Orioles top prospect lists have turned over a lot since the start of the season. Between Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers graduating to the majors, players whose 2026 performance has changed their stock for better or worse, arrivals from the July draft, and prospects acquired in trade deadline deals, things look different than the lists we had our eyes on back in March.
The minor league seasons are starting to wind down. A-ball teams only have three weeks of games remaining before their seasons wrap. Here’s how things are going with the farm teams and some of their key players as mid-August moves towards late August:
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
- Last week’s record: 4-2 vs. Gwinnett (Braves)
- Next week’s opponent: at Durham (Rays)
- Second half record: 15-28, last place (12 GB) in International League East
On MLB Pipeline’s recently-updated Orioles top 30 prospects list, there are six active Tides players on that list plus one on the injured list. It’s a more interesting team than it was a month ago and maybe it’s starting to play like it.
One player whose stock has slipped on that list a bit is Enrique Bradfield, who has been injured for part of the season and didn’t play well for part of it also. Bradfield went 7-18 over the last week, with six walks and three stolen bases on top of that. That’ll play for table-setting. He’s only got a .692 OPS for the season; if he can finish strong (.829 OPS in August) there might be something to feel good about there.
A bit more of a mixed bag for the Tides pitching prospects over this past week. Lefty Luis De León and righty Nestor German each gave up two runs over five innings. De León’s feels better because he struck out seven while giving up six hits and a walk. German had seven hits allowed and three walks allowed. That’s a tough 2.00 WHIP. There is not much good to say about recent re-arrival Michael Forret, who was blasted for eight runs in five innings. The pessimist does not have to reach far to observe Forret’s 5.77 ERA in 11 Triple-A starts between the Rays and Orioles this season.
Others of interest
- OF Heston Kjerstad – I just can’t quit him, and one reason is that he hit two homers this week with a .925 OPS. Still only a .767 OPS for the year, though.
- C/1B Creed Willems – Still don’t know what the Orioles will do with this guy but he’s putting together a second straight good month – 4-15 plus three walks over five games makes an .856 OPS for the week.
- IF Brandon Butterworth – Promoted mid-week from Double-A, just 1-9 in two games but it’s interesting that he’s here now. Butterworth was 4-14 with two doubles with Chesapeake before the promotion.
Double-A Chesapeake Baysox
- Last week’s record: 3-2 at Reading (Phillies)
- Next week’s opponent: vs. Richmond (Giants)
- Second half record: 25-19, second place (5.5 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
My guy Aron Estrada! He hit FIVE homers this week in as many games! Yeah, that’s awesome! This was part of a 9-19 week where he only struck out three times – he worked a double in there too. I don’t know what he actually ends up as. What I do know is it’s his age 21 season and he’s batting .286/.320/.503 in 101 games.
Estrada is merely the fifth-highest of seven players on that top 30 list. The 2-3-4 guys on the list are all pitchers now in the Baysox rotation: Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa, and Caden Hunter. The latter two guys were part of last year’s Orioles draft class. Dzierwa pulled off another one of his “strike out a bunch of guys and barely anybody gets on base” starts – one hit, three walks, seven strikeouts in six shutout innings.
Hunter had a tougher time, allowing six runs in three innings. Like Dzierwa, Eyanson struck out seven guys, though he walked four and gave up four hits while surrendering two runs over 5.1 innings. Eyanson has struck out 37.2% of batters faced since joining the organization. That’s good.
Others of interest
- SS Wehiwa Aloy – Since a tough first week at this level, he’s ripped off two good ones, including this week: 7-22 with a double, homer, and two stolen bases. That’s an .875 OPS, though he did strike out four times in one game to elevate his total.
- RHP JT Quinn – Another high pick from last year, Quinn just joined Double-A this week. One run allowed over four innings with three hits, three walks, six strikeouts.
- LHP Micah Ashman – Two shutout innings of relief, 1.79 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 27 games at this level. Get this guy to Norfolk already.
Chesapeake season-to-date stats.
High-A Frederick Keys
- Last week’s record: 4-1 vs. Bowling Green (Rays)
- Next week’s opponent: at Wilmington (Nationals)
- Second half record: 28-17, first place (2.5 game lead) in South Atlantic League North
- Frederick already earned a postseason berth with its first half division title.
There are four active Keys players on that Pipeline top 30 list, with two on the injured list and one more who belongs at Double-A but is rehabbing here for the moment.
Let’s start with a guy who’s pretty new to the organization: 19-year-old outfielder Enddy Azocar, who slugged .500 this week and has a 1.036 OPS through his first ten games with the Keys. (Just a .763 OPS this week, though, so he won’t be on the poll.) Freshly-added to this level, though not new to the organization, is infield prospect DJ Layton, who debuted at High-A with five hits, five walks, and six stolen bases in five games. That’s a 1.097 OPS. It’s good!
Two pitchers who have arrived over the last two trade deadlines are now in the Keys rotation. One is the big lefty Boston Bateman, from the big Padres deal last year. After a couple of injury-shortened starts in July, they’ve been working him lightly in August, including this week: Bateman’s one start was just three innings, with three strikeouts, two hits, and two walks.
Arriving this year was righty Kyson Witherspoon. Over five innings, Witherspoon struck out nine while giving up two runs on four hits and two walks. Witherspoon has struck out 30% of batters since joining the organization.
Others of interest
- C Ethan Anderson – One game into a rehab assignment now; his regular level would be Double-A.
- OF Vance Honeycutt – They’re moving him up to Double-A. I don’t know why. He’s hit .182/.285/.359 in 63 games with Frederick.
Frederick season-to-date stats.
Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds
- Last week’s record: 4-2 vs. Salem (Red Sox)
- Next week’s opponent: at Hickory (Rangers)
- Second half record: 18-30, t-5th/last place (9 GB) in Carolina League North
Five of the top 30 guys are currently at the Delmarva level. If you’ve been following this space for a while, you’re already familiar with some of the accomplishments of Jaiden Lo Re, who basically just can’t stop walking. He also can’t stop hitting! Lo Re went 5-16 this week, adding seven walks on top of that. The 19-year-old infielder how has a .925 OPS in 50 games here.
The Orioles first round pick this year, and the freshly minted #1 prospect in the system, Eric Booth Jr., was assigned here to begin his pro career. He also walked a lot, drawing six walks in just four games. He also had three hits in 11 at-bats, though since none went for extra bases, the .273 slugging percentage isn’t very exciting.
Second round pick Ty Head is also here. The outfielder had a homer among his 5-13 across four games, drawing three walks and stealing four bases in six tries.
Others of interest
- OF Stiven Martinez – Still in his age 18 season, Martinez ha had a tough time this year, but this past week saw him go 4-16 with a triple and a homer, as well as five walks and two stolen bases.
Delmarva season-to-date stats.
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The new outfielder Azocar was the overwhelming winner of last week’s minor league player of the week poll, taking 66% of the vote in his first week of the organization. Good work on the debut win! So far this season, two players have won two weeks: Caden Hunter and Ike Irish. Azocar joins a list of single-week winners that includes the following: Aron Estrada, Victor Figueroa, Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Wehiwa Aloy, Jaiden Lo Re, Joseph Dzierwa, Luis De León, and Heston Kjerstad.
Will there be another repeat winner crowned this week? The choice is yours!