6 prospect standouts from O's Spring Breakout thriller

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill¡¯s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The second edition of Spring Breakout -- a four-day prospect showcase hosted by MLB during Spring Training -- took place over the weekend, and it was a rousing success. Especially on Saturday night at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, where an energized crowd cheered on the future stars who fill the Orioles¡¯ farm system.

Here were some standouts from the O¡¯s Spring Breakout victory -- a 5-4 walk-off win over Yankees prospects.

RHP Keeler Morfe (O's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline)
Morfe¡¯s line from his Spring Breakout start -- two-thirds of an inning, two hits, two earned runs, two walks and one strikeout -- doesn't come close to telling the full story.

The Venezuelan right-hander is only 18 years old and has never faced upper-level Minor Leaguers, having made only four appearances at Single-A Delmarva last year. Morfe¡¯s command needs improvement, but his stuff is there, as he showed by blowing a 99 mph fastball past George Lombard Jr. for a game-opening swinging strikeout.

¡°I was a little nervous, but I would say it was a proud moment for me and my family,¡± Morfe said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. ¡°It was great to be able to come out here and compete.¡±

OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. (O¡¯s No. 3)
Nobody in Baltimore¡¯s farm system is faster than Bradfield, who showcased his 80-grade speed. The 2023 first-round pick led off the bottom of the first with a single, advanced from first to third on an errant pickoff throw and then scored on a wild pitch with an impressive headfirst slide. The 23-year-old later singled again and stole a base in the sixth.

Bradfield dedicated his performance to his late friend Isaiah Hood, who died in a motorcycle accident last week.

¡°I would say this is probably the biggest highlight [of the spring] for me. It¡¯s been a challenging week,¡± Bradfield said. ¡°So for me to come out here, it¡¯s meant a lot to me personally.¡±

RHP Patrick Reilly (O¡¯s No. 10)
Like Bradfield, Reilly is a former Vanderbilt University standout. The pair of Commodores alums faced off with three of their old teammates on the Yankees¡¯ side, sparking a mini-Vandy reunion.

The 23-year-old right-hander, who was acquired in a trade with the Pirates last July, tossed two scoreless innings without allowing a hit, walking two and striking out two.

¡°I think it¡¯s really a representation of [Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin] and the program he has going on down there,¡± Reilly said.

OF Vance Honeycutt (O¡¯s No. 5)
Bradfield isn¡¯t the only former first-round pick with wheels in the Orioles¡¯ system. Honeycutt, their 2024 first-rounder, has 65-grade speed, which the 21-year-old used to leg out an inside-the-park home run in the fourth.

It was the former University of North Carolina standout¡¯s first homer since joining Baltimore¡¯s organization last July.

¡°I kind of got help with some wind, I guess, and then once I saw it drop, just kept running,¡± Honeycutt said. ¡°Just tried to keep running as fast as I could.¡±

OF Jud Fabian (O¡¯s No. 23)
The Orioles deployed a starting outfield featuring three primary center fielders with Bradfield (left), Honeycutt (center) and Fabian (right). The expectations were high.

¡°I don't think anything should be able to drop tonight,¡± the 24-year-old Fabian said before the game.

He was right, and he did his part. Fabian made a spectacular jumping catch to rob T.J. Rumfield in the sixth.

SS Leandro Arias (O¡¯s No. 20)
The Baby Birds sent the O¡¯s fans home happy with an exciting rally in the bottom of the ninth.

DJ Layton (Orioles¡¯ No. 30) led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, he scored on a triple by fellow 2024 Draft pick Austin Overn (No. 29). Then, with two outs, Arias drove a single up the middle for a walk-off victory.

Arias had a cooler of Gatorade dumped onto him on the field amid a celebration of teammates.

¡°Very exciting, especially in that moment,¡± Arias said via Quinones. ¡°I feel like there was great energy all game, and just really happy I was able to come through there.¡±