Because the Orioles boast the No. 1 farm system in baseball, there are a lot of names that fans are already familiar with. But part of the reason the organization is ranked so highly is because there are lots of other prospects getting better under the radar. Here are a few of those prospects who are quietly developing into players who can contribute at the major league level.
OF Dylan Beavers
Drafted out of the University of California in 2022, Beavers came to the Orioles with a fair share of helium and has already reached Double-A Bowie. The 6-foot-4, 206-pound outfielder is on his way to becoming a highly-ranked prospect, but there isn’t much hype surrounding him because of a bad April and May at High-A Aberdeen.
It took time to find consistency, but predicting a 2024 breakout seems logical. In a month-plus with the Baysox, he hit .321/.417/.478 with 14 extra-base hits. He also reduced his strikeout rate and maintained his walk rate. He has speed, too, as evidenced by 27 steals between Aberdeen and Bowie.
With all the talk of catcher Samuel Basallo as the Orioles’ next great prospect, the 22-year-old Beavers is right behind him. This slender corner outfielder puts a charge into the fastball just as easily as he can throw out a runner from the track. He fills out a scout’s notebook as a player who can help a team in lots of ways.
INF Frederick Bencosme
Even though the 2024 campaign will only mark his age-21 season, Bencosme is already a system vet. Expect a breakthrough for the slender infielder known for barrel control, elite hand-eye coordination and a minuscule strikeout rate. He established himself as a contact machine, batting .311 in 2022. However, 2023 was a less-than-stellar year for Bencosme. He hit .246/.338/.319 with Aberdeen, showing he has some skills at the plate despite a lack of power to this point.
Defensively, the 6-foot, 160-pound infielder hastened his movements to the point where his transfer, arm and especially his footwork are all nearing major-league-caliber. Bencosme’s success as a pro is tied to how much he can put the ball in play, but with pull and ground-ball rates of 48 percent, he needs to hit it harder and utilize the whole field consistently.
RHP Juan Nuñez
Nuñez, 23, was part of the trade that sent reliever Jorge López to Minnesota in 2022. As someone who had watched him shred the Orioles in the Florida Complex League, I was happy to see his inclusion in the return. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound righty posted a 3.96 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 104.2 innings between Low-A Delmarva and Aberdeen in 2023.
Nuñez’s heat is mid-to-high 90s, but he may also have the best slider in the system based on location and especially late movement. His fastball-slider-changeup arsenal indicates that he has a chance to be a starter long term. Arms like his tend to hit their ceiling with the Orioles, so pay attention to Nuñez as he develops.
RHP Alex Pham
Pham, 24, was a 19th-round pick out of the University of San Francisco in 2021 and signed for $25,000. As such, it may seem that his profile is common, but that would be a miscalculation. Pham does not throw fireballs, but he hits his spots while maintaining control of at-bats, as he showed after moving into a starting role in 2023.
The 5-foot-11, 165-pound right-hander posted a 2.57 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 112 innings between his time with Aberdeen and Bowie. High-A batters hit .163 against Pham, while Double-A batters hit .197. His walk rate dropped to 7.2 percent with Bowie.
Pham throws a 93 mph fastball and works in an effective changeup, but his success so far has been fueled by controlling counts, utilizing deception and changing speeds. Through his time in the mid-minors, Pham has shown he’s worthy of more attention.
OF John Rhodes
Rhodes’ story is a unique one. The 23-year-old was originally a catcher, but a high school back injury forced him to the outfield. Eligible to be drafted following his sophomore season at the University of Kentucky, Rhodes was taken by the Orioles in the third round in 2021.
Rhodes’ swing is similar to third baseman Coby Mayo’s in that it’s a massive, powerful uppercut. However, this smooth athlete has not found similar consistency to push his profile. The 6-foot, 200-pound outfielder hit .259/.389/.428 with Aberdeen in 2022 to earn a promotion but has struggled since then (.221/.316/.394 with Bowie).
There are a lot of tools simmering below the surface for Rhodes. It’s simply a matter of putting it all together, an area in which the Orioles excel in development. He spent the entire 2023 season at Double-A, so facing that caliber of pitcher won’t be a challenge should he return to Bowie. Rhodes needs to keep the ball off the ground at a higher rate than he has so far. If he can do that, he will look like a much better hitter than he does today.
Photo Credits: Joe Noyes and Kadalena Messiano
Issue 285: February/March 2024
Originally published Feb. 21, 2024