As the Baltimore Orioles continue to build for the future, their sharp eye for deep-cut talent has helped grow their prospect pool from good to great.
The team has spent the last five years reshaping its image from the bottom-dwellers of the American League into one of the top drafting-and-developing destinations MLB has to offer, and their farm system has put the league on notice.
Several former high draft picks have already graduated past top prospect status and are productive major leaguers, such as catcher Adley Rutschman and infielder Gunnar Henderson. Jackson Holliday, the first overall pick of the 2022 draft, headlines Baltimore’s current wealth of riches, but the club’s elite prospect arsenal wouldn’t be nearly the same without its ability to locate talent beyond the first few rounds of the draft.
Matthew Etzel, the Orioles’ 10th-round pick this past summer, already looks to fit the bill of another Baltimore draft steal. The 6-foot-2, 211-pound outfielder hit .314/.444/.486 with seven extra-base hits in 21 games for Low-A Delmarva prior to his promotion to High-A Aberdeen, profiling as the kind of speedy on-base machine who thrives in a leadoff role.
Etzel is thrilled to have been drafted by the Orioles.
“Once I saw it was the Baltimore Orioles, just knowing the history with the No. 1 prospects the last few years, how well that they’ve been developing players,” Etzel said on Glenn Clark Radio on Aug. 18. “I just saw that they were ranked the No. 1 development system in baseball. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”
Etzel initially made a name for himself at Panola College in Texas, where he batted .391/.469/.634 with two steals from 2021-2022. He then spent his junior year at Southern Miss, hitting .316/.381/.470 with 90 hits, 27 extra-base hits and 23 stolen bases. He learned that he was taken with the 301st pick right before a game for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Etzel flashed power when he muscled out seven home runs each of the past two college seasons, but he views the power department as one of his main areas for potential improvement.
“In college, I was more of a line drive guy,” he said. “[I] didn’t hit too many homers, but I’m trying to hit the ball more in the air here now. The next couple of years I’m going to be working on getting my exit [velocities] up over the course of the season.”
Etzel’s true value lies in his knack for getting on base and stealing bases by any means necessary. Armed with strong bat-to-ball skills and a good eye at the plate, he’s grown adept at making his way to first before extending trips with blazing speed and fearless decision-making on the base paths.
“Any time I get on base, I’m trying to steal,” Etzel said. “No matter the situation or what it is, I feel like I can get to second or third, or turn a single into a triple, that’s going to help our team score runs.”
The Orioles could soon benefit from a prospect like Etzel, and though he’s still a few levels from the majors, he’s off to a solid start to his pro career.
“It’s a process. Everything is long term. Nothing can be accomplished or fixed in one day,” he said. “… Over time, when you get better, it’ll show in the games. Hopefully, within those couple of years, you’ll be in the big leagues playing.”
For more from Brown, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Joey Gardner