'26 1st-round pick Booth always hoped to be drafted by Orioles

BALTIMORE -- During the leadup to the 2026 MLB Draft, various mocks had Eric Booth Jr. as a potential top-five pick. Some predicted the 18-year-old outfielder from Bassfield, Miss., would go near the start of the event on July 11, while others thought he could fall a bit lower.

Booth didn’t read or listen to any of that chatter.

“I didn’t try to pay too much attention to that, because when the Draft comes, you never know who’s going to be picking,” Booth said. “Wherever I go, that’s going to be the best place for me.”

At the same time, Booth knew there was one team he’d love to join: the Orioles, who picked at No. 7. The youngster participated in a workout at the club’s Spring Training complex in Sarasota, Fla., prior to the Draft, and he liked what he saw and heard from the organization.

Sure enough, Booth was still available when Baltimore was on the clock, and that’s exactly where he went.

“That’s what I always hoped,” said Booth, who was selected out of Oak Grove High School. “I hoped I’d end up coming here, and I enjoyed it when I came for the workout and I was hoping I came here, which I did. So that was amazing.”

The O’s have since signed 18 of their 20 picks from this year’s Draft class, including Booth, who inked a $7.32 million bonus. On Saturday, he was invited to Camden Yards -- along with fellow outfield prospects Ty Head (second-rounder) and Kevin Roberts Jr. (fourth-rounder) -- to take batting practice on the field prior to the Orioles’ game vs. the Braves.

Booth, Head and Roberts each had a locker inside Baltimore’s clubhouse and spent the afternoon touring the facilities. Then, they emerged from the first-base dugout during pregame workouts and had a brief chat with manager Craig Albernaz.

“It’s an awesome experience for them, and we want them to enjoy every minute of it, have that almost like Christmas morning feel, deer in the headlights, take it all in,” Albernaz said. “Because after today and the Minor League season starts for them, it’s a whole different grind. So for them to enjoy this day, they’ve earned it. It’s fun having these guys get acclimated and see the organization.

“We’ll make them feel at home, and hopefully, they put on a good show for BP for everyone.”

They certainly did that.

Booth and Head are both left-handed hitters who ripped liners to right field and deposited some balls in the seats in right-center and onto the flag court. Roberts, meanwhile, used his powerful right-handed swing to hit several balls over the deep left-field wall.

“I was just going for Eutaw Street," said Head, who was taken No. 46 overall out of North Carolina State University. "This stadium is beautiful, and what a time that was."

Head may have been the most experienced hitter among the trio, but he came away quite impressed with the younger Booth and Roberts.

“I wasn’t doing that in high school,” Head said with a smile. “A lot of kudos to the work they’ve put in. They’re going to be good.”

Booth and Roberts (who attended Jackson Preparatory School in Mississippi) knew each other before getting drafted by the Orioles, as they grew up in the same state. So they enjoyed getting to take in this opportunity together.

With Booth, there was little doubt he would sign with Baltimore despite being a high schooler, due to how high he was selected. But Roberts -- who received a $1 million bonus that was above the slot value of $711,800 at No. 110 overall -- always wanted to get a deal done, too.

“I just wanted somebody to give me the opportunity. I was satisfied with anything,” Roberts said. “The money isn’t anything to me. I just really want to play baseball, and I got that opportunity.”

From here, the draftees will go back to Sarasota, where they’ve been working out and getting introduced to the O’s organization. Head said he’s expected to report to Single-A Delmarva in mid-August. Booth and Roberts are less likely to play professional games this season, as the Orioles typically go slower with high schoolers than collegiate players.

But each of them is eager to get going and begin their climb up Baltimore’s Minor League ranks -- especially Booth, who said the club is getting “a hard-working competitive player that always wants to win.”

“I’m going to do whatever I can do to help this team get better,” Booth said.