We are less than a week from the first round of the MLB 2025 recovery, and the draft season has taken a different tone this year. In the past not so distant, the recovery of the MLB was the highest point of the Orioles season; The members of a day of Birdland could see their dreams of a competitive future starting to become even more real. Over the past two years, the project has been a good bonus that has only served as a temporary distraction of the largely excellent product in the field.
Like the rest of the Orioles 2025 season, this draft season is squarely in emotional limbo. With the writing of Orioles at n ° 19 in total, the draft of next Monday is neither a sufficient distraction of the incoherent game of the team of major leagues nor probably a reason for optimism next year.
If recent recovery choices like Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Vance HoneyCutt are everything to be done, the front office led by Mike Elias will continue to target university bat tools and power that will require a lot of seasoning of minor leagues before going to Baltimore. Elias took university strikers with his first choice in five of his six previous projects, with Jackson Holliday in n ° 1 in total in 2022 the only exception.
In this vein, the Orioles were connected to Jace Laviolette’s Texas A & M throughout the repechage season. For my part, I would like to see the Orioles deviate from their previous project trends and target prospects with shorter paths towards the majors. We have seen the draft of the angels largely based on the “fastest path to the majors”, and each of their last three first round choices (Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Christian Moore) made his debut in the major league in a year after being written.
For perhaps the first time, I hope here that the Orioles behave more like the angels this repechage season. Dreams in Baltimore playoffs can be out of reach this season, but all the movements they make should be made with the intention of returning in the running in 2026.
The injury crisis this season has highlighted the difference in talents in the Orioles system. With most of the best prospects of the Orioles already at the level of the large league or down in A-Ball, this project should focus on guys who can rise quickly through the O system. In an ideal world, the choice of the first Tour de Baltimore is in Triple-A this time next year, providing depth and efforts for a promotion. In this spirit, here are three players that correspond to this mold.
Rhp Gage Wood, Arkansas
Wood acquired national importance last month when he presented a non-frapper of 19 strokes against Murray State in the College World Series. It is the last arm out of the line of La Fayetteville Pitch Factory, and although it is not the same talent as the overall choice n ° 5 of last year, Hagen Smith, there is a lot to love.
MLB.com qualifies Smith as Smith de Fasbtall as one of the best four runners from the whole of the draft. Sitting sitting in the mid -90s and at the head at 98 years old, the Smith of 6’0 ”takes advantage of its small size and its slit of the lower arms to produce many swings and are missing with the radiator. It associates this with a curve greater than the average, and with two places in progress in its cursor and its change, its four mixtures of land helped him accumulate 69 kS in 37.2 season.
If Wood can develop his cursor and change, he has the tools to stay as a starter. However, what makes him a candidate to be accelerated to the major is his experience as a lifter. During his first -year and second year seasons with the Razorbacks, Wood was a main lift that even worked like Arkansas.
The fact that he already has two locations higher than the average allow him to find success as an end -of -round lift, while his start -up experience can mean that he could quickly be ready for an Albert Suárez type role.
C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina
The Orioles injury crisis has struck the position of the receiver harder than any other position, the Orioles placing six different backgrounds in the first 3 months and more of the season. Although the front office may not think of the best hope that Samuel Basallo is ready to play the majors at the moment, he should make his debut later this season or at the beginning of 2026.
However, like Baltimore Sun Beat writer Jacob Calvin Meyer, was recently subjected to what Basallo’s arrival could require the Orioles that kept three sensors on the list. It is plausible that O deploy the alignments with Rutschman to C and Basallo to DH, or vice versa, which means that the transport of a third recipient as a constant backup could prove useful. This is where Bodine comes into play.
The Chanticer Star Filet fillet has distinguished itself as undoubtedly the best recipient of the draft thanks to its successful 60 -year tool. It is the same successful note as Adley Rutschman had when he left Oregon State, and although Bodine does not offer much power, it is this ability to spray the ball in all areas and avoid stick withdrawals that could see Bodine crossing miners. Although he is not a great athlete at Catcher, he has excellent framing skills and is generally a sound defensively.
De Devin Taylor, Indiana
Taylor is another power output on control, more similar to the prototypical choice of the first Elias round. However, Taylor also has a successful note higher than average and has completed his career at Indiana Slashing .350 / .459 / .672 while reaching a record of HOOSIER 54 points. If he was drafted in the first round, he would be the first first round of Bloomington from Kyle Schwarber in 2014. Schwarber is another notable name that drone for the big leagues, reaching the bigs only 12 months after being drafted.
Taylor is looming as a perspective reserved for bats which offers little defense and is probably intended for an LF / 1B / DH role in Pro Ball. Ryan O’Hearn potentially leaving via trade and Heston Kjerstad not impressive in the big leagues, Taylor presents himself as the type of bat that could fulfill an O’Hearn type role on the list. The ability of the Ohio native to quickly climb the ladder of the minor league scale is less certain than a wood or a bodine, but his advanced offensive profile could see him make an ascent similar to a Schwarber.
