Upside, upside , upside is what the Orioles got when they signed this 16-year old catcher for $1.3 million and he ended up hitting the most home runs of any Orioles farmhand in the Dominican Summer League despite being one of the youngest layers in the league.
Samuel Basallo
Pos: C
Bats: L
Throws: R
Age (as of Jun 30th) : 16
2021 Level: DSL
Tools (current/future value)
Hit: 20/50
Game Power: 40/70
Raw Power: 50/70
Run: 40/40
Defense: 30/50
| Season | Team | Level | Age | HR | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | LD% | GB% | FB% | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 2021 | BAL | DSL | 16 | 5 | 12.3% | 20.8% | .239 | .338 | .410 | .748 | .172 | 24.5% | 34.7% | 40.8% | .364 | 109 |
Most Likely Future Role: Too Early
Ceiling: 1st Division Starting Catcher
What we know: The Orioles biggest Latin American signing ever when he was signed for $1.3 million, the Orioles thought they were buying a power bat and would see what they had defensively. Playing as the youngest player on the Orioles Dominican Summer League teams, the 6-foot-3 left-handed swinger showed off his power potential by leading all of the Orioles farm hands with his five home runs. Known for his exit velocities before his signing, Basallo collected an impressive 24.5% line drive rate and put up a solid .364 wOBA. He also showed decent plate discipline for a 16-year old drawing walks at a 12.3 % while striking out at just 20.8%.
While there were concerns that Basallo would outgrow catcher, he quieted some of those concerns by his play behind the plate in his first professional season by showing outstanding flexibility (he can do a complete split) and a power arm that saw him catch 26% of runners despite inexperienced pitchers not holding runners well.
What we don’t know: Basallo is obviously a long way from the majors and is so young, there are many outcomes. He could very well outgrow being a catcher, but if the power bat is for real, the bat should play at first base easily.
What we think: There is a huge upside here, but obviously extreme risk of him reaching his ceiling. He was in the Instructional League this fall being put on a strength and conditioning program and will be in minor league spring training next year in Sarasota. He will start his 2022 campaign at 17-years old so he; most likely will play in the Florida Complex League next year with a good chance of being in Delmarva as an 18-year old in 2023. This is all about upside but it’s nice bat profile for sure.