SARASOTA—In recent years, Oriole fans have become used to watching top draft picks get their first sampling of major league life in spring training. Most of them have graduated to the majors, and this year’s class features catcher Samuel Basallo and three outfielders — Enrique Bradfield Jr., Dylan Beavers and Jud Fabian.
Bradfield was the Orioles first-round pick in 2023, the 17th overall. Both Beavers and Fabian were chosen in 2022. Beavers was the 33rd pick, and Fabian the 67th. All are training with the Orioles for the first time.
Bradfield turned 23 earlier this month, and bats and throws left-handed. Beavers is 23, and hits lefty but throws right-handed. Fabian is the oldest at 24, and something of an oddity because he bats right-handed but throws left-handed.
Like most Oriole high draft picks, they were big-time college players. Bradfield played at Vanderbilt, Beavers at Cal and Fabian at Florida.
The Orioles’ 2024 top pick, Vance Honeycutt, an outfielder from North Carolina, isn’t in major league camp.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Fabian said. “I’ve known Beavs since we’ve been drafted. I’ve known Enrique since we were playing against each other in college. He brings a lot to the game, and I saw that when he was at Vandy, and Beavs, he’s really good at everything he does. Even Vance, Vance Honeycutt, he was down here. Got to work with him and be around him. We’ve got a lot of talent in the outfield.”
It’s a transition time for the outfield. Austin Hays and Anthony Santander are gone and Cedric Mullins is a year away from free agency. Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad could be with the Orioles for years, but there are openings in the future for young outfielders.
Tyler O’Neill could opt out of his three-year contract after this season. Ramón Laureano has a 2026 option, and Dylan Carlson is on a one-year contract.
Bradfield is the biggest name, and with manager Brandon Hyde looking for the team to be more aggressive on the bases, he could fit in nicely. He hit a two-run home run to key a four-run eighth in the Orioles’ 8-7 win over Detroit on Tuesday.
“Every time I go out there I want to help the team win whether it’s me walking, finding a way to first base, stealing a couple of bags, playing some incredible defense, whatever role the team will need me at whatever point I’m up in the bigs,” Bradfield said. “That’s the role I’m willing to accept and do my part in. I feel like if we can all be aggressive, we can bring a different level of competition to the organization, the team and across the league as well.”
Hyde saw the young draft picks, including Honeycutt, at a camp just before spring training. He’s looking forward to seeing Bradfield this spring.
“He was part of the minicamp before pitchers and catchers showed up,” Hyde said. “It was fun watching him run last year and play defense. He made a lot of swing adjustments, and he’s worked hard on his offense. I look forward to see how that translates into games.”
Beavers and Fabian got to work with Mullins when he was rehabbing at Bowie in 2023, and Bradfield has observed him closely this spring.
“I’ve been able to have a couple of good conversations and take some defense and hit with Ced,” Bradfield said. “He’s been very open, welcoming. I’ve been able to learn a lot from him so far. It’s hopefully the start of a great relationship going far in the future.”
Bradfield began his first full season at High-A Aberdeen in 2024 and hit .267 with a .708 OPS. He stole 59 bases in 81 games, part of a team that swiped 363, most by a minor league team in 50 years.
In 27 games with the Baysox, Bradfield hit .287 with a home run, nine RBIs and 15 steals in 19 attempts.
“We stole a lot of bags. We did some damage on the bases,” Bradfield says of his time with the IronBirds. “Obviously, it gets harder as you move up. The game gets a little more technical. Getting to Double-A, being able to see it’s more like a chess match. The pitchers and the catchers are doing their best to stop me from doing my job so I need to be able to find advantages on the smaller side and just be able to go out there and do my thing.”
Beavers played 119 games for Bowie, hitting .241 with a .756 OPS with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs. He hit .250 in six games for Triple-A Norfolk.
“It’s been awesome,” Beavers says of his first big league camp. “We’re kind of navigating together. All of us are here for the first time. It’s been nice having them and we’re kind of going through it together. They’re two of my good friends.”
Fabian hit .233 with a .758 OPS with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs in 98 games for the Baysox but just .159 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 30 games for Norfolk.
“I learned a lot about myself,” Fabian said of last season. “I learned to be a little more mature at the plate, not chase as much, focus on a few pitches that maybe have given me some fits, and I really hit that in the offseason and I’m ready to go.”
Bradfield thinks he’ll be ready when the call to the majors comes.
“The game is the same I’ve been playing since I was 4 years old,” he said. “Smaller details matter. The higher you go, there are smaller things that in the minor leagues might not be that important but in the big leagues make a huge difference. Being able to learn some of those things, pay attention, use your eyes to observe. That’s the biggest thing. It’s always wanting to be a student of the game. You always can learn something about the game, no matter who from, the coaching staff, other players. It’s really taking that in, using my eyes, and being able how to learn how guys go about their business.”
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