The Baltimore Orioles presently do not have a strong farm system.  This is true for several reasons, specifically mediocre drafting for many years, a lack of international signings and the fact that Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman, Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop occupy major roles for the big league club.  This leaves the organization without the depth or high-ceiling prospects found in stronger farm systems.

Nonetheless, as pitchers and catchers report any day, this figures to be an ideal time to analyze the Orioles’ farm system and rank their top prospects. This list prioritizes, in order, the prospect’s ceiling, their likelihood to fulfill their potential, how far they are from the major leagues and finally, their positional value. With this in mind, here is THE Unofficial Official 2017 Baltimore Orioles Top Prospect List.

Honorable Mention -> Brian Gonzalez LHP, David Hess RHP, Trey Mancini 1B, Anthony Santander OF, D.J. Stewart OF, Christian Walker 1B/OF, Gabriel Ynoa RHP

#11   Matthias Dietz  RHP

Perhaps the top junior college prospect in the 2016 draft, Dietz was plucked by Baltimore in the 2^nd round due to his impressive pitcher’s frame at 6-5 220lbs. and his ability to touch the mid-90s with his fastball.  The 21-year-old Dietz has three pitches in his arsenal, a mid-90s fastball with some sinking movement, along with a slider and a changeup.  His offspeed pitches are unrefined, but have shown promise.  Dietz will need significant time in the minors, but he could develop into a future #4 starter or impact late-inning reliever.  There is significant bust potential, but the raw package of tools is quite intriguing.

#10   Austin Hays  OF

One of my favorite prospects in the 2016 draft, Hays shockingly slid to the 3^rd round due to concerns with his competition level in college, as he starred for Jacksonville University.  Hays has the potential to have five average or better tools, as his above-average bat speed allows him to hit for both average and power.  Defensively he has good speed and a solid throwing arm, allowing him to profile as an above-average right fielder or passable in center.  Hays does not possess a monster ceiling, but his high floor allows him to project as a fringe-average starter in right field or excellent 4^th outfielder.

#9   Tanner Scott  LHP

Drafted in the 6^th round back in 2014, Scott possesses one of the truly elite left-handed arms in the minor leagues, with a fastball that routinely sits 96mph+ and touches triple digits.  In addition the 22-year-old has a hard-biting upper-80s slider with swing-and-miss potential.  Unfortunately Scott owns “20” grade command and control, walking nearly 7 batters per 9 innings in his professional career.

Scott has recently altered his delivery, apparently pitching exclusively from the stretch now in an effort to improve his command.  Scott profiles exclusively as a 2-pitch reliever at the major league level.  Scott is extremely risky, but Baltimore has done well in the past several years developing relief pitchers.

#8   Ryan Mountcastle  3B/LF

One of my favorite high school prospects from 2015, Baltimore selected Mountcastle 36^th overall as a lanky 6-3 185lbs shortstop with impressive right-handed bat speed.  Mountcastle shows natural barrel skills and a mature approach at the plate, allowing him to hold his own last year at 19-years-old in Low-A.  He projects to hit for average and a reasonable on-base percentage, while scouts believe he will develop more power as he matures physically.

The major question in his profile is his eventual defensive position, as his fringe-average arm and mediocre athleticism leave him little chance of staying at shortstop.  Most scouts (and myself) believe he could play a passable third base, but his eventual position will be left field.  Unfortunately this puts significant risk in his prospect profile, as his bat will have to carry him to the majors.

#7   Keegan Akin  LHP

Baltimore’s 2^nd round pick last June, Akin skyrocketed up draft boards after an impressive performance against Kent State and 1^st round pick Eric Lauer.  Akin is a bit undersized at 6-0 225lbs, but possesses a lightning-fast left-handed arm and an impressive 3-pitch arsenal.  He features a 92-96mph fastball that he can command for strikes, along with a hard slider and an inconsistent but promising changeup.

Akin struggled with injuries in college, which when coupled with his below-average height, has many scouts pegging him as a reliever.  However, Baltimore will begin his development as a starter with his ceiling being a #3/#4 starter and the most likely outcome being an impact reliever.

#6   Hunter Harvey  RHP

Son of former major league closer Bryan Harvey, Hunter was Baltimore’s 1^st round pick in 2013.  Once he entered professional baseball, he showed a smooth delivery and a solid 3-pitch repertoire, including a mid-90s fastball, punishing curveball and a developing changeup.  Along with his wiry 6-3 175lbs frame, Harvey profiled as a future mid-rotation starter with the ceiling of a #2.  Unfortunately, Harvey has battled injuries his entire career, throwing only 12 innings the past two years and 125.2 as a professional.

Men are the next cheap soft cialis main victims, if compared with the females. Generic medicine manufacturers keep their prices of buy cialis cialis their medicines affordable to expand their reach and share the profit with the users. Game viagra price online Over Computer game fans are invariably plagued by the same problem each year – a shortage of time to run here and there and perform important chores of routine life. You must be open and receptive to viagra purchase no prescription the change process. Harvey is nearly impossible to rank, as he also underwent Tommy John surgery last July and is unlikely to appear in game action again until 2018.  If the 22-year-old can return to the mound, he might be the most talented prospect in Baltimore’s system, but his overwhelming injury risk places him here at #6.

