31 July 2023
Orioles fans in the Baltimore region will soon be able to watch in person the best prospect the club has signed as an international free agent during the Mike Elias era.
The Orioles are promoting catcher Samuel Basallo, ranked by Baseball America as the organization’s fifth-best prospect, to High-A Aberdeen, a source with direct knowledge of the move confirmed to The Baltimore Sun.
Basallo, who the Orioles signed out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021, has been one of the most impressive prospects this season in a farm system ranked as the sport’s best. After posting solid numbers in rookie ball in 2021 and 2022, the 18-year-old backstop dominated Low-A competition in his first year of full-season ball. In 83 games with Delmarva, Basallo slashed .299/.384/.503 — good for an .887 OPS — with 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 60 RBIs.
His performance, combined with his plus power at the plate and arm behind it, has zoomed Basallo up prospect rankings. After opening the season as the organization’s 15th-best prospect, according to Baseball America, he has since leapfrogged several well-known Orioles youngsters, including Heston Kjerstad, Joey Ortiz and Connor Norby, all of whom are putting up good numbers in Triple-A. Basallo is also one of seven Orioles players on Baseball America’s top 100 list as the publication’s No. 58 prospect.
The only Orioles players still in the minor leagues who rank ahead of Basallo are Jackson Holliday, the overall top prospect in the sport, and Coby Mayo. Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg are still considered prospects even though they’re in the major leagues.
Basallo’s success this season is an example of how the current Orioles regime, which began when Elias was hired as general manager in November 2018, differs from the previous one. After years of reluctance to spend money in the international market, Elias and company brought in a new philosophy that led to signing Basallo, just 16 at the time, for a then-organization record $1.3 million signing bonus.
Many Orioles prospects have struggled at Aberdeen, given the gap from Low-A to High-A is considered perhaps the biggest in the minor leagues. Basallo, who turns 19 in two weeks, will be the youngest player to appear at the level this season, according to FanGraphs.
“He’s still young and still growing up and still trying to mature, but the desire to be good or be great stands out,” Delmarva hitting coach Josh Bunselmeyer said in June. “It’s been really cool to see him from where he started to where he’s at now and the attention he’s starting to get as he’s played well.”
The Orioles are also promoting catching prospect Silas Ardoin from High-A to Double-A, a source confirmed. Ardoin, the Orioles’ fourth-round pick in 2022, slashed .215/.369/.336 in 68 games with the IronBirds.
MASNSports.com first reported the promotions.
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