Spring training just got a whole lot more exciting for Orioles fans.
MASN announced that it will air a franchise-record 20 spring training games this year-more than double last season’s total. The action kicks off on February 20 against the Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium, and with it comes a golden opportunity for fans to get an extended look at the next wave of young talent in Baltimore’s pipeline. And make no mistake: that pipeline is still flowing strong.
Last year saw the debut of Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers, two top prospects who were promoted on back-to-back days in August. Both are expected to open 2026 on the big league roster, and they’ll lose their prospect status early in the season. But the spotlight is already shifting to the next group-an exciting mix of international signings and homegrown arms who are inching closer to Camden Yards.
The Orioles’ international program, led by VP of international scouting and operations Koby Perez, has become a legitimate source of talent since Perez took over in 2019. Back in 2024, Matt Blood, the team’s VP of player development and domestic scouting, talked about the importance of that pipeline.
“For a team to compete year in and year out you need a viable, high-functioning international program,” Blood said. “Now we are starting to see what they started come to fruition.”
One of the clearest examples of that progress is left-hander Luis De León. Signed for just $30,000 out of the Dominican Republic late in the 2020-21 signing period, De León has developed into one of the most intriguing arms in the system.
He finished 2025 with a 3.30 ERA and 107 strikeouts over 87.1 innings across three levels, and his final stretch was nothing short of dominant. Over his last seven starts between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Chesapeake, he posted a 1.47 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP.
Then he took that momentum into the Arizona Fall League, where he carved up hitters with a 1.08 ERA and 12 strikeouts in just 8.1 innings-good enough to earn Pitcher of the Week honors.
De León’s stuff is electric. He throws both a four-seam and two-seam fastball in the 95-98 mph range, generating a ton of weak contact on the ground.
But what’s really fueled his rise is the development of his slider. At the start of 2025, he considered it one of his worst pitches.
By season’s end, it had become a real weapon. If he keeps trending this way, Baltimore could be calling his name by the second half of 2026.
Center field is another position where a prospect could make an impact soon, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. is the name to watch. The 2023 first-round pick wrapped up last season at Triple-A Norfolk, then headed to the Arizona Fall League where he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
He swiped 17 bases in 18 attempts, and his 80-grade speed continues to be a game-changer both on the bases and in the outfield. The bat is still developing, but Bradfield’s mindset is exactly where it needs to be heading into spring.
“I have high expectations to be able to at least go in there and compete,” Bradfield said. “Whether I make the roster out of spring, whether I start in Triple-A, it does no different for me. I’m just going to show up every day, work, learn as much as I can and continue to do what I’ve been doing.”
Another name climbing the ranks is Aron Estrada, a switch-hitting second baseman who turned heads in 2025. Signed for just $175,000 out of Venezuela in 2022, Estrada hit a combined .288 with an .813 OPS, 10 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases between High-A and Double-A.
And he wasn’t just hanging on-he was thriving. Despite being 3.5 years younger than the average Double-A player, Estrada hit .300 with five homers in 27 games at that level.
Baseball America now ranks him as the Orioles’ 11th-best prospect, calling him a contact-first hitter who “plays the game hard and maximizes his skills on the field.” He’ll likely return to Double-A to start 2026, but a strong first half could fast-track him to Triple-A-and potentially beyond if the big league club needs infield help.
On the pitching side, Trey Gibson is another name worth circling. The 23-year-old went from undrafted free agent to Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year in just two seasons.
He climbed three levels in 2025, dominating at Double-A with a 1.55 ERA over 10 starts, including a complete-game shutout. His late-season promotion to Norfolk came with growing pains-he posted a 7.98 ERA in seven starts-but the five-pitch mix (fastball, slider, curveball, cutter, changeup) gives him the tools of a future mid-rotation starter.
He’ll need more seasoning in Triple-A, but if he finds his footing, a second-half debut isn’t out of the question.
Nestor German, a right-hander taken in the 11th round of the 2023 draft, is another arm to watch. He’s added velocity since turning pro and, like Gibson, climbed three levels last season.
German finished the year at Triple-A Norfolk, where he struggled in two starts (7.04 ERA), but the raw stuff is there. With the Orioles cycling through 16 different starting pitchers in 2025, depth matters-and German could play a role if injuries strike again.
Baltimore would love to avoid rushing any of these arms, but as last year showed, plans can change quickly. That’s why this expanded spring training slate is such a big deal.
It’s not just about getting back into baseball mode-it’s about giving fans a real look at who’s next. And with a record-breaking international signing class also in the mix, there’s no shortage of reasons to tune in.
The days of quiet, uneventful spring trainings in Sarasota? Those might be over. There’s a new generation of Orioles on the horizon-and they’re closer than you think.