This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
DETROIT -- It’s a big week down on the Orioles’ farm, as some of the top prospects in the system have been promoted to new levels and will make their debuts at higher affiliates.
That group does not include first baseman/outfielder Ike Irish, however. Baltimore’s 2025 first-round Draft pick was nearing a promotion to Double-A Chesapeake when he sustained a meniscus tear in his left knee last Wednesday that will likely end his season.
Irish (the O’s No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 78 overall) had a strong year at High-A Frederick, hitting .286 with 20 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 59 RBIs and a .916 OPS over 76 games. The 22-year-old is well positioned to make the jump to Double-A at the start of 2027.
Here’s a look at the Orioles’ prospects who are being promoted this week.
Triple-A Norfolk: LHP Luis De León (O’s No. 7), RHP Juaron Watts-Brown (O’s No. 27)
De León had a 4.33 ERA in 19 Double-A starts this season, but the 23-year-old southpaw has really come on of late. The Barahona, Dominican Republic, native had nine strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in his final start for Chesapeake on Sunday and had a 1.80 ERA over eight outings since June 11.
Watts-Brown was acquired in the deal that sent reliever Seranthony Domínguez to the Blue Jays ahead of the 2025 Trade Deadline. The 24-year-old right-hander had a 5.76 ERA in 14 starts for Chesapeake this year, but he posted a 3.13 ERA over six outings since June 18.
In 84 games for Frederick, Aloy (the No. 31 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft) posted a .300/.371/.503 slash line with 14 doubles, four triples, 15 home runs and 69 RBIs. The University of Arkansas product also played at a high level on the left side of the infield.
Hunter has been a breakout pitcher in the Orioles’ system this year, as he wasn’t even ranked on the club’s Top 30 Prospects list entering the season. The 22-year-old left-hander, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 Draft out of the University of Southern California, began the year by posting a 1.17 ERA in six games (five starts) for Single-A Delmarva.
Then, Hunter got moved up to Frederick, where he had a 1.60 ERA in 10 games (nine starts). So it will be exciting to see how he performs against Double-A competition, beginning with his first start at Altoona on Wednesday.
Figueroa has also been among the top performers at High-A, as the 22-year-old clubbed 22 homers and drove in 74 runs while posting a .914 OPS over 79 games. He was among the six prospects acquired in the deal that sent Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano to the Padres ahead of the 2025 Trade Deadline.
High-A Frederick: INF Félix Amparo, C Andrés Nolaya, RHP Christian Rodriguez, LHP Stephen Still
The most intriguing prospect among this group may be Rodriguez, a 21-year-old right-hander out of Venezuela. He recorded a 2.57 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) at Single-A this season, collecting 100 strikeouts over 94 2/3 innings.
Nolaya also played well at Delmarva, posting an .804 OPS with 18 extra-base hits (11 doubles, two triples, five home runs) over 63 games.