The Orioles spent the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft showing a little more ambition than usual.
That alone made this class stand out. Since Mike Elias took over as general manager in 2018, Baltimore has leaned hard into college bats. This time, the Orioles veered away from that comfort zone and came away with a mix of high-upside prep talent and an intriguing arm as they try to push their rebuild in a new direction.
The headliner was Eric Booth Jr., the seventh overall pick out of Oak Grove High School. Baltimore set the tone with that selection, and once Booth signs, he’ll be the organization’s consensus No. 1 prospect.
Among the players expected to be in range, he was the one the Orioles wanted most, and they were lucky enough to see him still on the board. Booth had just turned 18 and brings the kind of physical tools that jump out both at the plate and in center field.
If his frame translates into added power, he has the chance to become an impact bat up the middle. For a team that could have easily gone the safer route with another college hitter, this was the swing for upside.
Baltimore followed that with a much more familiar kind of pick at No. 46: Ty Head, a center fielder from NC State.
Head fits the Orioles mold as a high-floor college outfielder whose defense in center and ability to make contact should give him a strong shot to reach the majors. The power is not there right now, which keeps him from looking like an impact bat at this stage, but if Baltimore can help him develop that part of his game, he could end up looking like a steal.
That’s a big if, though.
The third-round selection was more of a surprise. With the 82nd pick, the Orioles took right-hander Dominic Voegele out of Kansas, and it was a notable reach.
He was the first player chosen in the draft who was ranked outside the top 200 prospects by MLB Pipeline. Baltimore has not often used top-100 picks on pitchers, so going this route suggests the Orioles see something in Voegele’s profile they believe they can shape into a real arm quickly.
By the time they got to pick No. 110, the Orioles may have already been working with the bigger picture in mind. The bonuses for these selections have not been reported, but it would not be a shock if the earlier picks were part of a plan to make room for Kevin Roberts Jr.
Roberts is only 17 and is viewed as one of the best athletes in the draft. He’s big, strong, and fast, which checks plenty of boxes.
The challenge is that the baseball skills still need a lot of refinement. The raw ingredients are there; now it’s on Baltimore to help him put them together.
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Orioles Make Troubling Pitching Move As Keegan Akin Situation Deepens
The Orioles added another arm to the organization on Monday, acquiring right-hander Cam Sanders from the Pirates for cash considerations and sending him to Triple-A Norfolk. Sanders had been designated for assignment by Pittsburgh, and Baltimore is giving itself a little extra depth in the system at a time when the pitching staff is getting stretched.
The more pressing issue is Keegan Akin, who was moved to the 60-day injured list because of an elbow injury. He is scheduled for a medical evaluation that will help determine the next step, and for an Orioles club already trying to manage its pitching depth, the situation adds another layer of uncertainty to a bullpen that could use some stability. [Read more 🡒]
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Samuel Basallo has given the Orioles plenty to dream on already, and the appeal is obvious every time the 21-year-old catcher gets into one of his power swings. He has 16 home runs in 301 plate appearances, and his advanced power numbers back up what the eye test says: when he connects, the ball leaves in a hurry. Basallo has also talked openly about wanting to become an All-Star someday, which fits the way the organization has started to view him as more than just a promising bat.
The next step is less about raw talent than about the everyday grind that comes with becoming a lineup fixture. Basallo is still working through pitch selection and the defensive side of the position, but the trust around him is growing as he keeps showing he can handle bigger moments. Baltimore does not need to decide his ceiling right now, only whether his recent surge is the start of something much larger, and that is where the intrigue really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Have Seen This Mike Elias Pattern Far Too Often
For Orioles fans, the frustration is starting to feel familiar in a way that is hard to ignore. Since Mike Elias took over in 2019, Baltimore has too often been stuck in the same place at the same point on the calendar, rarely above .500 by the 95-game mark and usually hanging near the bottom of the AL East while the rest of the division pulls away.
The larger concern is not just where this season sits now, but how closely it fits the pattern that has followed Elias from the start. Baltimore has not finished a year with more than 78 wins under his watch, and even with the organization trying to build around a young core, the margin for error keeps shrinking as injuries pile up and the standings tighten. [Read more 🡒]