With the 2023 MLB Draft concluding on July 11, the Orioles’ top picks left fans intrigued as the organization welcomed in three new ballplayers.
The Orioles had the Nos. 17, 53 and 63 overall picks in the first day of this year’s draft. With these picks, the Orioles selected Vanderbilt outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., North Carolina outfielder Mac Horvath and Florida State right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister.
Bradfield dominated at Vanderbilt, hitting .311/.425/.447 with 224 hits, 15 home runs and 108 RBIs in three seasons from 2021-2023. The 6-foot 1, 170-pound center fielder also tacked on 130 stolen bases and managed to walk more than he struck out.
“He’s a very, very, very talented athlete, a top-of-scale runner, a top-of-scale defender in center field. He gets on base,” Baseball America‘s Kyle Glaser said on Glenn Clark Radio July 10. “He’s not going to hit a bunch of home runs, but when you start talking about the middle of the draft, you’re looking for more guys who you know have a chance to be everyday starters. There’s not many stars left to be had, at least in theory.”
Glaser said Bradfield was expected to be picked in the 15-20 range, and considering that Bradfield makes a lot of contact and has plus speed, this pick made plenty of sense for the Orioles.
Bradfield’s batting average did dip below the .280 mark as a junior. However, his on-base percentage was .425 during his three years at Vanderbilt, and that is a key element for what the Orioles look for in a player.
“The Orioles have done a fantastic job developing hitters and helping guys get better at the plate as pure hitters,” Glaser said. “… I think the combination of who he is as a player, what he can do in center field, that can buy him some time with the Orioles’ hitting development. I certainly understand the pick.”
Horvath was drafted in the second round by the Orioles. He brings power and speed to the table, but his swing and miss is the big question mark. Horvath hit .305/.418/.711 with 73 hits, 66 RBIs and 24 home runs in 2023. He was one of eight 20-20 (home runs and stolen bases) players in Division I, earning first-team All-American honors from Perfect Game and second-team All-ACC.
Horvath concluded his college career with a total of 141 strikeouts.
“The big question with him is just how much contact he’s going to make,” Glaser said. “He struggled to make contact for a lot of his college career, hit OK at North Carolina this year, but I think this is more of a guy you take in the second round where again, you like some of the tools, and the Orioles trust in their hitting development to help him become a better hitter.”
Baumeister was selected in Competitive Balance Round B. In 2023, he posted a 5-5 record and 5.09 ERA in 69 innings pitched but did strike out 95 batters. In 2022, he recorded a 1-2 mark with 41 strikeouts and an ERA of 5.60 in 27.1 innings.
“The Orioles love fastballs with analytical traits, and that’s what Baumeister has,” Glaser said. “It’s a good fastball. It’s 93-98. It has a lot of induced vertical break, which is carry. It’s got velocity, it’s got movement, and that’s sort of what the Orioles have gone out and acquired when you look at the pitchers they’ve taken out of the draft.”
Glaser mentioned that Baumeister is a project whose secondary offerings and control needs to be improved. He is a draft-eligible sophomore, meaning he isn’t the typical college starter who has three years under his belt. There is some upside with Baumeister, a converted catcher.
“As he gets more innings under his belt, learns a few more things — this was his first year as a starter — maybe the Orioles can help tease more out of him,” Glaser said.
For more from Glaser, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics, UNC Athletics Communications, Florida State Athletics