Orioles Prospect Report - December 2024

[Orioles]

From BP's 2025 Prospects: Philadelphia Phillies Top Prospects:


3. Moisés Chace

Pos: RHP
Born: 2003-06-09
B: Right
T: Right
H: 6′ 1″
W: 213 lbs.
History: Signed July 2019 by the Baltimore Orioles out of Venezuela. Acquired from the Orioles for Gregory Soto.
Previous Rank: NR
Major League ETA: 2026

The Report: Given organizational trends, you really wouldn’t expect a tricky, low-release, fastball-carry monster without classic projectability to be going from the Orioles to the Phillies in a deadline reliever swap between contenders; you’d expect the Phillies to be the one coughing up a pitcher like Chace to the Orioles. Nevertheless, the Phillies plucked him out of relative obscurity—he was a High-A swing pitcher in Baltimore’s system—and watched his velocity tick up and command jump in a more regular starting role. (Given this happened with Jackson Baumeister in Tampa too, the Orioles might be missing some stuff here.)

Chace has an extremely flat release point and imparts a whole bunch of carry on his mid-90s, quality-extension fastball, which led to stupendous overall and in-zone whiff rates last year. The pitch played like a straight-up invisiball, and it’s not all he has; his sweeper and change shapes have also rated as plus in the past for us, with above-average whiff rates, and there’s hints of sinkers and cutters, too. This may be the first time you’re learning Chace’s name, but if any of his late-season command sticks around, he’s in line for big outcomes.

OFP: 55 / No. 3 starter or closer
Variance: High. He was in a High-A bullpen in July. He only threw six games as a Phillie. A lot of him being third in the system is an indictment on the system writ large, but he’s genuinely got some really nifty traits.


7. Gabriel Rincones Jr.

Pos: OF
Born: 2001-03-03
B: Left
T: Right
H: 6′ 3″
W: 225 lbs.
History: Drafted in the third round of the 2022 draft, Florida Atlantic University; signed for $627,500.
Previous Rank: #16 (org)
Major League ETA: 2025

The Report: Rincones has one of the niftier geographical backgrounds of any prospect: Born in Florida, he grew up in Venezuela and then Scotland due to his father’s job and moved back to Tampa to play high school and college baseball. But he’s not on this list because of that, he’s on it because he hits the ball pretty darn hard and in the right directions—his average exit velocity for 2024 was around 92 mph. So yes, he missed half the season with a thumb injury and a .487 slugging in Reading isn’t exceptional, but Rincones has more power potential than anyone else in the organization.

The rest of his skill set is a little rougher. His bat-to-ball ability is below-average and unlikely to improve much with the swing path that gets him to his power. He hasn’t hit lefties much at all. His swing decisions are fine but not going to carry him. His outfield defense is indifferent. But he’s probably going to hit for big power against right-handed pitching in the major leagues. If you’re going to have one skill, that’s the one to pick, and he could be a pretty good platoon option for the Phillies as soon as this season.

OFP: 50 / Righty masher
Variance: Low. This is an “it is what it is” profile, in good ways and bad.

[Orioles]

From the BA Kansas City Royals Top 10 Prospects in 2025:


4. Ben Kudrna, RHP

Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 175 | B-T: R-R

Age: null

BA GradeRisk: 50/High.

Track Record: Kudrna and fellow 2021 draftee Carter Jensen were planning on attending LSU together until the Royals drafted the pair in back-to-back rounds. Kudrna signed for an over-slot $3 million bonus, the largest handed out in the second round that year. After not pitching in an official game in his draft year, Kudrna has since moved steadily through the system, splitting 2024 between High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. In both of his last two seasons, Kudrna has taken time to adjust to the higher level, so the higher 5.72 ERA at Double-A does not concern the Royals.

