Orioles Prospect Report - March 2026

[Orioles]

From BA's 2026 Team Top 30s:


Houston Astros

1. Xavier Neyens, SS

Ht: 6'4" | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-R

Age: 19

BA Grade/Risk: 60/High

Adjusted Grade: 45

Track Record: Neyens ranked as the No. 19 prospect for the 2025 draft and stood out among high school position players. He was regarded as having the best strike-zone judgment among preps and more power than anybody on the high school side but Ethan Holliday. Early in the draft scouting process, Neyens had a chance to go in the top half of the first round. Concerns around his hit tool dropped him to the Astros at pick No. 21, and he signed for $4,120,000. Neyens did not debut following the draft, but the touted slugger should begin 2026 at Low-A Fayetteville.

Scouting Report: A physical power hitter who should grow into more strength as his body matures, Neyens is an average athlete who is unlikely to stick at shortstop. His physicality could make him a slugging third baseman. Neyens is a lefthanded batter who sets up with a wider base and his hands set by the back of his head. He employs a large leg kick that contracts into his body, leading into a long stride. It’s a powerful swing that generates lots of clean backspin, and he peppers hard-struck fly balls to all parts of the yard. There’s some swing-and-miss in Neyens’ game. Offspeed and breaking pitches at times can give him fits. Those highest on Neyens think he can iron out his issues and rely on strong swing decisions early; others worry he’ll always run high whiff rates. More than likely, his strikeout rates will be higher during his early seasons in pro ball. Neyens is an average runner but will slow down to fringe-average at peak. A shortstop as an amateur, Neyens is likely to move to third base eventually. He has the requisite plus arm and skilled enough hands and actions to be average there.

The Future: Neyens is one of the highest upside players from the 2025 draft class. If he can prove his hit tool is average, he could blossom into a 30-home run slugger at third base.

Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 65 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60


10. Albert Fermin, SS

Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 190 | B-T: S-R

Age: 16

BA Grade/Risk: 60/Extreme

Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: The Astros aggressively pursued Fermin, signing the Dominican shortstop for $2.3 million, one of the largest bonuses in the 2026 international class. Fermin was one of the top shortstops in the Dominican Republic in 2026.

Scouting Report: At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Fermin stands out quickly for his physicality, but it’s his feel at the plate that’s most advanced. He recognizes spin, has a good eye for the strike zone and shows a disciplined approach with a knack for being on time against live pitching, giving him the building blocks to get on base at a high clip. Fermin makes hard contact now and, given his physical upside, could grow into significantly more game power. Fermin is a plus runner underway, though he might lose a step as he fills out. He’s athletic enough to get a chance to start his career at shortstop, but his range long term might end up better suited at third base, with a strong arm that would play at either spot on the left side of the infield.

The Future: One of the Astros’ more highly touted international signings in years, Fermin will be the biggest name among the team’s Dominican Summer League contingent in 2026.

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


Chicago White Sox

7. Jaden Fauske, OF

Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 200 | B-T: L-R

Age: 19

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Fauske grew up in suburban Chicago as a White Sox fan, so it was fitting when his hometown team drafted him out of Nazareth Academy in the second round in 2025. He signed for just under $3 million, the highest bonus for any player drafted after the supplemental first round in 2025. Fauske played in unofficial bridge league games at the Arizona complex after signing and impressed observers with his potentially average hit tool and strength at the plate. He was still showing his high school football body but will gain flexibility in a professional strength and fitness regimen.

Scouting Report: Fauske has a smooth, rhythmic lefthanded swing with good balance, impressive plate coverage and a high contact rate. He has a hit-over-power profile now, but those grades could flip as he develops added strength and flexibility thanks to plenty of barrel accuracy. He draws his fair share of walks because of his knowledge of the strike zone. The 6-foot-3 Fauske played all over the field in high school, including extensive time at catcher as an underclassman. Some scouts believe that he could stay behind the plate if he worked at it, but he primarily played in the outfield during the summer showcase season and as a prep senior so that he could focus on hitting. The White Sox will give Fauske time at all three outfield spots and are especially interested to see if his average speed will play in center field. A corner outfield position is more likely, and his above-average arm will be sufficient for right field.

