Two Baltimore Orioles Prospects Survive Newest Organizational Rankings

The Baltimore Orioles have two rising stars that remained among the Top 100 prospects in Major League Baseball.

Mar 19, 2024; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo (86) warms up before the start of the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

January brings plenty of new prospect rankings all over baseball. Recently, Baseball America released its latest Top 100 prospects for all of baseball.

At the top was Roki Sasaki, the Japanese superstar who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and who many expect to make the Dodgers’ opening-day rotation, even though he hasn’t pitched in a minor league game.

Baltimore’s farm system remains one of the most respected in the game, though many of the prospects that made it the overall No. 1 system the past few years have migrated to bigger and better things in the Majors.

But the Orioles has two highly-regarded prospects in the publication’s latest Top 100 and they should be of little surprise to those that follow the franchise.

Catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo was No. 14 while infielder Coby Mayo was No. 29.

Basallo entered the publication’s Top 100 last year and has been on a rocket ship through the Orioles’ system since he was signed out of the Dominican Republic as an international free agent in 2021.

He’s accelerated fast the past two seasons, as he burned through Class-A Delmarva, High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie in 2023 with a combined slash line of .313/.402/.551/.953 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI.

Baltimore started him at Bowie last year, but he earned a promotion to Triple-A Norfolk midway through the campaign. Combined, he slashed .278/.341/.449/.790 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI.

It’s not clear where Basallo will play in the Majors. He’s listed as a catcher but he’s also cross-training at first base. He could, also, be dealt for a quality veteran at this year’s deadline.

Mayo, the 23-year-old infielder, was named Baseball America’s organizational player of the year after he torched Norfolk pitching with a slash line of .293/.372/.592/.964 with 25 home runs and 73 RBI. He spent four games with Aberdeen on a rehab assignment in July.

What he didn’t do last year was show himself to be productive against Major League pitching in his short time with the Orioles. During two separate call-ups, he slashed .098/.196/.098/.294.

But the Orioles think so highly of Mayo that they’ve kept him out of trade talks this offseason, believing his bat will improve in the Majors as Gunnar Henderson’s and Colton Cowser’s did after their initial stints in the Majors.

Both will be at spring training in Sarasota, Fla., next month. Pitchers and catchers will report on Feb. 13. The rest of the roster will report on Feb. 18. The Orioles will open spring training games at Ed Smith Stadium when they host Pittsburgh on Feb. 22.