Tuesday, July 28

Welcome to another edition of the Orioles Beat newsletter. The O’s play two more in Detroit this week before returning home for a six-game homestand vs. the Phillies and Angels.

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.

The third-highest-ranked pitching prospect in Baltimore’s system -- behind fellow lefties Joseph Dzierwa (No. 3) and Boston Bateman (No. 6) -- De León proved he was ready for the challenge of Triple-A and will now showcase his electric stuff at the Minors’ highest level.

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.

Double-A Chesapeake: INF Wehiwa Aloy (O’s No. 4), LHP Caden Hunter (O’s No. 11), INF Victor Figueroa, RHP Joe Glassey

Aloy’s promotion was well deserved, as the 22-year-old tore up the High-A level for months.

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.

Here are the scheduled promotions for the upcoming homestand at Camden Yards:

• Friday vs. PHI, 7:05 p.m. ET: Party at the Yard

• Saturday vs. PHI, 7:05 p.m. ET: Orioles Hall of Fame induction ceremony

• Sunday vs. PHI, 1:35 p.m. ET: Family Sunday; Kids Run the Bases (ages 4-12)

• Aug. 4 vs. LAA, 6:35 p.m. ET: Pokémon GO Night (special ticket package sold out)

• Aug. 5 vs. LAA, 6:35 p.m. ET: Grateful Dead Night

• Aug. 6 vs. LAA, 12:35 p.m. ET: Day Camp Day

“Well, it’s still July. The month is still July. ... We have two whole months of baseball, which is a lot of time. It is, but it isn't. Take that how you will. But I think for us, minimize mistakes and play clean baseball. We're way better than what our record shows. But we've given a lot of stuff away collectively through mistakes and what have you throughout the year. So that's why our record is what it is. But we have the ability to go on a run. We have the ability to do damage and win a lot of games. We have that ability. We just need to execute and do that.” -- first baseman Pete Alonso, on the state of the Orioles

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