Baltimore Orioles Select Star Prep Shortstop in Latest MLB Mock Draft

The Baltimore Orioles are not having the season they anticipated. They are well out of first place in the American League East. After building one of the best minor league systems in the league, and making the playoffs two years in a row, Baltimore's flaws hit like a train.

Sure, there has been regression in the lineup. Adley Rutschman is barely a league average hitter, Gunnar Henderson hasn't been the MVP caliber player he was in 2024, and Heston Kjerstad has -1.4 bWAR.

That being said, it's still a young lineup, and there is no reason to give up on the core just yet. Their biggest flaw is the pitching. After letting Corbin Burnes walk, they patched it together with scotch tape and have the fourth lowest rotation ERA in baseball to show for it.

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It's clear that the Orioles need pitching, and they need it quick. The draft is definitely one way to do that, as college pitchers can move very quickly as they're a little more advanced.

Teams dont necessarily draft for need, but in the Orioles' case, drafting pitching should be heavily considered. However, Jim Callis' latest mock draft had Baltimore taking another young bat in Kayson Cunningham, an infielder from Johnson High School in San Antonio.

Cunningham is one of the best prep shortstops in this draft cycle. Ranked 11th overall by MLB Pipeline, he is the fourth rated high school shortstop.

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The Texas commit has some of the most exciting tools in the draft, especially at the plate. In fact, Pipeline says that Cunningham is "perhaps the best in the 2025 prep class," per Callis.

The 18-year-old hit .417 for Team USA in the 18-and-under World Cup qualifier. He sports two plus tools, both hit and run are rated as 60.

"Cunningham has exceptional barrel control and rarely swings and misses. He has a mature approach, covers the entire strike zone and utilizes the whole field," according to his scouting report.

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He has below average power, but as he gets older and adds strength, he could be a 20 homer player.

The Texas commit has great speed, but despite that, scouts believe that he may have to make the move over the second base in the future.

Cunningham is an exciting player, there's no doubt. Great, projectable tools from an 18-year-old tends to get fanbases exciting. However, Baltimore fans may want to see some pitching in the draft this year.

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