Orioles include 13 prospects on spring training invite list

Last year, Samuel Basallo was a nonroster invitee to spring training for the first time, and the hype surrounding the catching prospect grew even larger as a result.

Basallo didn’t have a realistic shot at making the opening day roster, but he impressed with his mammoth homers and growing maturity, setting up his big league promotion half a year later. This spring, Basallo is a near-lock to make the opening day roster, but a new crop of prospects will be in Sarasota, Florida, hoping to open eyes.

The Orioles on Wednesday released their list of nonroster invitees to spring training — a group of 30 players that range from prospects in their early 20s to 36-year-old Albert Suárez. While Suárez might be the most likely member of this group to crack the opening day roster, it’s the group of prospects that will provide intrigue early in camp.

Thirteen of the 30 players on the list are prospects from the Orioles’ farm system, mostly youngsters who were drafted by Baltimore or signed internationally by the ballclub. Seven of them are ranked inside the Orioles’ organizational top 30 list by Baseball America.

Headlining the prospect group are starting pitchers Trey Gibson and Luis De León. After their impressive 2025 seasons, which featured Gibson climbing three levels to reach Triple-A and De León impressing at the Arizona Fall League, both earned recognition as top 100 prospects by Baseball America. This spring, they’ll have the chance to show how close they are to the show during their first stint in big league camp.

Other arms who will get the chance to do the same are Nestor German, Levi Wells and Cam Weston. Reliever Keagan Gillies will also get his first shot at big league camp after he reached Triple-A last season.

Catching prospects Ethan Anderson, Silas Ardoin and Creed Willems will also be in camp. It will be Ardoin’s second time as a nonroster invitee and the first for Anderson, a 2024 second-round pick, and Willems, one of the organization’s best power bats in the minors.

Infielders Aron Estrada, an 2022 international signee out of Venezuela, and Payton Eeles, whom the Orioles acquired in the Alex Jackson trade in November, form an interesting pair given the impressive numbers they’ve put up through their minor league careers.

Enrique Bradfield Jr. will be a second-time invitee after an odd 2025 season that featured multiple injuries, impressive Double-A numbers and a so-so stint in the AFL. Outfielder Jud Fabian, a prospect with plus defense and power, will also be in big league camp for the second year in a row.

Aside from Suárez, a key member of the 2024 pitching staff whose 2025 was beset by injuries, there are several other nonroster invitees who could fight for a spot on the opening day roster.

Outfielder Jhonkensy Noel, a righty power bat nicknamed “Big Christmas,” will hope to bounce back this season, recapturing his impressive rookie campaign in 2024 with the Cleveland Guardians, after his abysmal 2025 season. The Orioles still lack a utility infielder, and perhaps that will be Luis Vázquez, a plus defender who filled that role for much of last year. Catchers Maverick Handley and Sam Huff could convince the club’s brass to carry a third catcher behind Adley Rutschman and Basallo. And pitchers Eric Torres, Josh Walker, Hans Crouse and Enoli Paredes could be bullpen options if injuries occur to others.

Here’s the full list of Orioles nonroster invitees:

Pitchers

LHP Luis De León
LHP Andrew Magno
LHP Eric Torres
LHP Josh Walker
RHP Jeisson Cabrera
RHP Hans Crouse
RHP Nestor German
RHP Trey Gibson
RHP Keagan Gillies
RHP Richard Guasch
RHP Jean Carlos Henriquez
RHP Enoli Paredes
RHP Albert Suárez
RHP Levi Wells
RHP Cameron Weston