The 2025 season has been one to forget for the Baltimore Orioles. After making the playoffs last season, the Orioles didn’t do much in the offseason to keep the roster “playoff-caliber” and as a result, the Orioles sit in last place in the AL East heading into the All-Star break.

Speaking of the All-Star break, the MLB Draft is set to take place on Sunday, July 13.

The Orioles hold seven draft picks within the first 93 selections, so general manager Mike Elias has the opportunity to replenish their farm system.

It appears they have their eyes set on one prospect in particular.

According to Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo (subscription required), Iowa high school catcher Taitn Gray has caught the attention of a few teams, as he’s expected to fall out of the first three rounds.

One of those teams are the Orioles, and Collazo says they could use their 37th pick acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays could make that selection a reality.

“On the high school side, Iowa catcher Taitn Gray is coming up too frequently in conversations to expect he’ll fall out of the top three rounds. He’s young for the class and will still be 17 on draft day which makes him appealing to model-heavy teams that factor in age for hitters, and his huge raw power as a switch-hitter will make him interesting to everyone else as well. The teams I’ve heard linked to Gray include the Orioles, Astros, Rays and Guardians. If Baltimore is indeed on Gray, perhaps acquiring the 37th overall pick from the Rays will help them make that happen.”

If the Orioles are targeting Gray, one has to wonder if the team has plans in the future for Rutschman.

Orioles linked to catching prospect Taitn Gray despite Adley Rutschman’s presence

Drafting a prospect who plays the same position as a superstar on the team usually drives some conversations. Fans speculate if said superstar is being replaced soon. Others may think a position change is on the horizon. Then there’s the possibility the team just took the best prospect available. Most of the time, teams will say it was the latter.

Gray is just 17-years-old, so he won’t be a factor for any team that drafts him for quite some time. But does that mean the Orioles are preparing for a future without Rutschman? Who knows.

MILB.com’s scouting report on Gray mentions he can play the outfield, but a team could be enticed to play him at catcher. Perhaps, as early as the second round.

“Gray offers some of the best high school power in the 2025 class, as well as a tantalizing combination of physicality and athleticism — and the possibility of catching. A club that believes he can stay behind the plate could pop him as early as the second round, something that hasn’t happened to an Iowa prep hitter since Kellen Sweeney in 2010. Gatorade’s state high school player of the year, he put on a show during batting practice at the Draft Combine.”

Rutschman was the face of the Orioles’ rebuild after they selected him No. 1 overall back in 2019. It didn’t take long for him to make it to the majors, as he made his debut in 2022.

Then, he made it to the All-Star Game in each of his first two seasons. But much like the Orioles as a whole this season, Rutschman is struggling too.

Rutschman has missed time due to a left oblique strain, the first time he’s ever made it onto the injury list since his call-up in 2022.

Through 68 games this season, Rutschman recorded a .227 batting average, a .319 on-base percentage, a .372 slugging percentage, eight home runs, 20 RBI, 31 runs, and 55 hits in 242 at-bats.

It’s hard to envision a future without Rutschman in Baltimore. Either way, Gray is a name to keep an eye on for Orioles fans, due in part to the reporting and his potential upside.