The Future: Fauske has a chance to develop into a middle-of-the-order hitter with high on-base percentages. He will get his first chance at full-season ball in 2026, when he will open the season as a 19-year-old for Low-A Kannapolis.

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


St. Louis Cardinals

7. Tanner Franklin, RHP

Ht: 6'5" | Wt: 225 | B-T: R-R

Age: 21

BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: After two seasons pitching out of the bullpen for Kennesaw State, Franklin made the jump to Tennessee prior to his junior season in 2025. He made a career-high 27 appearances for the Volunteers, striking out 52 across 38.2 innings. The Cardinals drafted Franklin in the second round in 2025 and signed him for a little over $1.1 million. To begin his professional career, he was deployed as a starter across three appearances at both Class A levels.

Scouting Report: Franklin is a 6-foot-5, physical righthander who delivers the ball from a three-quarters arm slot with a slight crossfire finish. Entering his junior campaign, Franklin added 3 mph to his four-seam fastball and improved his spin efficiency, which resulted in more ride, armside run and a more deceptive plane of approach to the plate. Franklin’s fastball is now a double-plus pitch, with velocity, movement and release traits befitting its 70 grade. His go-to secondary pitch is a cutter in the low 90s. Much like his fastball, his cutter also jumped more than 3 mph. The pitch added ride and lost horizontal break, creating more cut. Franklin’s slider is a mid-80s mini-sweeper with shorter break than a traditional sweeper. The slider drives the highest miss rate in his arsenal and projects as an above-average pitch. His changeup was rarely used but showed good vertical separation off his fastball and the potential to become an average pitch. He threw a curveball as a sophomore at Kennesaw State but ditched the pitch when he transferred to Tennessee. Franklin’s command is fringe-average and will need to improve for him to make the jump to a starting role.

The Future: The Cardinals plan to deploy Franklin as a starter in 2026. Equipped with plus stuff and improved command, he could successfully make the jump into the rotation.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 45


Chicago Cubs

11. Josiah Hartshorn, OF

Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 220 | B-T: B-L

Age: 18

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Hartshorn is the latest player drafted out of Southern California high school baseball powerhouse Orange Lutheran. He is a switch-hitter who dealt with a variety of injuries throughout his high school career. Injuries to his elbow, back and oblique would limit him to exclusively lefthanded or righthanded swings for long stretches. The Cubs drafted Hartshorn in the sixth round in 2025 and signed him for a well above-slot bonus of $2 million. He did not debut following the draft.

Scouting Report: Hartshorn is a physical switch-hitting slugger with average height, present strength and physicality, leaving little room for projection. His lefthanded swing is long, starting with a high leg lift trigger that gets deep into his back leg. It’s possible his swing was out of sync due to the injuries he dealt with as a prep. His lefty swing makes use of a scissor kick in his lower half. Hartshorn shows average bat-to-ball skills with an advanced—and at times passive—plate approach. He shows good bat speed from both sides of the plate with present strength. He’ll need to add some more loft to his swings in order to get to more consistent game power as a professional. Hartshorn will need to maintain his body as he gets older to maintain his average athleticism. He’s an average runner who likely is more of a fringe-average runner at peak. Hartshorn is likely destined for the corner outfield, where his above-average arm will play.

The Future: Hartshorn is a higher-upside switch-hitter with above-average everyday regular upside but lots of risk.

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


Minnesota Twins

19. Matt Barr, RHP

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

Age: 19

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Barr was one of the top junior college prospects in the 2025 draft after a dominant freshmen season at SUNY Niagara, where he was named Division III juco pitcher of the year. He was committed to Tennessee and impressed at the MLB Draft Combine where he had the second-highest spin rate on his curveball and slider of all pitchers who threw bullpens. The Twins selected him in the fifth round and signed him for a well over-slot bonus of $762,500.

