Insider Hints Baltimore Orioles Superstar Prospect Could Debut This Summer

The Baltimore Orioles seem ready to turn the keys over to some of their star prospects.

It was going to come at some point in time during their rebuild, but when exactly all of their highly-touted youngsters would be filling out this roster at once was unknown.

Following the sudden success that saw them surprisingly finish with the best record in the American League to secure an AL East title in 2023, the organization was a little hesitant to give true reps to some of the prospects coming up since this team was in win-now mode all of a sudden.

But following a second straight sweep in the playoffs, it seems like the Orioles are going to be more willing to see what they have, and that should result in more consistent playing time for Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo without them being sent down if they struggle.

There's a risk that comes with this.

Baltimore could take a step back by relying on these young players, and in a loaded division, that could result in them missing the playoffs entirely.

The rewards outweigh the risk in this situation, though.

Getting that trio more Major League experience alongside the former crop of star prospects - Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, etc. - could allow them to become the next dynasty if all of the ceilings of these players are reached.

Someone who might be a little overlooked when it comes to the upcoming season is Samuel Basallo.

The 20-year-old who will take over the top spot in their pipeline at some point this season is ranked as the 13th-best prospect in the sport.

Basallo, who plays both catcher and first base in the minors, reached Triple-A last year and will begin the upcoming campaign at that level, meaning he is just one call away from making his own Major League debut.

While that doesn't seem likely given the circumstances surrounding this team and the fact they handed Gary Sanchez $8.5 million to be their backup catcher, one of the team's insiders isn't so sure Basallo won't appear at some point this season.

"This signing for $8.5 million keeps the seat warm for Samuel Basallo ... He could debut this summer," Roch Kubatko of MASN wrote.

That's exciting.

Basallo has raked during his professional career so far with a .286/.364/.477 slash line across 325 games and 1,349 plate appearances while also hitting 50 homers, 121 extra-base hits and driving in 202 runs.

If that translates to the Majors at any point, then he's going to be another exciting offensive weapon for the Orioles.

Based on what Kubatko is posing, the organization could be ready to get him his first taste of The Show in 2025.