One of Mike Elias’ key points of emphasis when he took over as general manager of the Orioles was to re-engage on the international market. Basallo was one of their first primary targets, getting what was then an organizational-record $1.3 million bonus to sign in January 2021. After showing glimpses of his offensive potential in the Dominican Summer League in '21, and then in the Florida Complex League the following year, Basallo burst on the scene by posting a .953 OPS while reaching Double-A as a teenager.
It's becoming clear it might be a mistake to put a cap on Basallo’s offensive ceiling. The left-handed hitter combines the ability to hit the ball very hard with elite-level exit velocities and an advanced approach at the plate, making him a very dangerous hitter. Basallo has very strong hands and has simplified his setup, giving him the ability to drive the ball to all fields and make a ton of contact. He also draws a lot of walks, helping him to get in better counts to tap into his considerable raw power consistently, with the 20 homers he hit in 2023 just the tip of the iceberg.
If there are any questions at all about Basallo, they are about his ability to stick behind the plate. He’s made strides there, too, and his plus arm helped him throw out 33.1 percent of potential basestealers a year ago. There’s still work to be done on his overall receiving, but his bat will profile just fine at first base, where he’s been getting comfortable defensively to provide some positional flexibility, especially with Adley Rutschman behind the dish in Baltimore.
One of the first splashes the Orioles’ revamped international scouting department made in Latin America, Basallo signed for $1.3 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, receiving what -- at the time -- was the largest bonus ever given by the O’s to an international prospect. The left-handed hitting backstop rewarded the club with a very solid showing in Rookie ball, hitting 11 homers with a .344 on-base-percentage in 84 games across two seasons.
Basallo hits the ball really hard. His top offensive tool is his potential plus power, which wowed scouts by registering triple-digit exit velocity readings with wood bats as a 16-year-old. His 6-foot-4 frame creates an imposing presence in the box and produces precocious strength. Strong hands help him drive pitches consistently, and he’s quieted his front side since turning pro, eliminating a high leg kick with an eye toward improving bat control. He might need to keep shortening the swing to keep up with higher-level pitching, but is already producing strong walk rates for his strength and age.
Basallo is still raw defensively, but has a huge arm -- clocked as high as 86 mph on throws to second base. Though his physique suggests he could grow too big to catch, the Orioles are bullish on his flexibility and hopeful that outside factors -- like the automated strike zone in affiliated ball -- help ease his transition out of Rookie ball from a defensive standpoint. They’ve also spent time getting Basallo used to first base, where his offensive skill set would profile well. Wherever he ends up defensively, Basallo’s age gives more than enough time to develop into an everyday run producer at the highest level. He’s a potential breakout prospect heading into 2023.
The Orioles are investing more heavily than ever in the international market these days, and their system is starting to show the fruits of those efforts. One prime example is Basallo, a left-handed-hitting backstop who signed for $1.3 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, receiving what -- at the time -- was the largest bonus ever given by the O’s to an international prospect. Basallo then built on that promise with a solid debut season, hitting five homers in 41 games in Rookie ball.
Basallo hits the ball hard. His best tool is his potential plus power, which wowed scouts by registering triple-digit exit velocity readings with wood bats as a 16-year-old. His 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame creates an imposing presence in the box and produces precocious strength, coupling with a high leg kick and strong hands to drive pitches consistently. It’s a long swing Basallo may need to shorten to keep up with higher-level pitching, but he showed good plate discipline for a young player in his pro debut and should get even stronger as his body matures.
Basallo also receives high marks for his arm strength and flexibility behind the plate, though his physique suggests he could grow out of the position in time. The Orioles gave Basallo experience last summer at first base, where his offensive skill set would profile well. Either way, his age gives him huge upside and more than enough time to develop into an everyday run producer at the highest level if it all clicks.
The Orioles celebrated a record-setting international class on signing day 2021, having invested more heavily in the market than at any other point in franchise history. The clearest example of that commitment is Basallo, a bat-first catcher who signed for $1.3 million out of the Dominican Republic. The bonus is the largest ever given by the Orioles to an international prospect.
A left-handed-hitting backstop with potential plus power, Basallo wowed scouts by registering triple-digit exit velocity readings with wood bats as a 16-year-old. He stands out for his physique and raw power to all fields, producing precocious strength from his 6-foot-3, 180 pound frame. Basallo is an imposing presence in the box, using a high leg kick and strong hands to drive pitches consistently. Like all young players, he may need to shorten that swing to adjust to pitching at the next level.
Scouts also give Basallo high marks for his arm strength and flexibility behind the plate, while noting he’s already big for the position and could grow out of it in time. There is room for his receiving and blocking to improve as he develops, and questions about his quickness will linger simply because of his size. But as one of the younger players in his entire class, Basallo has a lot of time to tackle this learning curve. If it all clicks, he could grow into an run-producing, everyday backstop at the big league level.
