Samuel Basallo Will Be Top Prospect To Watch for Orioles in Second Half

With the Baltimore Orioles losing their first two games coming out of the All-Star break, the team will almost certainly be sellers in the coming weeks.

There was a glimmer of hope for a while that the Orioles might have been able to make a run after playing a bit better. However, the American League East is proving to be too challenging, and Baltimore can’t gain any ground.

With the team well under the .500 mark, they are likely going to be sellers in the upcoming weeks at the trade deadline.

Despite some of their struggles, they do have a lot of talented veterans on expiring contracts that should be able to bring them back some talent.

In addition to strengthening their farm system with new prospects, some other prospects should be getting a chance to prove themselves in the second half as more playing time becomes available.

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The team is certainly hoping to be competitive in 2026 and some of that potential success will rely on the development of some young players.

MLB.com recently wrote about Samuel Basallo being the prospect to watch for the Orioles in the second half of the season.

“Even though the O’s placed four catchers on the injured list during late June/early July, Basallo remained at Triple-A Norfolk with the organization focused on the 20-year-old’s long-term development.”

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With Baltimore expected to be sellers, this is going to free up a lot of roster spots for some of the young talent to get a chance in the Majors.

Basallo is one of those players who figures to be primed to get a chance in the second half. Even though he wasn’t brought up when the team was dealing with issues at the catcher position, they are taking the long-term approach to his development.

That is certainly the wise decision with the talented slugger being just 20 years old.

The numbers for the talented slugger in Triple-A are very impressive. In 62 games, he has slashed .264/.383/.591 with 19 home runs and 48 RBI. The power numbers and a slugging percentage near .600 showcase why he is considered one of the top prospects in baseball.

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However, despite his talent, where he will play in the Majors is a bit uncertain. Adley Rutschman still figures to be the catcher for the franchise long-term, so being the designated hitter or perhaps first baseman could be the avenue to getting at-bats for Basallo.

If he does indeed get called up, he will be a fun prospect to watch with some immense power at the plate.

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