overall.

First pitch between the Orioles and Rays is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET at Camden Yards. Baltimore currently holds a 2.0-game lead over Tampa Bay in the race for the AL East crown, meaning whoever wins the series will be in a prime position to secure the division title in the final two weeks of the regular season.

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