The Baltimore Orioles are arguably the best team in the American League.
Their 91-54 record speaks for itself.
The scariest part of it all is that they are about to get even better.
That’s right: their minor league system, one of the best in the league, has produced yet another major leaguer.
His name is Heston Kjerstad, he is an outfielder, and he is a consensus top-25 prospect in MLB.
“The Orioles are calling up Heston Kjerstad, per @afkostka. The second overall pick in the 2020 draft, Kjerstad is No. 24 in MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Rankings,” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted.
The Orioles are calling up Heston Kjerstad, per @afkostka
The second overall pick in the 2020 draft, Kjerstad is No. 24 in MLB Pipeline's Prospect Rankings pic.twitter.com/rvna6cPbx4
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 14, 2023
Kjerstad was the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2020.
He was seen as promising, but with more raw power than game power.
This year, however, has seen him fully break out and tap into his power more consistently.
He opened the season in Double-A, where he had a .310/.383/.576 line.
That earned him a promotion to Triple-A a few weeks ago, and he has been very good there too with a .298/.371/.498 line and 10 dingers in 76 games.
In total, he has hit 21 home runs, 29 doubles, and eight triples between the two levels, showcasing very solid pop from the left side of the plate.
He doesn’t take a ton of walks, but strikeouts aren’t a problem and he should be a productive member of the Orioles and a key contributor down the stretch and, possibly, in the postseason.
He is another prospect of a very talented pool that has made their MLB debut this year: Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Grayson Rodriguez, and now Kjerstad.
The Orioles have an impressive young core.
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