O's Koby Perez on Samuel Basallo and more (O's add pitcher from Japan)

With 13 international players ranked among the O’s top 30 prospects by MLBPipeline.com, the club’s international program keeps humming along.

It’s big for the Orioles to have both quantity and quality coming from the international prospects. Not only are players like Samuel Basallo getting close now to the majors, but the high number of ranked international prospects will help the O’s mainly a highly-ranked and fertile farm system.

Basallo remains the shining star, having played his age 19 season in 2024. He ends the year ranked as the No. 13 top 100 prospect by both Baseball America and MLBPipeline.

Over 127 games between Double-A Bowie (now Chesapeake) and Triple-A Norfolk, Basallo who turned 20 on Aug. 13, hit .278/.341/.449/.790 with 25 doubles, 19 homers and 65 RBIs.

Basallo produced an .820 OPS with Bowie with 16 homers, 55 RBIs. He hit just .222 with the Tides but batted .297 with an .810 OPS his last 11 games, after going 7-for-44 his first 10 games.

“His past year was really good with good learning experiences,” said Koby Perez, the O’s vice president of international scouting and operations. “Played most of it at 19 between Double-A and Triple-A and he learned a lot. He got better as the year went along. Not to forget he started a little slow because of the injury.”

Basallo served as a DH often early last year after dealing with a stress fracture in his right elbow during the winter. But he began to catch in May and ended the year feeling both strong and healthy.

“It’s easy to envision him as a superstar in the big leagues someday. We’re hoping that comes sooner rather than later,” said Perez.

The Orioles continue to feel that Basallo, who has also played first base, can catch in the big leagues.

“For me originally, his size was my concern because he’s such a big kid,” noted Perez. “And sometimes they continue getting bigger which he did, and the flexibility goes away. In his case it’s the opposite. This guy is super flexible. He can do a full split like a ballerina. He works hard, an amazing worker.

“So that leads me to believe with his arm strength, his flexibility and his determination, leads me to believe he’ll be a real good catcher in the future.”

Perez describes this young man as extremely driven to get better.

“His mindset is I want to be the best player, a Hall of Fame type player is his mindset. We like that. He keeps pushing himself,” he said.

And now he's closing in on making the O's roster for the first time. The 2025 season should be the year. Basallo talked about that with me late last season.

“I’m really excited knowing that I am one step away. I’m going to come into spring training ready to go and working hard. See what decision they ultimately make. If I start out at Norfolk, go there and keep working hard. To know that I am really close feels great. Really excited about that,” Basallo said.

Here is Perez’s take on a few quick other topics.

On how the first year was for the new Dominican Republic facility/academy?: “Amazing. Our team made the playoffs for the first time in a while. I felt like our prospects flourished. We had five or six different kids that have bright futures. Obviously we have 70 kids that we like but five or six that really stood out. We’re excited about the facility and everything that we can offer there.”

Perez noted a few of the players he was referring to, saying he could leave a few players out inadvertently. But he did name pitchers Keeler Morfe and Esteban Mejia and outfielder Jordan Sanchez.

Perez on Morfe, age 18, who posted an ERA of 2.76 in 11 games between the Dominican Summer League and Low-A Delmarva: “Just how easy he throws the ball. It’s 100 miles per hour he is up to. And it’s not just the velocity but how easy he does it, so you know when that happens there is usually more in there. And it’s usually for a long time. We’re excited about him. Hard slider. He’s a bulldog and he’s got a really good chance to be a good prospect. This year will be a big year for him.”

Morfe fanned 49 in 32 2/3 innings in 2024.

New pitcher signed: The Orioles yesterday signed Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, 35, to a one-year major league contract. Per ESPN, it is for $13 million. 

Sugano has spent his entire 12-year pro career with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League. He was named the Central League’s Most Valuable Player this past season when he was 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA and 0.945 WHIP, while walking just 16 with 111 strikeouts in 24 starts, where he allowed just six home runs.

Sugano is expected to pitch near the back of the Baltimore rotation and has an impressive 2.43 career ERA in NPB. Per Baseball America, his fastball sits in the 92-93 mph range and was at 94-96 earlier in his career. 

Also on Monday, new outfielder Tyler O'Neill held a Zoom press conference with O's media, and you can read some of his quotes here.