Orioles Set 40-Man Prospect Pool for 2026 Spring Breakout Showcase

Baltimore's 40-man preliminary prospect pool for the third annual MLB Spring Breakout is set, headlined by the organization's top-ranked catcher Samuel Basallo and built around a pitching staff led by left-hander Luis De León, the No. 4 arm on the Orioles' internal prospect list.

The pool, finalized Thursday and published by MiLB on March 6, features 16 pitchers, four catchers, 10 infielders, and 10 outfielders. The Orioles will face the Boston Red Sox on March 20 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida, with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch and the game airing on MASN. Between now and game day, rosters will be pared from 40 players down to an official 23-to-27-man squad on March 18, when MLB completes the second phase of its two-stage construction process.

Basallo, ranked No. 1 in the Orioles organization and No. 8 overall on MLB Pipeline's prospect list, headlines the catcher group alongside Ethan Anderson (No. 26), Creed Willems (No. 19), and Yasmil Bucce. His actual participation on March 20 is uncertain: players competing for spots in MLB camp do not typically appear in Spring Breakout exhibition games. According to the Oriolesontheverge Substack, Basallo is managing an elbow issue and figures to serve primarily as a designated hitter in the early stages of the season, though he arrived at camp coming off a solid spring at the plate and held his own at Triple-A Norfolk during a late-season stint in 2024.

The same participation caveat applies to outfielder Dylan Beavers, ranked No. 2 in the Orioles system and No. 69 on MLB Pipeline's league-wide list. If either Basallo or Beavers is in major-league camp on game day, their appearances at Ed Smith are unlikely.

The storyline with the most momentum heading into March 20 belongs to outfielder Vance Honeycutt, who earned his spot in the pool after homering in all four of his spring at-bats to date. Honeycutt already owns one of the more memorable moments in Spring Breakout history, having hit an inside-the-park home run during the 2025 showcase. Joining him in the outfield group are Nate George, Beavers, Enrique Bradfield Jr., and six others.

Bradfield, a veteran of the 2025 Spring Breakout, is back for another showcase appearance. He delivered an emotional performance last year, dedicating an postgame moment to a recently deceased friend. The 2025 game also produced Leondry Arias' walk-off RBI single, a sequence that illustrated why the event has developed a reputation for genuine drama despite its exhibition status.

On the mound, De León heads a pitching staff that includes fellow left-handers Boston Bateman (No. 11) and Joseph Dzierwa (No. 14), along with right-hander Trey Gibson, ranked fifth in the organization. Esteban Mejia (No. 8), Braxton Bragg (No. 13), and Nestor German (No. 12) add further depth to a 16-man pitching group assembled through MLB Pipeline's Top 30 lists supplemented by additional club submissions.

Among position players, 2025 first-round draft pick Ike Irish represents one of the more intriguing infield names, joined by Wehiwa Aloy and eight other infielders rounding out that group.

The Spring Breakout concept has established credible pipeline credentials in its short history. Of the players who appeared in the first two editions of the event, 210 have since reached the major leagues. Jackson Holliday, who participated in the 2024 showcase, became one of the more visible examples of that track. The Orioles' 2026 pool suggests the organization has enough talent at the lower levels to keep that tradition going.