The Orioles invited their four 2025 first-round draft picks and their families to Camden Yards last week for a tour of the ballpark, batting practice on the field and the chance to meet some of their future teammates in the clubhouse.

As they introduced themselves to players such as Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, No. 19 overall pick Ike Irish couldn’t help but size himself up a bit.

“I’ve got to get more physical,” Irish said as he sat on the dugout bench an hour later, discussing his goals for the offseason. “Standing around these big leaguers, I’m a little smaller than they are. So, get a little more physical and then just fine-tuning the talent and get better in all aspects of the game, because I have to.”

It’s a common theme among the group that they’re looking to put on some size after signing with the Orioles and officially becoming professional athletes. Gone are the days when Irish, Caden Bodine, Wehiwa Aloy and Slater de Brun have to balance schoolwork and baseball. They also get a real offseason for the first time in years after playing through all months of the calendar.

“I think, honestly, a full offseason now,” Bodine, the No. 30 overall pick, said of his biggest life change since being drafted. “College doesn’t really have a full offseason, kind of off and on, so a couple months of offseason, put a little bit more work in and see how it goes.”

How the Orioles’ young prospects take advantage of their first offseason will set the tone for their first full professional seasons in 2026. De Brun, the lone high school product of the group, signed with Baltimore just before the deadline after being selected 37th and didn’t make it into any games with the Orioles’ Florida Complex League team before the rookie ball season ended.

Listed at 5-foot-10, 187 pounds, de Brun has perhaps the most room to bulk up of the four, and he hopes to push his weight up to 200 pounds between weight lifting and a high-calorie diet.

“Hopefully, I can put it on in my legs, because I don’t want to get too tight in the upper body,” de Brun said. “So, legs, that can give me more power, use the ground more, hopefully that transfers up into my batted ball.”

Aloy had the best early returns on the field, hitting .288 with two home runs and six stolen bases in 20 games with Low-A Delmarva. The shortstop, picked one spot after Bodine at No. 31, called the jump to pro ball “an easy adjustment” and touted the strong relationships already developing between the four players the Orioles hope are all key parts of their future.

“Since Florida, we all met down there, we kind of created a little bond over there just being around each other a lot,” Aloy said. “Especially in Delmarva, too. Yeah, we just got kind of close to each other.”

“They come from all aspects of life,” Irish added. “Wehiwa is from Hawaii, Slater is from Bend, Oregon, Caden is from New Jersey and I’m from Michigan, so it’s like a melting pot. It’s a lot of fun to see their perspectives on just baseball, but also life, and getting to know them has been a really cool experience.”

Aloy mentioned speed as his biggest focus for the winter. Power is already an obvious part of his game after he blasted 21 homers in his final season at Arkansas, but he’s shown signs of being a stolen base threat as well. His 16 stolen bases across his final two college seasons were good enough for a 20-steal pace over a full 162-game season.

But nobody has higher expectations than Irish, who was among the most productive hitters in the country this season. He hit .230 with one homer and a .594 OPS in 20 games at Delmarva and has some swing tweaks in mind as he looks to take a step forward in 2026.

“In this short stint, I put the ball on the ground a fair amount, and so we’re going to work on that this whole offseason,” Irish said. “I have a flatter swing. I think you get away with that a little bit more in college. So, just adjusting to professional baseball, adjusting to the wood bat, adjusting to the pitchers and playing every day, so obviously I think I’ll have to make some small adjustments, but no major swing overhaul.”

(Editor’s note: Each week, The Baltimore Sun will break down three of the top performers in the Orioles’ prospect ranks and hand out superlatives for those who didn’t make the cut.)

1. Double-A Chesapeake left-hander Luis De Leon

Chesapeake wrapped up its season over the weekend, and De Leon finished on a high note by striking out eight over five innings of two-run baseball in his final start. The Dominican native worked all the way up from Low-A to Double-A in 2025, and his results with the Baysox were the most impressive as he posted a 1.69 ERA and 35.3% strikeout rate in three starts.

2. Double-A Chesapeake catcher-first baseman Ethan Anderson

After a slow start with the Baysox following his promotion in mid-August, Anderson took a step forward in his final week of the season. He had a .476 on-base percentage with five hits and as many walks to just one strikeout. The 2024 second-round pick finished the year with a .338 OBP and .677 OPS in 90 games across the two levels.

3. Triple-A Norfolk right-hander Trey Gibson

It wasn’t Gibson’s best outing by any means, but the fast-rising prospect rebounded from a string of rough starts by tossing five innings with three runs, one walk and eight strikeouts Friday. Though Gibson has struggled early into his Triple-A career with an 8.75 ERA in six starts, he still has the chance to finish the season on a high note with one more outing left.

The top prospect not featured so far

Speaking of players still finding their footing in Triple-A, Enrique Bradfield Jr. has played 11 games since joining the Tides and slashed .209/.239/.349 with five stolen bases and 13 strikeouts. The 23-year-old struggled in his first taste of Double-A, too, but went on to put up a .394 OBP with 41 stolen bases in 77 games across before being promoted.

International acquisition of the week

One of the Orioles’ biggest successes for their international program this season was switch-hitting infielder-outfielder Aron Estrada. He was the club’s first position player to begin the year in High-A and earn a promotion in 2025, and he impressed in Double-A, hitting .300 with five home runs and four stolen bases in 27 games. The Venezuelan native who signed for $150,000 is proving to be a significant find at only 20 years old. His ability to play all over the diamond could help expedite his path to Baltimore if he continues to hit.

2025 trade deadline check-in

Anthony Nunez, acquired in the Cedric Mullins trade, recorded two saves for Norfolk last week as he continues to impress more than his 3.86 ERA might indicate. The right-hander has a 0.86 WHIP and 34.5% strikeout rate in 14 relief outings at the Triple-A level while showcasing a deep pitch mix that should have him on the front office’s radar for a spot in the Orioles’ bullpen as soon as next season.

Time to give a shoutout to …

He isn’t on any of the Orioles’ top 30 prospect lists, but their 12th-round pick out of LSU in 2023 put together a stellar start in his final outing with Chesapeake on Saturday. Blake Money pitched seven scoreless innings with four hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts to finish the season with a 4.21 ERA and 30.3% strikeout rate in Double-A. The right-hander has quietly put up strong numbers with a 3.58 ERA and 1.15 WHIP as a professional and could be in Norfolk by the end of 2026.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.