#5   Chris Lee  LHP

Acquired from Houston for two international bonus slots, Lee quickly went from a relatively unknown lefty into a promising potential mid-rotation starter.  2016 was a difficult year for the southpaw, as he started quickly at Double-A but injured himself and did not pitch after May.

When healthy, the 24-year-old Lee utilizes an impressive 3-pitch repertoire, featuring a 92-94mph fastball with excellent sink, a quality slider he can locate for strikes and a reasonable changeup.  Due to his age, injury history and success against lefties, many scouts profile him as a reliever.  However, if Baltimore is willing to be patient with him this season, I still believe he can develop into a solid back-of-the-rotation starter.  This is a big league arm and does not get enough attention from the prospect community.

For more on Lee, please see this in-person scouting report -> http://natsgm.com/2016/04/26/scouting-baltimore-orioles-prospect-chris-lee/

#4   Ofelky Peralta  RHP

Signed for $325,000 from the Dominican Republic in September 2013, the 19-year-old Peralta impressively held his own at Low-A Delmarva last season, posting 101 strikeouts against 60 walks over 103.1 innings pitched.  Peralta is a lean, wiry 6-5 195lbs with excellent arm strength and a developing 3-pitch repertoire.  He features a 91-95mph fastball, touching 96mph, with some natural life and movement.  In addition, Peralta has a solid slider and a quality changeup in which he replicates his arm speed particularly well.

As with most young pitchers, he struggles to repeat his mechanics, which elevates his walk rate and hinders his command.  Nevertheless, this is a talented, underappreciated prospect who should spend his age-20 season with High-A Frederick.  In an era where prospects receive plenty of attention, somehow Peralta does not secure much admiration from online scouts.  He profiles as a quality back-end starter, with the ceiling of a #3.

#3   Jomar Reyes  1B

Reyes ranked #1 on this list last year after punishing Low-A pitching as an 18-year-old to the tune of a .278/.334/.440 batting line.  Unfortunately the jump to High-A Frederick and the Carolina League in 2016 proved difficult at age-19, as he hit only .228/.271/.336 with 10 home runs.

From a scouting perspective, Reyes is already a physical monster, appearing significantly larger than his listed 6-3 220lbs. – he physically resembles an NFL linebacker rather than a maturing teenager playing baseball.  Reyes has impressive natural bat speed, a relatively quiet swing along with good balance throughout his right-handed swing.  Like most young hitters, his swing can get long and he believes he can hit any pitch, making him susceptible to swings-and-misses.  He naturally generates loft and back spin off the barrel and has a solid approach at the plate, giving me confidence he will hit for average and power in the future.

The biggest question in his prospect profile is his eventual defensive position, as his mammoth size and underwhelming speed should force him from the hot corner.  He does possess a strong arm and reasonable agility for such a large man, which should allow him to become a good defender at first base.  Unfortunately a shift to the cold corner will put additional pressure on his offensive numbers.  He should repeat High-A this season, and I fully expect a rebound offensively from this precocious teenager.

#2   Cody Sedlock  RHP

Baltimore’s 1^st round selection, 27^th overall, in 2016, Sedlock spent his first two years in college pitching out of the bullpen, before blossoming as a starter as a junior for the University of Illinois.  Sedlock certainly looks the part physically, standing an imposing 6-4 205lbs. with thick legs.  Furthermore, he owns an intriguing 4-pitch arsenal, featuring a 94-97mph fastball, along with a curveball, slider and changeup.  His offspeed pitches lag behind his monster fastball, as he did not need them pitching in relief.  That said each has shown the potential to be average or slightly better in the future.

The major knocks on Sedlock are his lack of experience as a starter and his lack of an above-average secondary offering.  His detractors believe he is destined for the bullpen, while his supporters envision a future workhorse #3 starter with low mileage on his arm.  Either way, he is a future major league arm and Baltimore did well to secure him at the end of Round 1.

#1   Chance Sisco  Catcher

A shortstop in high school, Baltimore drafted Sisco in the 2^nd round in 2013 and immediately transitioned him behind the plate, where his decent arm and quality agility but below-average speed would profile especially well.  Sisco has been slow to develop defensively behind the plate, to the point where 12 months ago I was routinely mocked for thinking he was a future major league catcher.  Nonetheless, he has made significant strides in the past year and now most scouts concede he will be a below-average defensive catcher in the majors.

Improvements aside, Sisco will always be known as an offensive-first catcher, as his calling card is his incredible ability to put the barrel on the baseball.  Sisco possesses a compact left-handed swing with raw power to the pull side, although he prefers to consistently pepper line drives all over the outfield.  He has excellent hand-eye coordination and scouts believe he will develop more home run power as he matures physically.  He could be a “60+ hit / 40-45 power” hitter at the catcher spot, which would make him a potential top-5 batter at the position.

Sisco should begin 2017 at Triple-A Norfolk working on refining his defensive skills and learning to hit for more power.  One of the top catching prospects currently in the minors, Sisco should arrive in Baltimore around midseason and stabilize the catching spot the rest of the decade.