Orioles Have Nothing to Lose Calling Up Top Prospect Amid Lost Season

The 2025 MLB regular season has been a disaster for the Baltimore Orioles, who entered the year with incredibly high expectations but are falling woefully short.

Expected to be in the mix for the top spot in the American League East and viewed as legitimate World Series contenders, the Orioles find themselves at the opposite end of the spectrum.

They are one of the worst teams in baseball, owners of an ugly 16-32 record. Only the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies have fewer wins than Baltimore entering play on May 22.

There are a lot of reasons why the Orioles are in the position which they are.

Their starting pitching has been abysmal, with none of their offseason additions providing positive production. A lineup long of name recognition but short on performance in 2025 has been a major culprit as well.

Manager Brandon Hyde has already been fired, the first sign that the white flag is being waved on the campaign. Looking more and more like sellers with their playoff hopes plummeting, it is time for Baltimore to shake up the roster.

Should Orioles Promote Samuel Basallo to Major Leagues?

They have nothing to lose by promoting their top prospect, Samuel Basallo, to the Major League level and seeing what he can do.

Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com selected the catcher/first base phenom as one of the 10 prospects who should be called up the Big Leagues right now.

“The surprisingly struggling Orioles could use a jolt, and Basallo has just the bat to give them one,” they wrote.

Through 26 games and 102 plate appearances with Triple-A Norfolk, he has a .241/.343/.529 slash line. He has already hit seven home runs and four doubles, knocking in 16 runs, showcasing his prodigious raw power.

What makes his performance all the more impressive is that he is only 20 years old. He is the youngest regular in Triple-A and is more than holding his own.

With catcher Adley Rutschman and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle being among the most disappointing performers thus far this season, it wouldn’t hurt to give Basallo some at-bats to see what he can do.

Figuring out the core moving into the future should be the No. 1 priority for Baltimore for the remainder of the season.