Under the Radar Prospects: Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are the subjects of this week's installment of under the radar prospects

The Baltimore Orioles broke out in a big way during the 2023 season and it was largely due to the success of players they developed within their farm system — a system which has become the envy of the league. While much of the talent broke through to the big leagues this past season, the Orioles still have plenty of depth within their system, one which contains several players who could be solid big leaguers in the near future. Here is a look a a few prospects that have flown under the radar.

Matthew Etzel, OF - Baltimore Orioles

Picked in the 10th round of the 2023 draft, Matthew Etzel has posted some of the best results of his class among the Orioles selections. Over 124 plate appearances across three levels last season, he slashed .323 / .455 / .510 with two homers, a strong showing that culminated with a five game stint in High-A. Etzel will turn 22 in April and is likely ticketed to start the season in High-A, but could advance quickly depending on how he performs.

What makes Etzel a fun prospect to watch is his impressive combination of raw power and well above-average speed. Heading into the 2024 season, Etzel has yet to translate that raw power into game power, but he’s used his speed to assist him in nabbing 21 stolen bases in just 30 games as a professional. On top of that, Etzel had a nearly identical walk-to-strikeout ratio during his first taste of professional baseball.

The hope is for Etzel to develop his power at the plate while maintaining his above average ability to draw walks, thus ensuring he continues to be an on-base machine that can rack up plenty of stolen bases.

John Rhodes, OF - Baltimore Orioles

Outfielder John Rhodes is the type of player that doesn’t showcase any dazzling tools but possesses average abilities in all facets of the game. A 3rd round selection in the 2021 draft, Rhodes hasn’t done anything too flashy during his first two seasons as a professional — he finished up the 2022 campaign with a career .243 / .357 / .371 slash line and a 105 wRC+. Last season, he performed well in High-A and earned a late season promotion to Double-A where his production hit a wall.