Basallo breakout imminent? O's top prospect homers, continues hot spring

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A Samuel Basallo breakout could come early in 2026, as the 21-year-old phenom has spent much of Spring Training this year showing exactly why he's MLB Pipeline's No. 8 overall prospect.

Basallo's torrid spring continued Friday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark, where he went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and five RBIs in the Orioles' 11-8 Grapefruit League loss to the Phillies. Baltimore's top prospect is hitting .320 (8-for-25) with a .974 OPS over 10 exhibition games.

Last year, Basallo reached the big leagues for the first time and hit .165 with six doubles, four homers, 15 RBIs and a .559 OPS in 31 games, showing small flashes of his potential. This year, it may not take the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, native long to put it all together and start raking on a consistent basis.

"Last year when I came up, I came up in August. That time of year, your body starts to feel it a little bit, and obviously, it's a new level as well," Basallo said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. "It was challenging. But I feel like coming into this year, this season, I feel a lot more comfortable, a lot more patient, this time around.

"So I feel a lot better going into this season. I feel like I'm in a better position going into it than I was last year when I debuted."

Basallo's first home run of the spring came against a fellow prospect -- right-hander Andrew Painter, who ranks No. 2 in the Phillies' system and No. 28 in baseball. The two faced off in Triple-A last year as Basallo (playing for Norfolk at the time) went 0-for-3 with a strikeout last May 29 against the righty, who was pitching for Lehigh Valley.

After popping out in the first inning, Basallo went deep off Painter in the third, connecting on a 3-2 inside fastball and jolting it a Statcast-projected 375 feet to right field. The ball left Basallo's bat at an exit velocity of 105.7 mph.

Basallo hit another laser in the seventh, belting a 108.7 mph double to deep right-center field that plated three runs. It was also a left-on-left knock, as Basallo connected on a 1-0 sweeper from Tucker Davidson that came in high in the strike zone.

"He's such a great hitter in the box," manager Craig Albernaz said of Basallo, who signed an eight-year, $67 million extension with the O's last August. "I love the way he manages at-bats against lefties. That's what's really stood out this camp, just how comfortable he is."

The 6-foot-4 Basallo also continues to get better on defense. Although Adley Rutschman remains the Orioles' No. 1 catcher, Basallo should get plenty of starts behind the plate. And when he's not there, his bat will often still be in the lineup at designated hitter.

"We're throwing a lot at him, just like any catcher, especially a young catcher," Albernaz said. "Fine-tuning some techniques, throwing more on his plate with pitch calling and game planning and stuff. He's answered the bell. He's been looking really good."

With about one week to go in Spring Training, Basallo is focused on finishing strong and putting himself in a position to carry his positive momentum into the regular season. If that happens, his first full big league campaign could be one to remember -- perhaps even one that earns him the American League Rookie of the Year Award.

"I feel like all the work that I put in in the offseason," Basallo said, "we're seeing it pay off right now."