2024 marks PressBox’s eighth annual Best Of edition celebrating the top people, performances and moments of the year.
Best Promise
The Orioles activated a mostly dormant international program when Mike Elias was hired as GM in November 2018, and now they’re starting to see some of the fruits of their labor.
The top prize so far is catching prospect Samuel Basallo, signed out of the Dominican Republic for $1.3 million in January 2021. He hit .278/.341/.449 with 44 extra-base hits between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk in 2024, mostly at the age of 19.
Armed with a powerful left-handed swing and a rocket arm, Basallo will likely head back to Norfolk to begin 2025.
Photo Credit: Katie Gilmore
For more Best Of, visit PressBoxOnline.com/BestOf.
Plus: Check out PressBox’s 2024 Mo Gaba Sportsperson of the Year, Lamar Jackson.
