Orioles Young Catcher Predicted for Breakout 2026 Season

Samuel Basallo may be in for a huge first full season in the major leagues.

Sep 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) reacts a after hitting a fifth inning solo home run against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Heading into this season, there has been a ton of buzz generated around what the Baltimore Orioles' lineup is capable of.

Combining the offseason acquisitions of Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso with the other young superstars in the lineup have the Orioles poised to be a top offensive team in all of baseball. After falling well short of expectations a season ago, the team looks to contend and make a deep playoff run in 2026.

One of those promising young stars in Baltimore's lineup is catcher Samuel Basallo, who certainly raised some eyebrows after showing what he was capable of during the last month and a half of the 2025 campaign. Could that small but promising sample size result in the young catcher breaking out in his first full season in the major leagues?

Samuel Basallo predicted to breakout for the Orioles in 2026

Sep 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) reacts to hitting a walk off solo home run during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

In an article for Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter predicted each team's biggest breakout hitter heading into the 2026 season, with Basallo among them.

"The Orioles signed Basallo to an eight-year, $67 million extension just a few days after he made his MLB debut, and while his MLB numbers don't jump off the page, his minor league track record is a different story," Reuter wrote. "He logged a .966 OPS with 23 home runs in 76 games at Triple-A before debuting, and elite bat speed gives him middle-of-the-order run producer potential."

Read More: Orioles' Promising Infielder Returns to Camp After Surgery

After slashing .270/.377/.589 with 23 home runs and 67 RBIs in 76 games for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides last season, the Orioles called up the 21-year-old backstop on August 17. Just five days later, he signed an eight-year, $67 million contract extension. He followed that up by hitting his first career home run on August 30 against the San Francisco Giants, becoming the youngest catcher in Orioles history to hit a home run.

Basallo's brief time in the big leagues also saw him club a walk-off homer against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 5, with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth, propelling the Orioles to a 2-1 win against the eventual World Series champions.

SAMUEL BASALLO’S FIRST CAMDEN YARDS HOME RUN IS A WALK-OFF pic.twitter.com/AYoEIvgo1e

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 6, 2025

Even though he batted just .165/.229/.330 with four home runs and 15 RBI in 31 games, Basallo showed that his potential is extremely high. Heading into this season, Basallo is expected to DH for the Orioles, as well as being the backup catcher behind Adley Rutschman.

In a lineup that is filled with a plethora of young talent, Samuel Basallo is a name to be on the lookout for in 2026 to break out offensively and live up to that contract he inked only six months ago.

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