MLB Pipeline updated their prospect rankings for each team, and to the surprise of no one, Samuel Basallo remains the Baltimore Orioles’ top prospect. The updated rankings also speak highly of the Orioles’ 2025 MLB draft class, with four of their selections landing among the team’s top ten prospects.

The prospect who may be turning the most heads, however, is right-handed pitching prospect Esteban Mejia. A part of the Orioles’ international free-agent signing class in 2024, Mejia moved to being the Orioles’ No. 7 prospect. What has Mejia’s prospect profile on the rise is that he has a fastball that is dominating hitters.

“At 6-foot-3, Mejia offers plenty of projection, not that his current stuff lacks wow factor. He has the chance to have three easily plus pitches when all is said and done, starting with a fastball he cranks up to 102 mph that features plenty of arm-side run. He has a gyro-like slider that can touch 90 mph and miss plenty of bats, and there’s good action on a firm changeup that reaches the low-90s.”

The trend across Major League Baseball has been teams developing starting pitchers who can hit 100 mph with ease. Mejia certainly checks that box and gives some long-term hope for the Orioles’ long-term pitching plans.

Esteban Mejia could find himself on the fast track to stardom if this keeps up

Long-term is certainly the emphasis when talking about Mejia’s trajectory, as he just turned 18 in March. Along those lines, the profile he has now likely won’t be the profile he has once he reaches the Major League level. As of now, MLB Pipeline circles 2029 as when Mejia could be ready for the Major League level. For reference, most of the Orioles’ 2025 draft class has an estimated time of arrival of 2028.

Mejia was striking out over 30 percent of the hitters he was facing in the rookie complex league before being promoted to Class-A. Through his first two starts in Class-A, Mejia is striking out over 26 percent of the hitters he has faced.