Scouting Report: Barr has a ways to go to fill out his 6-foot-6, 195 pound frame. His fastball sits 92-94 mph and tops out at 97 mph. He projects to add velocity as he matures and needs to continue to refine his control which is inconsistent right now. Barr’s outlier ability to spin the ball is a potential carrying trait. He throws both a mid-to-high-80s slider and low-80s curveball that have spin rates around 3,000 rpm. They are high quality breaking balls with a lot of movement and his feel for them is advanced. Both have premium bat-missing potential, but his slider is more advanced right now and projects as a potential plus offering, while his curveball projects as above-average. Barr didn’t use a changeup as an amateur, but could look to add one in pro ball.

The Future: Barr should make his pro debut in 2026 with Low-A Fort Myers. His development will likely be slow and he is not a lock to stick as a starter. His combination of physical projection and outlier feel for spin make him an intriguing pitching prospect that could move quickly up this list with a strong debut.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Control: 40

[Orioles]

From BP's MLB Team Top 10 Prospect Lists:


Houston Astros

1. Xavier Neyens

Pos: SS
Born: 2006-10-29
B: Left
T: Right
H: 6′ 4″
W: 210 lbs.
History: Drafted/Acquired: Drafted 21st overall in the 2025 draft, Mount Vernon High School; signed for $4.12 million.
Previous Rank: NR
Major League ETA: 2030

The Report: Stop me if you’ve heard this before: A west-coast prep selected in the late first round with Herculean power, massive hit tool concerns, and a fight on his hands to prove he can stick at third. The Joey Gallo comparisons for Neyens are inevitable. The start of those comparisons is the pop—Neyens put on a show in the 2024 High School Home Run Derby, putting his tall, wide frame to use with bombs to the pull side and to his other power strip in the opposite-field gap. That thump shows itself in-game, as well, with exit velos measured up to 108 in wood-bat settings as a high schooler.

The former Oregon State signee posted poor contact rates against tougher competition, a matter only exacerbated by an overly passive approach in-zone. Defensively, a career spent as an average glove at the hot corner would be a win. The level of athleticism and speed that allowed Gallo to man a positive center field spot for a short while is not present here. His hit tool has the potential to be a career derailer and his bat will need to carry his value. This is one of the higher-ceiling players in the game, but one of the lower floors amongst top prospects, as well.

OFP: 55 / Top-of-the-line power bat
Variance: Extreme. There are adjustments needed in his load and his approach—even positive gains here leaves great volatility in his hit tool.


Chicago White Sox

8. Jaden Fauske

Pos: OF
Born: 2006-11-21
B: Left
T: Right
H: 6′ 3″
W: 200 lbs.
History: Drafted in the second round of the 2025 draft, Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park, IL); signed for $2,997,500.
Previous Ranking(s): NR
Major-league ETA: 2028/2029

The Report: Our draft team loved Fauske, seeing him more as a mid-first-round talent. He played all around the field as a prep, but despite having some catching experience, he was announced as an outfielder. That should allow his bat a quicker path to the majors if nothing else. The fact that he’s already listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds while having just turned 19-years-old suggests that maybe he wasn’t going to be long behind the plate anyway. He uses all that size and strength at the plate to good effect. Everything is under control and he has quick hands and good barrel manipulation. The present strength is there to generate hard contact too, and he’ll need both the power and hit tools to play to above-average now that he’s a likely corner outfielder. We’re bullish on that happening, although the same caveats about prep hit tools apply for Fauske as they do for Carlson.

OFP: 55 / Above-average corner outfielder
Variance: Very High. We can be as bullish as we want, but the fact remains Fauske is now a high school corner outfield prospect who is yet to play a pro game.


