Samuel Basallo might still be a year away from making his debut with the Baltimore Orioles, but the fan base will get a good look this spring at what he might be able to bring when that time comes.

Ranked as the organization’s No. 1 prospect, and No. 13 in all of baseball, the ascending talent is looking to build off his strong showing in 2024 when he slashed .278/.341/.449 with 19 homers and 65 RBI across the Double and Triple-A levels, reaching the latter affiliate for the first time in his career.

Now, heading into this upcoming season, the 20-year-old is one call away from making his debut and being the next star Orioles prospect to join the Major League club.

Basallo still has work to do before that happens.

His hitting is far ahead of his defense, something that started the conversation about him potentially moving to first base or being used more as a designated hitter.

But there’s still time.

This spring will be massive for Basallo’s development at catcher.

Last year, he had a stress fracture in his elbow, something that limited him to only hitting as he rehabbed things.

He was able to play catcher during the season, but he got the majority of his work at first base and designated hitter.

Basallo is happy to be back behind the plate this time around.

“Thank God that it felt really good that I was able to catch today. Yeah, I felt really good behind the plate,” he said per Roch Kubatko of MASN. “I feel like last spring I faced a lot of limitations, not being able to work on everything, and this spring I feel like I’ve been able to focus a lot more on my defense and a lot more on those specific details, so it’s been nice.”

Baltimore will still have to make a decision when the time comes for him to be called up.

With Adley Rutschman already in place as one of the best catchers in the MLB, Basallo won’t get everyday reps at that position.

And limiting him to a backup role would be a waste of his hitting potential.

That’s why he has to show he can improve his defense so he can stay in the picture as a catcher instead of being shifted out of that role.

All eyes will be on his Basallo’s offense this spring, but it’s his work behind the plate that will determine what type of role he’s going to have with the Orioles during his career.