Baltimore's future looks bright with eight on MLB's 100 Top Prospects list

It might not be this year, but the Baltimore Orioles appear headed to AL East dominance with a host of young talent ready to make a splash in the majors.

MLB Pipeline recently released its list of the top 100 prospects in the game and eight Os made the cut, including the No. 1 overall spot. Coupled with rising superstar Adley Rutschman, Camden Yards could soon host playoff baseball again.

Gunnar Henderson, a 3^rd baseman or shortstop, ranked in the top spot. MLB Pipeline gave him a 65 overall grade on the 20-80 baseball scouting scale. That is above average and the same grade Rutschman hit in 2020 when he ranked No. 4 on MLB Pipeline’s overall list.

Scouts gave Henderson well above-average marks as a hitter and fielder. A summary noted, “If he’s not on your shortlist for Rookie of the Year honors, he should be.”

The Os also have the No. 7 overall prospect, and second-highest-rated pitcher, Grayson Rodriguez. He received a 60 overall on the grading scale and scouts say he already has three “plus” pitches in his game. He is projected to be a frontline starter.

The other Baltimore farmhands on the list were shortstop Jackson Holliday (No. 12), outfielder Colton Cowser (No. 40), infielder Jordan Westburg (No. 74), outfielder Heston Kjerstad (No. 80), pitcher DL Hall (No. 97) and shortstop Joey Ortiz (No. 99).

Last year, Rutschman ranked high among the top prospects. The catcher exploded when he reached the majors with 13 homers and a slash line of .254/.362/.806 in 398 at-bats. He ended the year with a 5.2 WAR and a second-place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Rutschman’s WAR ranked higher than Jose Altuve, Trea Turner and Rafael Devers.

His season, coupled with the slew of prospects ready to make the majors in the coming years, projects a bright future in Baltimore. The Os appear to have middle-of-the-lineup hitters in Rutschman and Henderson. The Os also have a solid future rotation in Rodriguez, Hall and John Means.

While 2023 might be a bit too soon for a return to playoff baseball, 2024 or 2025 might see Baltimore competing for titles with its slew of blue-chip talent.

But there is a big disclaimer. The players remain prospects and many, even top-rated ones, don’t live up to projections in the big leagues. That is what happened last season in Detroit. Fans there said the future looked bright when they had two of the top five prospects on the 2022 MLB Pipeline prospect list. Both struggled in the major and the Tigers finished with one of the league’s worst records.

Still, Os fans can dream today and have reason to be hopeful. Even if a handful don’t pan out, the Os need just three or four to live up to the hype. If they do, MLB might have found its next dynasty.