Chicago Cubs

5. Josiah Hartshorn

Pos: OF
Born: 2007-02-02
B: Switch
T: Left
H: 6′ 2″
W: 220 lbs.
History: Drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 draft, Orange Lutheran HS (Orange, CA); signed for $2 million.
Previous Rank: NR
Major League ETA: 2029

The Report: The Cubs’ savings at the top of the draft helped them land some high-upside prep players later in the draft—most notably Hartshorn, giving him second-round money to walk away from a Texas A&M commitment. A strong athlete with some growth remaining in the profile, he has already benefited from a professional strength and development program, improving his conditioning and adding lean muscle since draft day. A natural right-handed hitter, Hartshorn adapted to injuries in high school by learning to hit from both sides. While not as loose and powerful from the left side, he’s shown the ability to make enough contact to keep switch-hitting as a professional. With increased physicality and bat speed to spare, Hartshorn has some plus raw power and could develop enough pop to become a middle of the order run producer. Defensively, he moves well in the outfield and, when healthy, has the arm strength to be a natural fit in right field. Hartshorn is a long way from major league ready but he possesses the type of high upside that the current system is sorely lacking.

OFP: 55 / Above-average corner outfielder
Variance: Extreme. Hartshorn has the tools to be a top 101 prospect this time next year but he’s also a prep outfielder with an injury history.


Minnesota Twins

19. Matt Barr, RHP (Did Not Pitch)

A fifth-round JuCo arm who doesn’t turn 20 until later this week, Barr is another big projection bet in the Twins system. A very lean 6-foot-6, Barr already sits in the low-to-mid-90s with his high-spin fastball coming out of a low-three-quarters arm slot. He adds in a huge spin sweeper and curve, both of which already have enough present velocity to miss pro bats. The delivery is a bit of a mess, featuring a very stiff foot strike that really jams his lower half to a stop and can lead to rather scattershot control from the upper half of his operation. But like with a lot of the arms the Twins target, there’s a lot of armspeed and feel for spin. That will do just fine as a starting point, even if there is immense reliever risk for Barr at this point in time.

[Orioles]

From BA's 2025 MLB Draft Report Cards For All 30 Teams:


Houston Astros

Best Power Hitter: There’s no shortage of options for the Astros here, though both SS Xavier Neyens (1) and OF Ethan Frey (3) are the most straightforward choices. Neyens had some of the best raw power in the prep class and could get to 70-grade raw power in short order with massive bat speed and a strong 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame that still should add good weight.


Chicago White Sox

Best Pure Hitter: Outfielder Jaden Fauske (2) has a smooth, rhythmic swing with good balance to go with solid contact skills and the long levers to cover a lot of the plate. He has an extensive track record of performance as a hitter on the travel circuit in high school, though he’s yet to debut in an official pro game.

Best Power Hitter: While Fauske’s (2) pure hitting ability is solid, his power could be his best individual tool. At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, he has plenty of strength now with the physicality that should allow him to grow into plus raw power and become a middle-of-the-order hitter who hits 23-27 homers a season.


St. Louis Cardinals

Best Secondary Pitch: RHP Tanner Franklin (2S) has a hard cutter around 90 mph and a slider in the mid 90s. He used the cutter this spring as his go-to secondary pitch, though his slider was a more consistent swing-and-miss offering. Both pitches have a chance to be solid secondaries.


Chicago Cubs

Best Pure Hitter: The Cubs have college players who are further along, but they are quite excited about the pure hitting chops of OF Josiah Hartshorn (6). He’s a switch-hitter who can produce on both sides of the plate and has the bat speed, pitch recognition and contact skills to be a solid or better pure hitter.


Minnesota Twins

Best Fastball: Minnesota has a number of flamethrowers in this class... RHP Matt Barr (5) doesn’t sit as high as Quick or Ellwanger, but he has been up to 98 mph.

Best Secondary Pitch: ... Barr (5) has multiple high-spin breaking balls that could become plus offerings.