Former Orioles Top Prospect Must Overcome Key Obstacle for MLB Breakout

The Baltimore Orioles have as deep a group of positional players as any team in baseball.

That has created some challenges for manager Brandon Hyde to find playing time for everyone, especially younger players who haven’t had a chance to establish themselves yet at the Major League level.

One of the players who has been patiently waiting for a shot at extended playing time is outfielder Heston Kjerstad.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft instantly became one of the more highly regarded prospects in the sport. Heading into the 2021 campaign, he was already in the top 100 prospects across the industry lists and remained there until graduating in 2024.

Kjerstad was excellent in the minor leagues, recording a .304/.387/.524 slash line with 42 home runs, 61 doubles and 11 triples.

There was nothing left to prove on the farm after putting up 26 home runs, 33 doubles, six triples and 90 RBI with four stolen bases and a slash line of .299/.382/.541 in 591 plate appearances.

Alas, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations yet at the Major League level with a .248/.336/.411 slash line across 146 plate appearances. Inconsistent opportunities have certainly played a part in the underwhelming production.

Finding playing time at the highest level has been a challenge, but a spot in the lineup was opened up with All-Star right fielder Anthony Santander hitting the free agent market this winter and departing, agreeing to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Orioles signed Tyler O’Neill to replace him in the lineup, but there will be opportunities for Kjerstad to be in the mix for semi-regular at-bats as well.

That is part of the reason why Matt Brandon of Sports Illustrated has highlighted Kjerstad as a sleeper heading into the 2025 season. If he can prove capable of handling left-handed pitching, he has the talent to produce impressive numbers.

“Should he prove capable of handling left-handed pitching at the major league level, a 20-home run, 80-RBI season is well within his reach. Kjerstad will likely compete for regular at-bats in both the outfield and at DH, positioning him as a player with significant fantasy upside in 2025,” Brandon wrote.

Unfortunately, he isn’t entering the regular season with a ton of momentum after an underwhelming spring training.

Kjerstad had a slash line of .209/.346/.326 with one home run and two doubles across 53 plate appearances with 13 strikeouts.

With Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and O’Neill locked into prominent roles and Ryan O’Hearn set to receive the bulk of designated hitter at-bats, the former top prospect is going to have his work cut out for him receiving enough playing time to reach the numbers Brandon believes him to be capable of.