
Samuel Basallo News: Moves up to big leagues
The Orioles selected Basallo's contract from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. He'll start at designated hitter and bat sixth in his MLB debut.
Widely regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball, Basallo will make the leap to the big leagues after slashing .270/.377/.589 with 23 home runs, a 14 percent walk rate and a 23.7 percent strikeout rate over 321 plate appearances at Triple-A. Though he's mainly served as a catcher in the minors, the 21-year-old will likely see most of his playing time at either first base or designated hitter, while Adley Rutschman continues to handle the bulk of the starts behind the plate. Assuming he settles into a near-everyday role, Basallo is worth rostering in the majority of fantasy leagues for managers in need of an infusion of power.