Scouting Report: Kudrna has a solid 6-foot-3 frame to which he’s added strength since turning pro, but it’s already a mature body, raising projection questions. He attacks hitters with a four-seam fastball that sits 91-95 mph with good carry. It touches 97, which is similar to his peak prep velocity, but with limited deception. Some wonder whether Kudrna’s velocity would tick up in the bullpen. A newer pitch in his toolkit is a two-seam fastball with sinking action thrown at the same velocity as the four-seamer. He uses it as his fourth pitch to run in on righthanded batters and down and away to lefthanded batters. Kudrna relies heavily on a sharp 83-88 mph gyro slider with late bite and depth that he can throw for strikes. Kudrna’s best secondary pitch is a changeup with sink that flashes plus, delivered at 84-88 mph with the same arm speed as his fastball. It plays against both righthanded and lefthanded hitters. The effort in Kudrna’s delivery from a high three-quarters arm slot affects the consistency of his changeup.

The Future: With the upside projection of a No. 4 or 5 starter, Kudrna will return to Double-A for more seasoning.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50.

[Orioles]

From the BA article Oakland Athletics Top 10 Prospects in 2025:


7. Henry Bolte, OF

Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R

Age: null

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.

Track Record: The Athletics made Bolte their second-round selection in 2022 and signed the NorCal prep product for $2 million to break his commitment to Texas. Two years later, he emerged as one of the bigger breakout prospects in their system. Bolte hit .267/.368/.466 with 15 home runs and 46 stolen bases across 123 games and two levels in 2024, finishing the year with Double-A Midland and a brief pit stop in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: Bolte has a barrel of tools at his disposal. He is one of the best athletes in the Athletics’ system with plus speed, a strong throwing arm and 70-grade raw power from a whip-quick bat. But his oft-scrutinized hit tool and approach have long invited questions about whether he’ll make enough contact against better pitching. He has overhauled his swing since turning pro to stabilize his lower half and improve his bat path to cover more of the strike zone. While he has made progress, he still struck out nearly 35% of the time to go along with a near-40% whiff rate while missing pitches in the zone roughly a third of the time. His 189 strikeouts were third most in the minor leagues in 2024. Bolte hits plenty of balls on the ground. The A’s would like to see a sharper two-strike approach, especially against sliders. He is also still learning how to hit for pull-side power. Bolte is a dynamic, high-effort baserunner. His defensive routes and instincts still need polish, though he has the tools to one day be an above-average corner outfielder.

The Future: Bolte’s profile has a boom-or-bust nature given the swing-and-miss concerns, and he may be susceptible to more prolonged hot and cold streaks, but he has the ceiling of a dynamic power-speed threat in the outfield if it all comes together.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55.

[Orioles]

From the BA article Los Angeles Angels Top 10 Prospects for 2025:


6. Joswa Lugo, SS

Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 187 | B-T: R-R

Age: null

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.

Track Record: The younger brother of Dawel Lugo, who played parts of three seasons with the Tigers from 2018 to 2020, Joswa signed with the Angels for $2.3 million as a headliner of their 2024 international class. He received the second-largest bonus ever given to an international amateur by the club, trailing only Roberto Baldoquin’s $8 million in 2014. In his first season of pro ball in the Dominican Summer League, Lugo showed his offensive upside by hitting .301 with an .836 OPS and helped lead his club to the DSL championship series by batting .290 with a home run and six RBIs over nine games in the playoffs.

Scouting Report: Lugo is a physical righthanded-hitting infielder with well-rounded offensive tools. Balanced and synced through his swing, he handles the barrel with ease and displays plus raw power and elite exit velocities—with a max near 110 mph—that project above-average power due to his high-end bat speed and barrel control. Lugo will have to refine his pitch recognition. He shows aggression on breaking pitches that led to weak contact and swing-and-miss. As he gets more reps and improves his decision-making, he has a solid baseline of contact and power to profile as a middle-of-the-order bat. Showing improved footwork and fundamentals, Lugo has good body control, quiet hands and an above-average arm that should keep him on the left side of the infield. Physical gains to his 6-foot-3 frame may slow down his average speed and athleticism, moving him off shortstop and to third base.

The Future: Lugo has middle-of-the-order upside but will have to improve his pitch recognition to become an impact bat. Physical gains will dictate his future left-side infield defensive home. He will make his U.S. debut in 2025, with a chance at a full-season assignment.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55.

