Willems Hits First Triple-A Homer, but Tides Fall 4-3 in 10 Innings

Creed Willems, Baltimore's No. 19 prospect and the youngest player on Norfolk's 2026 break camp roster at 22, launched his first Triple-A home run Thursday at AutoZone Park, a two-run blast to center field in the seventh inning that gave the Tides a 3-2 lead over the Memphis Redbirds. The moment was a milestone for the catcher/first baseman from Odessa, Texas, who is in his Triple-A debut season, and it extended his hitting streak to four games. Norfolk couldn't hold it. Memphis catcher Jimmy Crooks answered with a solo homer in the eighth to tie the score at 3-3, and the Redbirds eventually pulled away in extras for a 4-3 win, improving to a perfect 5-0 while the Tides dropped to 2-3.

Brandon Young started on the mound for Norfolk and kept the Redbirds in check deep into the game, but the bullpen couldn't protect the late lead. Willems' blast, which scored infielder Willy Vasquez, himself making his Triple-A debut alongside Willems this season, was the offensive highlight in an otherwise narrow loss.

The homer carries more weight than its line in a box score suggests. Willems arrived in Norfolk off the strongest season of his professional career: in 105 games at Double-A Chesapeake in 2025, he slashed .253/.338/.441 with 16 home runs and 59 RBIs, leading the Baysox in both categories among regulars and posting a .779 OPS. He carried that momentum into the Arizona Fall League, hitting .338/.391/.500 and earning AFL Fall Star honors. Baltimore's organization had made a significant early investment in that trajectory, signing him for a $1 million overslot bonus in the 2021 MLB Draft when the Orioles selected the Aledo High School product 227th overall in the eighth round, pulling him away from a commitment to Texas Christian University.

What makes Willems' Triple-A debut a genuine organizational storyline is what his profile means for Baltimore's catching depth. A left-handed bat at 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds who holds catcher eligibility, he fits multiple potential roster functions: backup catcher, first base depth, or a trade asset as the pipeline matures. His capacity to manage a pitching staff and stay behind the plate at this level will weigh as heavily as his bat in any realistic MLB timeline projection. His listing as a catcher/first baseman gives the Tides flexibility to manage his workload while maximizing his at-bats against both sides of the plate.

Jackson Holliday is also logging time with Norfolk on a rehab assignment, lifting the profile of a club Baltimore will track closely all spring. For Willems to earn a call, the most direct path runs through injury or a roster need in Baltimore, but a sustained stretch of production in the International League would sharpen his case considerably. Four games into his Triple-A debut, with a hit in each and his first homer already on the board, Willems is providing exactly the kind of early evidence that keeps prospect timelines moving forward.