The air is getting cleaner, birds are chirping, and the sun is shining brightly. We’re officially nearing the middle of the baseball season as the summer months come in.
The Baltimore Orioles are back to their winning ways and are closing in on .500 with a record of 31-36. But before we talk about the All-Star break, it’s time for every baseball fan’s favorite pastime — the draft.
After Baltimore’s disappointing season last year, in which they finished dead last in their division, the team was awarded the seventh pick in this year’s draft. With yet another opportunity to draft high, it’s again time for the franchise to decide which player could be the next great Oriole.
The Three Options
Jackson Flora RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Jackson Flora is currently the top pitching prospect in this year’s draft and the fifth overall prospect. Flora, who plays for the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), was the team’s ace. In three seasons with UCSB, he finished with a record of 21-5 and an ERA of 2.49. He’s coming off a year when he was unhittable for the Gauchos. Flora finished this year with a 1.06 ERA and went 12-0 on the season.
At 6-foot-5, Flora is a monster on the mound, overflowing with potential. Flora’s most effective pitches are his off-speed and fastball. One of his deadly pitches is his fastball, which averages 96 mph and tops out at just over 100 mph. Combining his height with that pitch makes for a beast of a ball for batters to face. Besides a deadly fastball, Flora also has a nasty off-speed changeup.
Why Flora’s Pitching Will Translate to MLB Success
Besides a deadly fastball, Flora also has a nasty off-speed changeup. Flora’s changeup has an amazing 57.1% whiff rate. At first glance, that doesn’t seem impressive, but look at those pitching in the pros: The leader in whiff rate is Mason Miller, whose slider has a 63.0% whiff rate. The next closest pitcher after him is Fernando Cruz, whose split-finger has a whiff of 54.9%.
If Jackson Flora somehow falls to Baltimore, Mike Elias needs to draft him right away. The Orioles have a chance to take a guy with two MLB-ready pitches and one who could develop into an ace-level player the team desperately needs.
That doesn’t include his two other pitches, which are his slider and sweeper, which he uses 25% of the time. While it’s unlikely for him to fall past the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have the fifth pick, or the Kansas City Royals at No. 6, crazier things have happened. Like in the 2024 draft, when star prospect JJ Wetherholt out of West Virginia went from being the presumed No . 1 pick to falling all the way to the St. Louis Cardinals, who had the seventh pick.
Cameron Flukey RHP, Coastal Carolina
Another player the Orioles should target is right-hand pitcher Cameron Flukey from Coastal Carolina. One of Baltimore’s biggest problems this season has been pitching, and by drafting Flukey, the Orioles would be getting a kid who’s relatively cheap to sign. They could then target a much better position player in the second round.
Since Flukey missed most of the year with a stress fracture in his ribs, fans didn’t get to see much of him. He finished the season with a 4.13 ERA and averaged 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings on just 24 innings pitched.
While those stats don’t scream ‘star’, back in 2025 he posted a 3.19 ERA and averaged 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings while allowing only 0.5 home runs per nine innings. Last year, he played a major part in the Chanticleers reaching the CWS (College World Series) Final. Not only could he be the steal of the draft, but he also gives the team a much longer leash to use their draft pool money and lets them get better players later in the draft.
Cameron Flukey uses a four-pitch mix: fastball, slider, curveball, changeup. He is ranked as the 11th-best prospect and the third-best pitching prospect. By drafting him, the Orioles would be getting a guy who is close to MLB-ready and should be able to move up the minor leagues very quickly.
Jacob Lombard SS, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)
Finally, the last player the Orioles should take a look at is Jacob Lombard, a shortstop. Jacob fits the mold of what the team typically looks for in the draft. A young, talented position player with great hitting tools; he’s the type of pick that screams Mike Elias.
Lombard is a young prospect who flashed both power and the ability to get on base. During his senior season at Gulliver Prep, he hit .477 BA with 10 HR and 25 RBI.
Lombard is also a great base runner, going 14-for-16 on stolen-base attempts this year. His one caveat is that his fielding needs work; he finished with a fielding percentage of .926, but as a high schooler, that’s something the team should be able to fix. While Jacob Lombard is only 18 years old, if he develops for the team, he could end up playing third base for the Orioles in the future, teaming up in the corner with current star shortstop Gunnar Henderson.
Lombard enters as the fourth‑best prospect and the third‑best shortstop in this year’s draft. This is the type of player that, if he were to fall into the Orioles’ lap, the team undoubtedly would take a chance on.
Baltimore’s Bottom Line
Jackson Flora may be the dream pick for the Orioles, but the team can’t just assume all their problems will be fixed by drafting him. The Orioles need pitching, and with how high of a pick they have, this is the perfect chance to get an ace.
While Lombard may fit Mike Elias’s prototypical blueprint, it doesn’t mean he is the right pick to make.
If Baltimore ever wants to have success in late October, they need a deep rotation to do it. By focusing on drafting and developing pitching prospects, the team is more likely to see success. A pitcher will not only give the team years of control but also help them build a strong foundation. If the Orioles ever want to be taken seriously, now is as good a time as ever to draft a pitcher in the first round.
Leave a comment