More draft talk with Matt Blood, a note on today's Futures Game and a take on last night

It is not an exaggeration to say the Orioles have done very well in the MLB Draft. They have high picks near the top of the board they like, players like Adley Rutschman, Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser, and some that came a bit later that are now All-Stars, like Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg.

They have the No. 1 farm system in baseball, and that farm is a big reason they lead the American League East.

But as another draft is set to begin tomorrow night, the Orioles are confident, but not cocky, that they will do well again.

“I think we have some humility. We can’t just turn anything into gold. That is just not the reality,” the O’s vice president of player development and domestic scouting, Matt Blood, said Friday at Oriole Park in a predraft update with local media. “I think that good scouting makes good player development and good player development helps make good scouting. I like to think that our two departments are very in sync and aligned. I would really hope so now, since I am overseeing them both.

“But it is something we take a lot of pride in, is our efficiency of development. We are going to look for players we feel like we can help and players that, if they come to our system, they will have an even better chance to be major league contributors.”

Blood added a heavy dose of scouting duties this year after serving as the club’s director of player development.

“Been a lot of fun to be back involved with the draft in this capacity," he said. "Working closely with Mike (Elias, the Orioles executive vice president and general manager) and Sig (Mejdal, vice president and assistant GM) is something I’ve done for a while now. But now doing it again on the draft, which we did a while back in St. Louis, has been a lot of fun. I’m continuing to learn a lot and fortunate to have those two guys with all the experience they have.”

The Orioles for years picked near of the top of the draft. But after selecting No. 17 last year, their top picks this time are at No. 22 and No. 32. They also will select at No. 61 and No. 97 in the top 100.

“I don’t know if it’s much more of a challenge,” said Blood of not selecting top five. “We’re always going to have our system and we’re going to rank players. We won’t know exactly who is going to be there but we’re going to be prepared.

“In the past when you select up high, you still have to pick. For example, when we got (Jordan) Westburg (at No. 30 in 2020) or Gunnar (Henderson at No. 42 in 2019), that is still a pick similar to where we are picking now. So, you have to be ready to make those picks. And we’ll be ready.”

Where is this draft strong?

“I think there are a bunch of college hitters that have really performed," Blood said. "And I think you will probably see a majority in terms of the numbers. That will be what gets drafted the most.”

I asked Blood if, in setting up their draft board, the Orioles find that their draft models and scouting reports essentially lead to a number evaluation. Do they just rank the players in order, or is it more complicated?

“There are a lot of things that go into it,” he said. “We like to have a process and we like to have a ranking that we try to anchor to, but we also have a lot of experience in the room. And a lot of common sense. We use that to massage our board. But we also try to be smart about not getting too carried away one way or the other.”

Basallo on national stage today: In 2021, Adley Rutschman represented the Orioles in the All-Star Futures Game. In 2022 it was Gunnar Henderson. Last year it was Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad.

The game is a showcase for the top young prospects in baseball.

Today, Double-A Bowie catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo is in the national spotlight, playing for the American League squad versus the National League in the seven-inning game. It was be televised live on MLB Network at 4 p.m. ET.

In 75 Baysox games, Basallo, just 19, is hitting .274/.338/.449/.787 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs. 

He is ranked as the sport's No. 12 prospect by MLBPipeline.com and No. 16 via Baseball America. The Orioles signed the Dominican for $1.3 million to head up their international class in January 2021. 

Click here for my recent interview with Basallo in Bowie, where he talked about the Futures Game, trade rumors and more. 

About last night: After Kjerstad was hit in the batting helmet last night in the bottom of the ninth, as the Yankees beat the Orioles 4-1, the dugouts would soon empty and O's manager Brandon Hyde was charging toward the Yankees dugout. Hyde heard something he didn't like from the New York side and got upset. He was also the only person ejected.

It was clear hearing from both teams after the game that no one felt Yankees closer Clay Holmes threw at Kjerstad. Both teams will likely be warned today before first pitch and there is no reason for the Orioles to throw at any batters.

What they need to do is simple: win.

The Orioles have looked very much not like the O's have all year on this homestand. Whether they are finally tiring as the first half winds down or it's something else, they have been outscored 25-3 in losing four straight and they've scored one run the last 33 innings. They have gone 1-for-26 on the homestand with runners in scoring position.

They simply need to clean it up today. Last night they walked too many Yankees, didn't hit enough, made fundamental mistakes and committed an error and just looked listless. It was strange to see. 

Can they turn it around with two games to go before the All-Star break?

They need to win the next two days to extend their streak of AL East series without losing one to 23. 

Here is last night's game story, which included some postgame quotes from both teams.