Orioles news: The O’s development system faces some scrutiny

Q: What are the main criticisms of the Orioles' development system?

Critics point to the Orioles' specific player targeting strategy and a lack of depth in pitching, which has led to mismanagement and reliance on position players for pitching duties.

Q: How does the Orioles' prospect ranking compare to other MLB teams?

While the Orioles are noted to have one of the deepest systems in baseball, the quality of their prospects is questioned due to many being categorized as bench or relief types.

Q: What impact does the Orioles' reliance on interns have on their minor league development?

The Orioles' use of interns and contractors instead of full-time staff in analytical and development roles may hinder the effectiveness of their minor league development efforts.

Q: How have the Orioles' top prospects performed in recent years?

Many highly touted Orioles prospects have stagnated or regressed at the major league level, raising concerns about the organization's overall development approach.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28, 2026: President of baseball operations and general manager Mike Elias of the Baltimore Orioles looks on prior to a game against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images Good morning, Camden Chatters. Today is the start of MLB’s “Rivalry Weekend,” which pits most teams across the league against their closest regional foes. You’ve got the Yankees versus the Mets in the Battle of New York. You’ve got the Rangers versus the Astros in Texas’s Battle of the Boot. You’ve got the, uh, Mariners versus the Padres in the Battle of Nobody Is Particularly Close to Seattle So We’ll Just Send a Random Opponent There. For the Orioles, that means the first of their two annual interleague series against the Nationals, this one a three-game set in D.C. The rebuilding Nats have been a bit better than advertised this season, entering the weekend in second place in the NL East — with the caveat that they’re still under .500 (21-23) and are nine games behind the Braves. So they’re not exactly contenders, but they are a game better than the Orioles, a team that was expected to have a winning year. Last year the O’s went just 1-5 in the season series, getting trounced so thoroughly last May that Brandon Hyde was fired after a particularly ugly loss to the Nats. Let’s hope for a better result this time around. Meanwhile, there was some O’s minor league discussion on the off day as FanGraphs finally released its . It’s an incredibly thorough list that includes write-ups of 63 (!) O’s prospects along with some honorable mentions. Even as someone who follows the O’s minors pretty closely and writes recaps every week, there are quite a few names in this article that I’ve never heard before. FanGraphs’ summation of the Orioles’ system is quite the roller coaster ride. “The Orioles arguably have the deepest system in baseball,” the blurb begins tantalizingly, before puncturing the balloon with, “but its quality is debatable because so many of the team’s prospects are bench and relief types.” Oh. Huh. Well, here’s to the Orioles riding their bench and bullpen to a World Series championship in 2030. Who’s with me? The article also conveys some less-than-stellar reports about the Orioles’ overall development strategy. According to authors Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski, the O’s have very specific types of players they like to target and try to develop, particularly with hitters, but that can leave them with significant holes in their minor league rosters. The authors note that their low-level pitching depth is so thin that their Florida Complex League team has resorted to using position players on the mound several times. “[W]hen your personnel is mismanaged to the point where you’re cancelling extended spring training games and throwing position players for multiple innings multiple times at the very start of the league’s schedule,” they write, “it’s impacting other teams and arguably requires intervention.” The FanGraphs article also states that the Orioles, “more than most clubs,” are relying on interns and contractors rather than full-time staff in analytical and development roles. If so, that seems like a self-inflicted wound on the team’s part. The Orioles shouldn’t risk short-shrifting their minor league development system simply because they’re trying to save a buck. Without specifics, it’s hard to know exactly how the Orioles’ organizational model could be affecting the development of their minor leaguers. But with so many highly touted O’s prospects having stagnated or regressed at the major league level in the past couple of years, one can’t help but wonder if there’s an inherent flaw in how the Orioles go about their business.