These 5 O's prospects stole the show during Spring Breakout win

SARASOTA, Fla. -- A near-MLB-ready pitcher put the finishing touches on a strong spring, an 18-year-old delivered the biggest hit of the night and a 6-foot-8 left-hander racked up eight strikeouts at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota on Friday.

There was no shortage of impressive performances during the Orioles' 3-1 win over the Red Sox in the third annual Spring Breakout prospect showcase.

Here's a look at the five future stars who stole the show for the O's.

RHP Trey Gibson (O's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline)
Although Gibson will begin the 2026 season in Triple-A Norfolk's rotation, the 23-year-old right-hander has not yet been optioned to Minor League camp, as his first stint in big league Spring Training has been lengthy. After recording a 4.66 ERA in three Grapefruit League appearances, he capped his spring with three scoreless innings on Friday.

Gibson started the Spring Breakout game, giving up only one hit, striking out two and throwing 30 pitches, 24 of which were strikes. The Orioles' 2025 Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award winner continues to position himself for a potential big league call-up later in '26.

"Pretty happy. You can't really get much better than that -- 30 pitches in three innings, a ton of ground balls," Gibson said. "I was also pretty happy to be able to put on a performance like that in front of the Orioles fans, let them see what the future can hold."

OF Nate George (O's No. 3, No. 93 overall)
At this time last year, George didn't even appear on top prospect lists as an under-the-radar 2024 16th-round Draft pick. But the 19-year-old climbed three levels in '25 -- going from the Florida Complex League to Single-A Delmarva to High-A Aberdeen -- and won the O's Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year Award, so he's no longer unknown.

George showed his impressive tools in the third, when he hit a 103.1 mph liner the opposite way to right field and legged out a double.

"If you didn't know who Nate George was, there's no way you can hide it anymore," said Christian Frias, the Orioles' FCL manager who was in the dugout for Spring Breakout.

1B/OF Ike Irish (O's No. 6)
The Orioles' 2025 first-round Draft pick, Irish had already made a positive impression this spring by going 4-for-5 in Grapefruit League games when coming over as an extra player from the Minor League side. The 22-year-old carried over that success by hitting a double off the right-center-field wall in the sixth.

Irish also scored Baltimore's first run on a groundout by Aron Estrada that tied the game.

"I think we basically play [Spring Breakout] every single day [in camp], where it's always a competition, it's always head-to-head," Irish said. "It's a fun thing at the end of the spring to look forward to."

INF Wilfri De La Cruz (O's No. 22)
De La Cruz may only be 18 years old, but he came through in the game's biggest moment in the seventh. Facing Red Sox No. 9 prospect Marcus Phillips (the No. 33 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft), De La Cruz knocked a go-ahead two-run single to right field that proved to be the difference in the contest.

The O's acquired De La Cruz last July 31 in the trade that sent right-hander Andrew Kittredge to the Cubs. The San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic, native played 12 games for Baltimore's Dominican Summer League team after joining the organization.

"Knowing that I was joining this team, I was really excited and really happy," De La Cruz said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. "Just looking forward to putting in the work."

LHP Joseph Dzierwa (O's No. 14)
We saved the best showing for last on this list. Dzierwa, Baltimore's 2025 second-round Draft pick, racked up eight strikeouts and gave up only one hit over three scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.

The 6-foot-8 southpaw throws a sinker that sits 94-96 mph, and the 21-year-old used it to carve through Boston's prospect-filled lineup, striking out the final seven batters he faced. The O's highest-drafted pitcher in the Mike Elias era (since November 2018), Dzierwa hasn't yet made his professional debut, but he'll be a pitcher to keep a close eye on this year.

"I've loved it so far [in the organization]. Everyone's helped me out a ton -- strength, conditioning, nutrition, pitching," Dzierwa said. "Everyone's been great. Guys around me are fun, too. I've learned a lot from them."