Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 65 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Charlotte Christian High School in North Carolina has had six players drafted, but Layton became just the second one to sign. The Bard brothers -- Daniel and Luke -- and Jackson Kowar are all pitching alumni who made it to the big leagues, but not until after they went to college. Layton looked like he might go that route, committing to Southern Miss, but instead he signed with the Orioles with an over-slot bonus of $715,800 in the sixth round of the 2024 Draft. His first year of pro ball in the Florida Complex League in 2025 was rough, but he started to use his considerable toolbox more consistently with a move to full-season ball in 2026.

Layton is a switch-hitter with premium athleticism. He shows off very good plate discipline, which leads to a ton of walks, and there’s at least above-average raw power in there, as evidenced by a max exit velocity north of 111 mph this season. Whether he can get to it will depend on if he can cut down the considerable swing-and-miss in his game. He’s at least a plus runner, one who is still learning the craft of stealing bags.

That speed should help Layton stay up the middle. He has plenty of range and more than enough arm for shortstop but has work to do on his overall defensive game. He’s seen plenty of time in center field, where his athleticism really plays, and at second base.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 40 | Overall: 40

The Orioles under Mike Elias love to draft college players, and the 2024 Draft was no different, with Baltimore taking each of their first six picks from the collegiate ranks. But they tend to break that pattern once or twice per Draft for a prep player they really believe in, and in 2024, that was Layton. An athletic infielder from Charlotte Christian HS in North Carolina, Layton was the only high schooler the Orioles took in the top 10 rounds when they made him a sixth-rounder. They then went more than twice over slot to sign him away from his commitment to Southern Miss for $715,800.

The Orioles decided to wait for 2025 for Layton to make his pro debut. But they are bullish on the athletic switch-hitter with a few interesting raw tools. He’s shown some ability to make consistent contact from both sides of the plate, and he uses all fields with a gap-to-gap approach and a solid swing. Layton’s athleticism plays on both sides of the ball, and on the basepaths, he has the kind of speed that should make him a basestealing threat.

Layton was clocked at up to 93 mph as a prep pitcher, plus arm strength that would help him play anywhere in the middle of the field. Though he was drafted as a shortstop, he lacked defensive polish and area scouts weren’t convinced Layton had the chops to stick there. Even if he gets the chance to prove them wrong off the bat, Layton’s speed, athleticism and arm strength may be best suited long-term for center field, where those raw tools can play more freely.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

The Orioles went college heavy early in the 2024 Draft, taking players from that bucket with each of their six picks over the first five rounds. The only high schooler they took in the top 10 rounds was Layton, an athletic infielder from Charlotte Christian High School in North Carolina, selecting him in the sixth round and going more than twice over slot to sign him away from his commitment to Southern Miss for $720,000. He won’t make his official professional debut until 2025, but Layton impressed his new employers with how he looked on the back fields in Florida after signing.

Layton is an athletic switch-hitter with some tools, albeit raw ones. He has shown some ability to make consistent contact from both sides of the plate, using all fields with a gap-to-gap approach and a solid swing. It remains to be seen how much impact he’ll have, though it should be noted he was pretty young for his class, not turning 18 until after the Draft. His athleticism plays on both sides of the ball, with the kind of speed that should make him a base-stealing threat.

Area scouts weren’t convinced that Layton had the chops to stick at shortstop, though the Orioles might give him the chance to, at least at the outset. He does have a plus arm that was up to 93 mph as a prep pitcher, but some evaluators felt he’d be better suited to let his athleticism really shine in center field. 

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/11/2026	SS DJ Layton assigned to Frederick Keys from Delmarva Shorebirds.
	03/24/2026	SS DJ Layton assigned to Delmarva Shorebirds from FCL Orioles.
	03/05/2026	Baltimore Orioles Prospects activated SS DJ Layton.
	03/05/2026	SS DJ Layton assigned to Baltimore Orioles Prospects.
	03/06/2025	activated SS DJ Layton.
	07/30/2024	SS DJ Layton assigned to FCL Orioles.
	07/30/2024	FCL Orioles activated SS DJ Layton.
	07/29/2024	Baltimore Orioles signed SS DJ Layton.
	01/16/2024	SS DJ Layton assigned to College Workout.
	09/29/2023	SS DJ Layton assigned to High School Workout.