The State of the Orioles’ Farm System

During Mike Elias’ tenure as Baltimore’s GM, the O’s have consistently ranked at or near the top of baseball’s best farm systems. Now, after having multiple years of success and lots of top prospects graduating, the farm looks a little barren. The majority of rankers give the O’s two sure-fire top 100 prospects: catcher Samuel Basallo and 3B/1B Coby Mayo. Some rankers have also included CF Enrique Bradfield and SP Chayce McDermott toward the lower end. It’s a far cry from the system of past years that graduated players like Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, and many others. However, there is plenty of reason for optimism with the current group. Basallo and Mayo both possess rare strength and hope to turn their huge tools into a big league roster spot this season.

Coby Mayo's Power Potential: Can He Break Through in 2025?

Mayo, a 2020 4th round pick, already got his first taste of big league ball last year. He faced significant challenges at the plate, hitting .098 with 0 RBI. This was no surprise, since every recent Oriole has taken a while to adapt to MLB pitching. Mayo deserved the call up at the time, he hit 22 HR and 23 doubles in just 89 games in Triple-A. He also hit 29 HRs between 2 levels the prior year, leading all Orioles minor leaguers. A massive right handed hitter, Mayo jumps off the screen at 6’5”, 230lbs. His biggest asset is his strength, his massive frame allows him to mash baseballs to left field, boasting a career .921 OPS. No one in the Orioles system hits the ball harder with more consistency. The key for him at the plate will be adjusting to MLB breaking balls. They tend to break later and sharper, and pitchers are also more adept at disguising pitches or “tunneling.”

Scouts widely agree that Mayo possesses 'plus-plus' (70-grade) power on the 20-80 scouting scale (where 50 is average and 70 represents elite power potential). While he might experience some early struggles with strikeouts at the MLB level, evaluators believe he can consistently tap into his impact power while maintaining a disciplined approach at the plate, including drawing plenty of walks.

Mayo’s strength also shows up on defense. He has one of the biggest arms in the minors. The arm strength has kept him at third base in the minors, but he is often wild on throws, suggesting the need for improved footwork and mechanics. The Orioles organization values defensive versatility, and Mayo has seen time at first base as well. With Jordan Westburg solidifying the starting role at third base in Baltimore, Mayo's best path to the majors might involve becoming a reliable multi-positional player. He has racked up strikeouts throughout his career, but that's something most evaluators are content with, since the trade-off is huge power when he connects with the ball. Mayo will likely start the season in Triple-A, due to the Orioles surplus of infielders. If an injury occurs to one of those players, Coby will likely be the next guy up. He can continue to work on plate discipline and use his big league experience to fix some holes in his game.

Samuel Basallo’s Power and Catching Prowess

Samuel Basallo, now 20 years old, represents the new Orioles way under GM Mike Elias. Basallo was one of the O’s first big signings out of Latin America back in 2021, a market the Orioles had neglected for years. In 2023, as an 18-year-old, he posted probably the most impressive minor league season I’ve seen as an Oriole sans Gunnar Henderson. Basallo posted a .313 avg, .953 OPS, and 20 home runs across 3 levels in his first full professional season. Last year his numbers went down slightly, but were still hugely impressive. He reached Triple-A as a teenager, something only Jackson Holliday could say in recent memory. He still has yet to face a pitcher younger than himself. At 6’4”, Basallo has a huge frame with massive power to all fields. He also possesses an excellent batting eye and tends to draw walks and make good swing decisions.

Evaluating Basallo’s Catching Future: Can He Stay Behind the Plate?

Basallo is a bit of a unicorn, most guys with his size and power usually get by with just their bat. But Samuel is also a catcher, with the potential to stick at the position in the big leagues. Like Mayo, his strength shows up on defense as well, Basallo has a cannon for an arm.

Manager Brandon Hyde was impressed with Basallo during his first start of spring training. Hyde praised his ability to call games and mentioned that despite his huge frame, he moves around well and gives the pitcher a big target. Scouts are still unsure if he can catch full time, but his bat will play wherever he ends up.

Major League Outlook for Mayo and Basallo

Both Basallo and Mayo split time between their preferred positions and first base due to their huge swings. When you have unique players like these two, you find a way to get them in the lineup, no matter what position they may play. I suspect both players will be knocking on the door for MLB playing time by mid summer, but the depth of the Orioles roster may prevent that. As a catcher, Basallo has the obvious disadvantage of playing behind Adley Rutschman, one of MLB’s best defensive catchers. If Basallo proves to the organization that he can do the job behind the plate, then he may be able to spell Adley once or twice a week. But the bat may force him into the lineup more frequently as a DH or at first. Mayo has a similar obstacle in Jordan Westburg and Ramon Urias at 3B. Westy is one of the O’s best all-around players, and Urias has a gold glove. If Mayo cannot cut down on the errors at third, he also may be fighting for chances at first base or the DH spot. Both current Orioles 1B, Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn, are free agents after this year. 2026 may finally be the year for Mayo and Basallo to get a roster spot in the show. They would both be able to share duties at first and DH, and Baltimore should know by then if Basallo is ready to catch at the major league level. For now, both players should be exciting to watch in the minors, and at least 1 of them will hopefully be on the playoff roster come October.