Orioles Prospect Report - March 2025

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From BA's article 20 Standout Prospect Performances From Spring Breakout:


Carson Williams, SS, Rays

While three other Top 100 Prospects homered in the Spring Breakout kickoff, Williams was the standout at the plate. Not only did he homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rays a 7-5 lead, he reached base two other times on Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a walk. Williams is an outstanding defender with power at the plate and loads of athleticism that touches all elements of his game. He’s had some bat-to-ball concerns during his career but has done well to improve in that area in recent years.


Alexander Clemmey, LHP, Nationals

It’s no secret that Clemmey has some of the loudest stuff in the Nationals system. The 19-year-old lefthander, who was dealt from Cleveland to Washington last summer in the deal that sent Lane Thomas to the Guardians, garnered a $2.3 million bonus in the second round of the 2023 draft. His eye-popping stuff makes it easy to see why. Clemmey’s fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s, his upper-70s curveball flashes plus with sharp bite and his slicing slider can vex even the best of hitters. Both pitches were outstanding on Sunday night, when he struck out six in three innings. His changeup flashed at least solid-average, too. Now, he needs to throw more strikes. Clemmey’s outing was part dominant and part scattershot, which is the tale of most of his turns on the mound. He finished with a flourish, however, punching out Mets prospects Jett Williams and Ryan Clifford to finish his evening.

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From BA Geoff Pontes’ Breakout MLB Prospects Team For 2025:


Tony Blanco Jr., 1B, Pirates

Blanco is guaranteed to put up some of the most eye-popping exit velocities in the Florida State League this summer. In 2024 during Florida Complex League play, Blanco hit .305/.385/.505 over 30 games. He boasted some of the best exit velocity data in baseball over that stretch—a 112.3 mph 90th percentile EV and a 117.5 mph max EV. Blanco hits fastballs and handles velocity due to superior bat speed, but his ability to adjust to spin has been a bugaboo. If he’s able to make the necessary adjustments to handle breaking pitches, he has the potential to take off, as he’s blessed with 80-grade raw power and strong swing decisions.


Yairo Padilla, UT, Cardinals

Dominican Summer League reports and buzz from the offseason have seen Padilla’s hype enter overdrive. He’s still fairly raw at the plate, but he has all the ingredients to develop into a star. He has size and power projection with strong athleticism. He showed strong bat-to-ball skills in the DSL in 2024, but his approach and hitting are still fairly raw. Due to this, Padilla will likely begin the season in the Florida Complex League. He might take some time to adjust, but his upside is exciting.


From BA Dylan White’s Breakout MLB Prospects Team For 2025:


Moises Chace, RHP, Phillies

The former Oriole has one of the more unique fastballs in the minor leagues. It comes in super flat from a low slot and generates over 40% whiffs, one of the highest rates in the minor leagues. His slider has over a foot of horizontal break and actually grades higher than the unicorn fastball. Also armed with a changeup, Chace has a major league starter’s arsenal but needs to command it a bit better.


From BA Matt Eddy’s Breakout MLB Prospects Team For 2025:


Sal Stewart, 2B, Reds

Stewart is a physical righthanded hitter whose best position is “batter’s box.” But that works when you train with Manny Machado in the offseason and own a career .394 on-base percentage in pro ball. Stewart uses an all-fields hitting approach that mutes his home run power to an extent, but he swings at strikes and hits the ball hard. His minor league production maps to 15-plus home runs and 35-plus doubles over 150 games. Look for Stewart to go mainstream with a big season at Double-A this year.

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From BA's article Athletics’ Henry Bolte Works To Simplify Approach:


Henry Bolte grew up in Palo Alto attending Athletics games with his father.

So when the A’s drafted him in the second round in 2022, it meant just a little bit more.

While the A’s have moved out of Oakland Coliseum, Bolte is making adjustments to reach the big leagues all the same. Now, the 21-year-old outfielder is working to simplify his approach at the plate.

“I’m trying to get to a good hitting position—on time more consistently—and I think that allows you to deliver a good swing on a lot of pitches,” Bolte said after the Spring Breakout game. “To have adjustability and make more contact.

“So really (I’m) just loading a little bit earlier and a little bit simpler, getting to my launch position.”

Last season at High-A Lansing and Double-A Midland, Bolte hit .267/.368/.466 with 15 home runs and 46 stolen bases in 123 games. He struck out nearly 35% of the time.

“He gets a little streaky, but when you draft guys like that, you’re betting on the ceiling,” A’s farm director Ed Sprague said. “You’re never sure where the floor is going to land, and the ceiling is as high as it gets in terms of his athleticism and all his tools that he comes with.”

Bolte takes pride in his defense in right field and center. He credits early work routines for his strong play and said that batting practice is a great time to get that work in.

He takes even more pride in his speed, which never slumps. “I was born quick. I don’t know,” Bolte laughed.

“You’re not always able to get hits,” he said, “and so being able to impact the game like that, whether or not I’m on the bases or even breaking up plays, forcing errors is something that just never really takes a day off.”

Bolte knows it takes time to learn the finer points of baserunning, outfield play and taking a professional at-bat. He embraces the minor league journey and where it could lead.

“You want to make sure, most importantly, when you get to the big leagues, you’re ready and you can help the team win and impact them,” he said.