The O’s don’t need to draft players that will be ready in 2030, but as soon as possible. With that in mind, we look at prospects who should be ready quicker than others.
We’re less than a week away from the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, and draft season has taken on a different tone this year. In the not-so-distant past, the MLB Draft was the highlight of the Orioles’ season; the one day members of Birdland could see their dreams of a competitive future start to become that much more real. The last two years, the draft has been a nice bonus that only served as a temporary distraction from the largely excellent on-field product.
Like the rest of the 2025 Orioles’ season, this draft season sits squarely in emotional limbo. With the Orioles drafting at No.19 overall, next Monday’s draft is neither a sufficient distraction from the inconsistent play of the Major League team nor likely a reason for optimism next year.
If recent draft picks like Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Vance Honeycutt are anything to go off, the Mike Elias-led front office will continue to target toolsy, power-over-contact, college bats that will require plenty of minor league seasoning before making it to Baltimore. Elias has taken college hitters with his first pick in five of his six previous drafts, with Jackson Holliday at No.1 overall in 2022 the only exception.
In that vein, the Orioles have been connected to Texas A&M OF Jace LaViolette throughout draft season. I, for one, would like to see the Orioles deviate from their previous draft tendencies and target prospects with shorter paths to the majors. We’ve seen the Angels draft largely based on “quickest path to the majors,” and each of their last three first-round picks (Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Christian Moore) made their Major League debuts within a year of being drafted.
For maybe the first time ever, I am here hoping the Orioles behave more like the Angels this draft season. Baltimore’s playoff dreams may be out of reach this season, but all the moves they make should be made with the intention of returning to contention in 2026.
The injury crisis this season has highlighted the talent gap in the Orioles’ system. With most of the Orioles’ top prospects either already at the big league level or down in A-ball, this draft should focus on guys who can rise quickly through the O’s system. In an ideal world, Baltimore’s first-round pick is at Triple-A this time next year, providing depth and pushing for a promotion. With that in mind, here are three players that fit that mold.
RHP Gage Wood, Arkansas
Wood gained national prominence last month when he pitched a 19-strikeout no-hitter against Murray State in the College World Series. He’s the latest arm off the line from the Fayetteville pitching factory, and while he’s not the same talent as last year’s No. 5 overall pick Hagen Smith, there’s a lot to like.
MLB.com labels Smith’s fasbtall as one of the best four-seamers in the entire draft. Sitting in the mid-90’s and topping out at 98, the 6’0” Smith takes advantage of his smaller stature and lower arm slot to produce plenty of swings and misses with the heater. He pairs that with an above-average curveball, and along with two work-in-progress pitches in his slider and changeup, his four pitch mix helped him rack up 69 Ks in 37.2 IP this season.
If Wood can develop his slider and changeup, he has the tools to stick as a starter. However, what makes him a candidate to be fast tracked to the major is his experience as a reliever. During his Freshman and Sophomore seasons with the Razorbacks, Wood was a primary reliever who even operated as Arkansas’ closer.
The fact that he already has two above-average pitches should allow him to find success as a late-inning reliever, while his starter experience may mean he could quickly be ready for an Albert Suárez type role.
C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina
The Orioles’ injury crisis has hit the catcher position harder than any other position, with the Orioles rostering six different backstops throughout the first 3+ months of the season. While the front office may not think top prospect Samuel Basallo is ready to play at the majors right now, he’s expected to debut either later this season or in early 2026.
However, as Baltimore Sun beat writer Jacob Calvin Meyer recently opined, Basallo’s arrival may necessitate the Orioles keeping three catchers on the roster. It’s plausible that the O’s will roll out lineups with Rutschman at C and Basallo at DH, or vice versa, meaning carrying a third catcher as a constant backup could prove useful. That’s where Bodine comes in.
The Chanticleer’s star backstop has distinguished himself as arguably the best catcher in the draft thanks to his 60-grade hit tool. That’s the same hit grade Adley Rutschman had when he came out of Oregon State, and while Bodine doesn’t offer much in the way of power, it’s that ability to spray the ball to all fields and avoid strikeouts that could see Bodine cruise through the minors. While he isn’t a great athlete at catcher, he has excellent framing skills and is overall sound defensively.
OF Devin Taylor, Indiana
Taylor is another power-over-contact outfielder, more similar to the prototypical Elias first-round pick. However, Taylor also has an above-average hit grade and finished his career at Indiana slashing .350/.459/.672 while also hitting a Hoosier-record 54 runs. Should he be drafted in the first round, he’d be the first first-rounder out of Bloomington since Kyle Schwarber in 2014. Schwarber is another notable name who made a beeline for the big leagues, reaching the bigs only 12 months after being drafted.
Taylor profiles as a bat-only prospect who offers little defensively and is probably destined for a LF/1B/DH role in pro ball. With Ryan O’Hearn potentially departing via trade and Heston Kjerstad failing to impress at the big leagues, Taylor profiles as the type of bat who could fill an O’Hearn-like role on the roster. The Ohio native’s ability to quickly climb the rungs of the minor league ladder is less certain than a Wood or Bodine, but his advanced offensive profile could see him make a Schwarber-like ascent.