The Orioles are planning to name up high prospect Heston Kjerstad immediately, studies Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Solar. The 25-year-old slugger is already on the 40-man roster, however Baltimore might want to make a transfer to get him onto the 26-man roster.
Kjerstad, the No. 2 total decide within the 2020 MLB draft, will bolster what’s already a dominant lineup. The O’s have six extra homers than any workforce in MLB (35) and are batting .261/.316/.464 as a membership. Kjerstad ought to match proper in. He’s taken 102 plate appearances in Norfolk this season and already bashed 10 residence runs en path to a ridiculous .349/.431/.744 batting line (189 wRC+). These 10 massive flies tie him with Houston’s Joey Loperfido for tops amongst all minor league gamers.
The Orioles positioned nook outfielder Austin Hays on the injured listing attributable to a calf pressure yesterday, and Kjerstad will present them with an alternative choice within the outfield. First baseman/designated hitter Ryan Mountcastle was additionally absent from final night time’s lineup attributable to a knee challenge. The workforce has solely listed Mountcastle as day-to-day up to now, however Kjerstad — a nook outfielder and first baseman — is a pure substitute if Mountcastle wants one other day or two off and even requires a visit to the injured listing himself.
The O’s aren’t precisely missing for productive choices at any spot Kjerstad may match into the lineup, however he can actually assist maintain their regulars contemporary and supply some thump off the bench on days he’s not beginning. Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander have all been productive within the outfield, whereas Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn have thrived because the workforce’s main choices at designated hitter and first base. Baltimore chosen the contract of catcher David Bañuelos final night time, bringing him as much as the massive leagues for the second time this season, however Bañuelos has a full slate of choice years and may freely be despatched to Norfolk if the O’s don’t wish to proceed carrying three catchers.
Kjerstad entered the 2024 season ranked as the sport’s No. 26 prospect at FanGraphs. He landed twenty ninth on MLB.com’s top-100, forty first at Baseball Prospectus, forty second at Baseball America, forty eighth per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and 62nd per The Athletic’s Keith Legislation. Kjerstad attracts reward for his plus or higher uncooked energy, his penchant for making arduous contact and his above-average arm within the outfield. He’s not particularly fleet of foot and is a bat-over-glove prospect, however the lefty-swinging slugger is anticipated to hit greater than sufficient to be an everyday in Baltimore’s lineup for years to return. In the interim, Santander’s presence impedes Kjerstad’s path to an on a regular basis function, assuming everybody’s wholesome, however Santander is a free agent following the 2024 season.
From a service time vantage level, there are nonetheless sufficient days left on the common season calendar for Kjerstad to accrue a full yr. He picked up 18 days in 2023, that means he wants 154 days of MLB service in 2024 to get there. It’s potential he’ll be optioned again to Norfolk as soon as everybody’s again to full energy, however Kjerstad’s manufacturing there was additionally more and more troublesome to disregard regardless. If he’s within the massive leagues for good, he’ll be controllable by the 2029 season and arbitration-eligible following the 2026 marketing campaign.
