Samuel Basallo endured his struggles in the bigs. (MLB.com)
Baltimore Orioles catcher/first base prospect Samuel Basallo definitely justified his status as No. 5 on our Top 100 Prospects rankings with a huge showing at Triple-A this year, earning his first look in the majors, where he struggled to gain some traction.
Despite missing most of April on the IL, he hit the ground running in the minors and generally got better as the season progressed. All told through 270 at-bats, Basallo hit .270 with a very impressive 966 OPS while flashing more power than ever.
He was finally rewarded with a promotion to Charm City in August (days after his 21st birthday), but he had issues adjusting, hitting just .190 that month before scuffling even more in September (.149 BA). All told, Basallo hit just .165 in the bigs while striking out a bit more often than he had at Triple-A, but he did manage some decent counting cat totals.
Playing Time Questions
Heading into 2026, PT remains the big question for this youngster. We know that Adley Rutschman will still be the No. 1 catcher, so if Basallo is going to get enough PT that means time at first base/DH. With Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle around, there will be only so many at-bats to go around, but if Mountcastle is non-tendered, that will definitely change Basallo’s Fantasy outlook for the positive.
We know for certain that Basallo qualifies at C for 2026, but before long, he may also be first base eligible, which will add some versatility to his Fantasy profile.
Technically, he remains a rookie for given that he had only 109 at-bats this year, so he’ll likely slot inside our top 10 again when we release our 2026 prospect rankings. Basallo has an amazing arm, and offensively, the big kid’s best tool is his power (see video below).
In fact, don’t sleep on him as a candidate for AL ROY next season; there’s a good reason the O’s inked him to an eight-year, $67-million extension just days after his callup to the Show.
For 2026, consider Basallo a top 20 catcher, with low-end starter upside and near 20-homer, 70-RBI potential.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
British jungle musician M-Beat was born Marlon Hart. He had a few hits in the 1990s, the last of which was “Do U Know Where You’re Coming From,” a track that featured Jamiroquai.