Right-handed prospect Esteban Mejia throws over 100 mph and is now viewed as one of the Orioles’ best prospects by Baseball America.

When it comes to the ideal mold of a pitcher in the Draft, top prospects can come in all shapes and sizes. Yes, many will picture a Paul Skenes type: 6-foot-6 with a clean delivery, upper-90s fastball velocity and several plus secondary pitches.

The Baltimore Orioles have had a rough season in more ways than one as they sit firmly at the bottom of the standings in the American League East.There are numerous reasons why that has been the case from a lack of pitching depth to guys not producing at the rate they were supposed to, however the most significant cause might be injuries.The catching group has been hit particularly hard as of late and could force the Orioles hand into doing something they may not be ready to do yet.More News: Orioles Send Tomoyuki Sugano to NL Contender in Hypothetical Trade ProposalStarting backstop Adley Rutschman has been out since the middle of June with an oblique issue and though he is starting to swing a bat again, it seems he is still a ways away from returning to the lineup. Baltimore's plan for handling it was an offseason acquisition who they paid a premium to acquire.Veteran catcher Gary Sanchez was given a lucrative one-year contract, however he has spent multiple stints on the IL this year as well with the latest knee sprain issue set hold him out for the next two months at a minimum.More News: Orioles Rookie Pitcher Pulls Off Extraordinary Feat Against MetsWith both Rutschman and Sanchez on the shelf along with Chadwick Tromp and Maverick Handley, the Orioles could soon have to call up top prospect Samuel Basallo simply to give them some relief at the position.In all likelihood, Baltimore is not going to rush along such a critical future piece of the puzzle and risk harming his development, but as far as the bat goes, Basallo has proven to be more than ready.With another mashed home run on Tuesday, Basallo now is slashing .263/.384/.572 with 17 long balls and 42 RBI in just 58 games this season.More News: Orioles Amongst Most Disappointing Teams With One of Largest Drops in Playoff OddsThe word on the street surrounding the 20-year-old is the Orioles belief that he is not yet ready defensively for the Major Leagues at the catcher position will keep him in Norfolk for now and they have no plans to rush him along.More News: Orioles Veteran Preparing for Bullpen Session After Lengthy Shoulder SetbackWhile that is a sound mindset to have, it's going to be tempting over the next several weeks if Basallo keeps on hitting to not at least consider giving him a shot during a season which effectively already places Baltimore out of contention in early July.The Orioles are going to hold off for as long as they possibly can when it comes to bringing up their young slugger, but Basallo keeps on giving Baltimore reasons why he should be in the big leagues right now.For more Orioles news, head over to Orioles On SI.This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/orioles as Orioles Latest Catcher Injury Could Force Them to Promote Top Prospect Soon.

Orioles projected to trade Ryan O’Hearn to Mariners at MLB deadline, acquiring top prospects to accelerate their rebuilding process.

Get all the info you need to follow this year's draft, including the top prospects, first round projections and bonus pool explanations.

That out of the way, here’s a look at the top prospects who can help your fantasy roster this season. 1. Jordan Lawlar, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks 2025 stats: 53 G, .319/.410/.583, 10 HR, 18 SB, 30 BB,

In the first four years that Mike Elias was the general manager, he was able to enjoy the benefits of drafting high in each Draft on account of the team being bad. The Orioles were not bad in 2022, meaning their 2023 Draft position was in the middle of the first round instead of the top five in the Draft.

A little more than two hours north of Fenway Park on Tuesday night, an opposite Rockies universe played out at Delta Dental Park. Lefty Sean Sullivan (ranked by MLB Pipeline as Colorado's No. 8 prospe