Orioles outfield prospect Matthew Etzel entered this season with two goals: finish the year with a .300 batting average and in the top 10 in stolen bases in the entire minor leagues. More than halfway into his first full season as a professional, Etzel is doing both.
Etzel, 22, has a .304 batting average and 37 stolen bases, a top-10 mark in the minors.
“I felt like there [were] a lot of people that were doubting my speed, I would say,” Etzel said on Glenn Clark Radio June 27. “I just kind of wanted to steal as many bases as I could this year and see how much damage I could put on the base paths.”
The 6-foot-2, 211-pound outfielder was promoted from High-A Aberdeen to Double-A Bowie on June 11, making him the first player from the Orioles’ 2023 draft class to reach Double-A. Even more impressive, Etzel was selected in the 10th round.
Etzel hit .307/.379/.479 to go along with 37 RBIs, four home runs and 31 stolen bases in 51 games at Aberdeen to earn the promotion. He played in five games in High-A last season, which helped him prepare in the offseason and start this year off strong.
“Once you get drafted, first round or 20th round, everybody has pretty much the same chance to show off their ability,” he said. “It definitely gave me a little bit more fuel to prove to people that it doesn’t matter what round you’re picked in. You can go out there and do what every pro ballplayer wants to do.”
While Etzel’s production at the plate and on the base path has dipped since his promotion to Double-A, an adjustment period is expected of any player making a jump between levels of play, and he’s already adapting.
In 20 games with Bowie, Etzel is hitting .299/.392/.478 with seven RBIs, two home runs and six stolen bases entering play on July 5.
“I’ve already pretty much figured out what they’ve been doing differently from High-A,” Etzel said. “The pitchers are definitely a lot better, and they can locate a lot better, and they were really attacking my weaknesses the first two weeks I’ve been playing up here. I’m just working on strengthening those.”
“The catchers and pitchers are better at holding runners on [in Double-A],” he added. “I’m learning about when to steal the bases in certain situations, but you can’t learn if you don’t steal the bag.”
Etzel started his college career at Panola College, a small junior college in Carthage, Texas, but did not receive much attention until two years later in 2022, when he played for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the MLB Draft League, which was founded in 2021. During his 33 games with Williamsport, Etzel posted a .371/.463/.586 slash line, 25 stolen bases and 22 RBIs. He played his final college season at Southern Mississippi in 2023, hitting .317/.381/.472 with seven homers and 23 steals.
Now part of the Orioles organization, Etzel has played every position in the outfield and first base this season, hoping to become as versatile as possible to increase his chances of making the big leagues one day. But for now, Etzel is taking it one day at a time.
“[I’m] really focused on just getting better each day to dominate the league,” he said, “… and hopefully get to Triple-A next season.”
For more from Etzel, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Aberdeen IronBirds