Baltimore Orioles 2023 MLB Draft Report Card
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Revisiting the 2023 Orioles MLB Draft class after the conclusion of the minor league season.
Best Pure Hitter: Outfielder Enrique Bradfield (1) is an above-average pure hitter who has solid bat-to-ball skills and a strong understanding of the strike zone. He walked more than he struck out in his pro debut and slashed .291/.473/.329 across three levels.
Best Power Hitter: Outfielder Jake Cunningham (5) has plus raw power and posted loud exit velocities in college with UNC Charlotte and in his pro debut, where he hit .268/..434/.366 in a brief 14-game stint between rookie ball and Low-A Delmarva. He homered 16 times during his sophomore season and 11 times this spring and has a chance for above-average game power.
Fastest Runner: Bradfield’s (1) blazing speed is his most obvious tool and it’s a legitimate 80 on the 20-80 scout scale. He led all 2023 draftees in pro ball this year with 25 stolen bases in 25 games at a 92.6% success rate. In three years at Vanderbilt, he went 130-for-143 (90.1%).
Best Defensive Player: Bradfield (1) is also a top-of-the-scale defender in center field whose speed allows him to cover tremendous amounts of ground, and he amplifies that range with exceptional instincts that should allow him to compete for Gold Glove awards.
Best Fastball: Righthander Jackson Baumeister (2s) has a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and has been up to 98, but the pitch has above-average carry and he also throws it with well above-average extension and a flat approach angle that add bat-missing traits.
Best Secondary Pitch: Righthander Levi Wells (4) throws a number of high-spin pitches and has two breaking balls that could be above-average offerings, but his go-to breaking ball during the spring with Texas State was a hard, downer curveball in the low 80s that generated a 32% miss rate.
Best Pro Debut: On the hitting side, Mac Horvath (2) hit .321/.455/.603 with five home runs, seven doubles and 14 stolen bases while playing both second base, third base and a bit of outfield. On the pitching side, righthander Teddy Sharkey (7) struck out 16 batters and walked just three in 10 innings of work without allowing a single run.
Best Athlete: Bradfield would be an obvious candidate for this category, but Horvath (2) offers defensive versatility and a strong power/speed combination that is hard to find otherwise in this draft class.
Most Intriguing Background: Righthander Kiefer Lord (3) was a solid Division III pitcher with Carleton (Minn.) who transferred to Washington for his 2023 draft year and quickly became one of the most exciting arms on the West Coast. He’s a strong athlete with a powerful fastball that has been up to 99 mph.
Closest To The Majors: Bradfield (1) has multiple 80-grade carrying tools and could play defense with the best of them in the major leagues right now. Players don’t often skyrocket to the bigs based on their glovework, but with solid hitting skills as well the speedy lefty hitter could move quickly even without bigtime pop.
Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): Baltimore’s big day three signing was righthander Michael Forret (14), who posted a 3.34 ERA this spring with State JC of Florida with 106 strikeouts and 18 walks. He has a low-90s fastball, solid changeup and slider and has solid physical projection with a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame.
