BALTIMORE -- Will Robertson ran his first MLB Draft as the Orioles’ vice president of domestic scouting this weekend. And he couldn’t have been happier with how everything unfolded.
“If you had told me ahead of time we would have this haul in our class,” Robertson said, “I would have signed the dotted line.”
Though Robertson was new to the assignment, Baltimore’s front office made familiar decisions over the first four rounds on Day 1. The O’s again went heavy on outfielders –- beginning with high school standout Eric Booth Jr. at No. 7 overall in the first round and then adding two more -- while also continuing their recent trend of taking at least one pitcher early.
In addition to Booth, the Orioles selected outfielders Ty Head out of North Carolina State University (No. 46 overall in the second round) and Kevin Roberts Jr. out of Jackson (Miss.) Preparatory School (No. 110 in the fourth). They also drafted University of Kansas right-hander Dominic Voegele at No. 82 in the third round.
Robertson believes all three outfielders have the potential to remain in center for the long term.
“We definitely have the highest level of confidence that these guys are real center fielders,” Robertson said. “All of them are exceptional athletes with plus or double-plus speed, allowing them to roam all over the outfield. All of them have plenty of arm for the position.”
Since president of baseball operations Mike Elias was hired in November 2018, Baltimore has never selected a pitcher in the first round. But the organization has shown an increased willingness to take hurlers within the first three rounds in recent years, and that continued with the addition of Voegele.
Highest-drafted pitchers by Orioles in Elias era
No. 58 — LHP Joseph Dzierwa (2025 second round)
No. 63 — RHP Jackson Baumeister (2023 Competitive Balance Round B)
No. 69 — RHP JT Quinn (2025 Competitive Balance Round B)
No. 81 — RHP Nolan McLean (2022 third round, did not sign)
No. 82 — RHP Dominic Voegele (2026 third round)
No. 86 — RHP Kiefer Lord (2023 third round)
Booth will likely be the standout member of the O’s class. Here’s a rundown on the rest of their Draft:
Ty Head, OF
- Round 2, Pick 46
- Bats/throws: L/L
- School: North Carolina State University
- Calling Card: The No. 60 prospect in the class, Head is a well-rounded player with plenty of high-quality tools, so the 21-year-old is projected to remain a center fielder long term. His left-handed bat could be his top skill, though, as he has the potential to walk a lot and not strike out much while showcasing elite bat-to-ball ability.
- Quote: “When you see his ability to walk relative to his ability to strike out, that was in extremely, extremely rare territory for that ratio, especially for a 6-3 center fielder, legitimate center-field ball-hawk defender who can get to some pullside power. So, we just thought it was a rare collection of traits.” -- Robertson
Dominic Voegele, RHP
- Round 3, Pick 82
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: University of Kansas
- Calling Card: The No. 205 prospect in the class, Voegele set a school record this spring by racking up 120 strikeouts over 97 innings for the Jayhawks. The 21-year-old right-hander has a fastball that sits around 93-96 mph and can touch 98, but his best pitches are his 60-grade curveball and his 55-grade slider, either of which he can use to put away hitters.
- Quote: “We reviewed him with all manner of people in the organization -- scouting department, office analysts and pitching player development -- and we’re pretty confident in the development path to further take advantage of his strengths.” -- Robertson
Kevin Roberts Jr., OF
- Round 4, Pick 110
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Jackson (Miss.) Preparatory School
- Calling Card: The No. 136 prospect in the class, Roberts was one of the best pure athletes available, in large part due to his impressive combination of 55-grade power and 60-grade speed. The 17-year-old stands at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, and he’s a high-upside pick because of how much potential he has to grow early in his pro career.
- Quote: “His physical abilities stand out, really, at the top of the class. We think he has some of the highest upside in this class, with huge power, speed, arm strength. He has a good track record of hitting on the whole. So it’s just an incredible blend of traits, and at only 17 years old, we’re really excited to get our hands on him and see what he can develop into.” -- Robertson
Rounds 5-10
After taking Voegele in the third round, the Orioles continued to heavily target college pitchers early on Day 2. They selected University of Alabama left-hander Zane Adams in the sixth, Xavier right-hander Ryan Piech in the seventh and University of Arizona righty Collin McKinney in the ninth. Baltimore began the day, though, by taking shortstop Jimmy Anderson (Heartland Community College in Illinois), who was the club’s 19th-round pick in 2025 but did not sign and instead returned to school.
Player to watch: Zane Adams, LHP
- Round 6
- Bats/throws: L/L
- School: University of Alabama
- Calling Card: There’s a lot to like about this 6-foot-4 southpaw, who racked up 100 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings over 17 starts for the Crimson Tide this spring. Adams has a fastball that will play from the left side, as it usually sits in the mid-90s. But his best pitch is easily his changeup, which had a 54% whiff rate this season. It appears to be a plus offering that should help the 22-year-old have success early in his professional career.
Rounds 11-15
Baltimore stuck with the same approach, selecting an additional four college pitchers in this range -- Coastal Carolina right-hander Ross Norman (11th), BYU righty Garrison Sumner (13th), Mercer righty Miguel Hugas (14th) and UCF righty Braden Smith (15th).
Player to watch: Ross Norman, RHP
- Round 11
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Coastal Carolina University
- Calling Card: This is a big righty (6-foot-7) with a big-time fastball. Norman’s heater sits in the mid-90s, but he can dial it up to the 97-98 range. He also has an intriguing mix with an upper-80s cutter and a mid-80s slider. The 21-year-old’s college stats may not look impressive (a 6.46 ERA in 78 innings this spring), but the stuff is there. So once the O’s player development department gets ahold of him, there’s the potential for significant growth.
Rounds 16-20
Although the O’s went after college players early, they loaded up on high schoolers late. Among their final five picks, four came from the prep ranks -- two pitchers and two position players. (It’s also worth noting that one shares a first name with a popular Orioles player -- right-hander Gunnar Garrison from Eaton High School in Colorado.)
Player to watch: Diego Gutierrez, RHP
- Round 17
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: University of San Diego
- Calling Card: Here’s another pitcher whose college numbers don’t jump off the page. However, Gutierrez had success in the Appalachian League this summer, recording a 1.26 ERA with a 39.7% strikeout rate over 14 1/3 innings. He’s also already an experienced arm, considering he’s 23 years old. So if he can carry over this recent momentum, there’s the possibility of him becoming an intriguing arm in Baltimore’s system.
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