Orioles vs. Yankees: Spring Breakout Recap

Orioles prospects walk off Yankees prospects in highly anticipated prospect showcase

*Cover Photo Credit: Ulysses Munoz, The Baltimore Banner

In last year's inaugural Major League Baseball Spring Breakout, the Orioles sent their highly-touted future, featuring then top prospect Jackson Holliday, to do battle with the Pittsburgh Pirates prospects and 2023 first overall pick Paul Skenes. They would fall to the Bucs 3-1.

Yesterday, they did battle with the young guns of the division rival Yankees and came away with their first ever Spring Breakout victory, a 5-4 walk-off win.

Samuel Basallo with Chesapeake/Bowie last season. Photo: John Topoleski

The energy was high from first pitch to last pitch as both Orioles and Yankees fans filled Ed Smith Stadium to passionately support their respective teams. The Orioles fans were treated to a close look at their bright future with top prospects like Samuel Basallo, Enrique Bradfield Jr., and Dylan Beavers all in the starting lineup. Alongside them were members of the 2024 draft class including first rounder Vance Honeycutt and Griff O'Ferrall.

18-year-old Venezuelan-born righty Keeler Morfe got the start on the mound for the Orioles. After striking out Yankees' No. 2 prospect George Lombard to start the first frame, a hit-by-pitch and a single put Morfe in a tough spot. The pressure got to the young hard thrower as he then allowed an RBI single and eventually walked in a run several batters later.

Morfe was pulled for Levi Wells, who ended the inning on a strikeout of Brando Maeya.

The Orioles offense was off to the races immediately in the bottom of the first, or should I say Bradfield. The Vanderbilt alumnus who stole 74 bases last year for High-A Aberdeen got things started with a line-drive single to left-center field off of Carlos Lagrange.

A mess unfolded for the Yankees shortly after as Lagrange launched a pickoff throw intended for first base down the rightfield line towards the tarp. Bradfield, who has 80-grade speed according to MLB Pipeline, took advantage of the opportunity and booked it to third base. To add salt to the wound, Bradfield took off for home on a wild pitch and in a scenario where any other runner would have been out on the recovery play, he dove in safe. The Orioles led 1-0.

Bradfield ended up going 2-for-3 on the day, but he left spectators stunned in amazement over his speed.

Each offense went scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Honeycutt made his way to the plate and attacked a high fastball, sending it to the left-centerfield gap beyond the reach of Spencer Jones and against the wall. Honeycutt made it all the way around for an inside-the-park home run, showing both his power alley power and his athleticism all in oneplay.

Baltimore added another run in the sixth when Beavers, the Orioles' No. 6 prospect, took a hanging breaking ball to right-center field for an RBI single. Wells, No. 10 prospect Pat Reilly, and No. 14 prospect Luis De Leon held the Yankees scoreless over 4.1 relief innings. During that process, No. 23 prospect Jud Fabian made a nice leaping catch against the wall in rightfield.

No. 11 prospect and Seattle, Washington native Nestor German got into the game in the sixth inning on the mound and tossed a scorless inning with a strikeout and a walk.

After the Yankees gradually took the lead back in the seventh and eighth innings, the Orioles entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 4-3. Though it may have just been an exhibition that mean little to nothing for the stat books, both the team and the fans wanted an Orioles win.

DJ Layton got the inning started with a single up the middle. Then, with one out, No. 29 prospect Austin Overn laced a line drive down the rightfield line which was deep enough for Layton to score and for Overn to turn on the jets for third base.

Tie game. 4-4.

Leandro Arias pictured with Delmarva last season. Photo: John Topoleski

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, it was up to 20-year-old No. 20 prospect Leandro Arias to end the game and secure a win. He did so by putting a line drive single up the middle, scoring Overn and sending Ed Smith Stadium into a frenzy.

The young and youthful Orioles mobbed Arias as the final score was logged. Orioles 5, Yankees 4.

The Orioles' farm system has seen incredible talent throughout these past several years and even as some of the game's most prestigous young names have graduated prospect status recenty, fans have contiued to buzz over the current prospect talent. A hard-fought win like this demonstrates what the Orioles organization is truly capable of, and it will only heighten the excitement of the Orioles fans especially those in attendance for last night's game.