This Baltimore Orioles Top Prospect Could Get Called Up Next

After two of their top prospects already reached the bigs, the Baltimore Orioles could be looking to this player as their next call up.

Feb 26, 2023; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Connor Norby (94) / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

With the Baltimore Orioles having such a loaded farm system, many of their prospects are starting to reach the point where they are outperforming the minor leagues.

Their Triple-A affiliate continues to dominate its competition with multiple players on the roster who would have roles across many Major League teams outside of the Orioles.

But, it's also a balancing act for the front office and coaching staff to make sure their prospects are ready to face the highest competition so they don't fall into the trap of promoting these players just to promote them.

Maybe that's what happened with Jackson Holliday.

The No. 1 prospect in all of baseball got his first crack at the bigs on April 10, but ended up getting sent back down after a disastrous showing.

That's not something uncommon for Baltimore, either.

Jordan Westburg, Grayson Rodriguez, Colton Cowser, and Heston Kjerstad were all sent back to Triple-A at some point after reaching the MLB level. Now, three players out of that group are major contributors for this team, with Kjerstad recently getting another opportunity to prove himself.

So, while Holliday gets more work in the minors, there are some other high-profile prospects who could be next in line to earn a promotion, and from the sound of it, their sixth-ranked guy, Connor Norby, might be the one.

Jake Rill of MLB.com spoke with general manager Mike Elias about some of their top ranked prospects who might be getting a promotion.

Norby is the interesting one based on his defensive profile.

"Connor's doing really well ... He's also somebody that is working on his defense at second base, and he's also working out in the corner outfield, too. So, his time is coming. We're talking about him. He's a topic of conversation, which is always a good sign," Elias said.

Remember, Holliday was called up in part to play second base so Westburg could move to third and give Gunnar Henderson the majority of reps at shortstop.

The 23-year-old Norby could be promoted if the Orioles want to get back to that defensive positioning after Holliday's demotion, especially if Ramon Urias continues to struggle at the plate.

What fans might be wondering is where their No. 3 ranked prospect, Coby Mayo, factors into everything.

Based off Elias' comments, it sounds like he still has some work to do.

"We are having to do a bit of thought of where to concentrate his defensive efforts, because his defensive home -- especially for a big-bodied guy like he is -- is naturally behind his bat ... But when you're in Triple-A performing well, you're close, you're in the conversation," the GM said.

Here's the issue for Mayo.

Listed as a first and third baseman, he has defensive versatility, but he might not necessarily be ready to perform at the Major League level.

Sure, his .333/.400/.667 slash line with 10 homers and 26 RBI through 29 Triple-A games this season definitely is an offensive profile they might want in their lineup, but his defense might not be good enough to replace Urias.

And at first base, Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O'Hearn have been good in their split roles, combining for eight home runs, 19 extra-base hits, and 23 RBI.

So, based on the comments from Elias and how the different players on Baltimore have performed so far, it seems like it could be Norby who gets the call next.