The Orioles’ 2026 draft class has a clear identity: up-the-middle athleticism, contact skill, and a few loud tools sprinkled in for upside. Baseball America’s report card makes that easy to see, with Mississippi prep outfielder Eric Booth Jr. and NC State outfielder Ty Head at the center of the haul.
Booth, the Orioles’ first-round pick, gets the nod as the best pure hitter in the class. His swing is unconventional, but the ingredients are obvious: elite hand-eye coordination, bat speed, and a long record of handling quality prep arms.
That showed up in pro ball too, where he hit .284 in 18 games with Low-A Delmarva and posted a strong 13.3% in-zone contact rate. He also takes the title for fastest runner, with an 80-grade burst that regularly shows up in top-of-the-scale run times.
Head, taken in the second round, earned a pair of honors of his own. He was named the best defensive player in the class because of his work in center field, where his plus speed plays with excellent instincts, jumps, and route-running.
He also comes in as the closest to the majors after a strong pro debut. In 15 games at Low-A Delmarva, he hit .321/.400/.491, then moved to High-A Frederick and played six games there.
The numbers weren’t quite as eye-popping after the promotion, but his swing decisions and contact skills held up.
The Orioles didn’t load up only on safe hitters, though. Fourth-rounder Kevin Roberts Jr. gives the class its loudest power ceiling.
The Mississippi prep outfielder is listed at 6-foot-5 and brings major strength, bat speed, and raw pop, with some scouts projecting 70-grade juice down the line. Roberts also gets the edge as the best athlete, thanks to that bigger frame, explosive power, and arm strength.
On the mound, Kansas right-hander Dominic Voegele, the Orioles’ third-rounder, took best secondary pitch honors for a breaking-ball mix that stands out for its spin and shape. His mid-80s slider is the pitch Baltimore is most excited about, and he’s shown the kind of 2,800-2,900 rpm spin that can make a breaking ball play with real power and movement.
Arizona right-hander Collin McKinney, taken in the ninth round, claimed best fastball. His heater has reached 96 mph in pro ball, comes with above-average extension, and has already produced a 15.4% fastball swinging-strike rate with Low-A Delmarva.
One of the more interesting stories in the class belongs to Mercer right-hander Miguel Hugas, the Orioles’ 14th-round pick. A native of Venezuela, he came to the United States for high school in 2021, helped his Pennsylvania school win a state title as a senior, then spent two seasons at Chipola before transferring to Mercer for the 2026 season. He’s sitting in the mid 90s and has touched 98.
Baltimore’s best power hitter choice came with a little more upside swing than the rest of the class: Roberts. The organization may have leaned into contact at the top, but it still found room for a big-bodied bat with serious raw thunder.
In Other News...
Mike Elias Keeps Giving Orioles Fans Another Reason To Hate The Rays
The Orioles front office has spent plenty of time chasing the Rays in the standings, but Tampa Bay keeps finding another way to make life harder in Baltimore. Mike Elias, now the clubs chief baseball executive, has become part of that dynamic after dealing away players who have since turned into useful pieces for the Rays, adding another layer to a rivalry that already leaves Orioles fans on edge.
Among the names in that mix are catcher Caden Bodine and closer Bryan Baker, both examples of ex-Oriole talent helping Tampa Bay stay in the conversation while Baltimore fights through its own roster and development issues. It is the kind of contrast that tends to sharpen the criticism around Elias, because every Rays success story seems to send the conversation back to what the Orioles gave up and why the gap between the two clubs still feels so familiar. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Westburg Suddenly Feels Caught In Baltimore's Infield Squeeze
Jordan Westburgs lost 2026 season changed more than his own timetable. After Tommy John surgery kept him out entirely, the Orioles spent the year sorting out third base and second base without him, and now the club finds itself with a crowded infield picture that looks different from the one Westburg left behind. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Coby Mayo, Jackson Holliday and Blaze Alexander have all helped fill those spots, giving Baltimore real options and a much less obvious path back for Westburg.
That has put the 25-year-old in an awkward position for a team that still values depth but also has to make the roster fit. The Orioles suddenly have more middle-infield and corner-infield answers than openings, and that kind of surplus tends to force hard choices. Westburgs name is now in the conversation not because of his performance on the field, but because Baltimore may have to decide whether keeping everyone is less realistic than dealing from a position of strength. [Read more 🡒]
Former Orioles Are Giving Birdland Plenty To Track This October
October has a familiar feel around Birdland this year, with a long list of former Orioles scattered across the Division Series and suddenly giving Baltimore fans a few extra teams to monitor. The group includes 13 ex-Orioles now playing key roles for clubs in both leagues, from the Padres and Dodgers to the Rays, Brewers and Indians, a reminder of how much roster turnover has passed through Camden Yards and how many old faces are still very much in the postseason mix.
For Orioles fans, the appeal is part nostalgia and part curiosity. Some of those players spent meaningful stretches in Baltimore before moving on, while others only had brief stops, but all of them now have a stake in October games with real consequences. Even with the Orioles not in the bracket themselves, the presence of so many familiar names gives this round an extra layer of intrigue as Birdland keeps one eye on its own future and another on what its former players do next. [Read more 🡒]