[Orioles]

From the BA article Houston Astros Top 10 Prospects for 2025:


3. Zach Dezenzo, 3B

Ht: 6'4" | Wt: 220 | B-T: R-R

Age: null

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium.

Track Record: Dezenzo spent four seasons at Ohio State, hitting .281/.362/.538 with 38 career home runs. Undrafted in 2021, an outstanding junior season saw him selected by the Astros in the 12th round in 2022. He signed for just $125,000. In his first full pro season, Dezenzo hit .304/.383/.531 with 18 home runs across High-A and Double-A in 2023. A wrist issue delayed the start to his 2024 season until mid June, when he joined Double-A Corpus Christi for 22 games before a promotion to Triple-A Sugar Land in July. Dezenzo caught fire over his first two weeks at Triple-A, going 18-for-46 in 11 games and earning an Aug. 6 callup to Houston, where he took 65 plate appearances. Following the season, Dezenzo played in the Puerto Rican League.

Scouting Report: Dezenzo is a 6-foot-5, physical righthanded hitter with a strong, athletic frame. His average contact skills and swing decisions allow him to consistently get to his power, resulting in plus contact quality that is an outlier. He has elite bat speed, resulting in gaudy minor league numbers, including a 90th percentile exit velocity of 106.3 mph, a 56% hard-hit rate and .388 expected wOBA on contact. Dezenzo has the underlying raw power to hit 30 home runs with a little luck. He’s a surprisingly good runner and will flash plus home-to-first times occasionally. Dezenzo is a below-average defender at third base but a strong defender at first. He saw some time in the outfield during winter ball, which is an intriguing possibility due to Dezenzo’s above-average running ability and above-average arm.

The Future: Dezenzo has the power to develop into a 25-plus home run threat with the ability to fill in at multiple positions.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55.

[Orioles]

From MLB Pipeline's article Each team's prospect whose stock improved most in '24:


Orioles: Stiven Martinez, OF (No. 9)

It's important not to put too much stock into Dominican Summer League stats, but Martinez's pro debut after signing for $950,000 last January definitely stood out. He didn't turn 17 until early August and finished the summer with an .883 OPS, going from an unranked prospect at the start of the year to his current standing in the O's Top 10.


Reds: Cam Collier, 3B (No. 5/MLB No. 93)

It's been an up-and-down career so far for the Reds' 2022 first-round pick. He'd been on the Top 100 before, No. 69 before the 2023 season, but he dropped off and had a .706 OPS in his first full season. He has an up arrow next to his name again after belting 20 homers as a teenager in the High-A Midwest League and winning Futures Game MVP honors after homering in the Midsummer exhibition.

[Orioles]

From MLB Pipeline's article [url=https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/mlb-prosp ... e-coverage]One prospect to watch for each team in 2025[/img]:


Rays: SS Carson Williams

The Rays have a sizable group of position-player prospects who will start the season with Triple-A Durham. It’ll be hard to keep your eyes off Tre' Morgan when he’s hitting or Chandler Simpson when he’s running the bases, and the list goes on. But Williams is the Rays’ top prospect (and MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 overall) for a reason. The 21-year-old has elite skills across the board: plus power and speed, a cannon of a throwing arm and no-doubt defensive ability at shortstop. There are still some questions about his strikeouts, but he’s continued to improve on that front. Given the Rays’ questions at shortstop and need for more offense overall, Williams is the one to watch. -- Adam Berry


Padres: LHP Kash Mayfield, LHP Boston Bateman, RHP Humberto Cruz

Sorry, cheating a bit here. But the Padres’ “prospect to watch” is more a concept than a specific player. They need to reboot their system after making a flurry of trades in-season last year. This trio of pitchers -- entering their first full seasons in pro ball -- could be the ticket to doing so. They currently comprise the Padres' Nos. 3-4-5 prospects, per MLB Pipeline (Mayfield, Bateman and Cruz, in that order), and it's possible they all open the season in a rotation together at Single-A. As things stand, the Padres’ system is centered around two premier prospects -- catcher Ethan Salas and shortstop Leo De Vries. Few doubt the potential of that duo. But the Padres need a fuller pipeline, and these three young pitchers hold the key. -- AJ Cassavell