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Player Outlook
Samuel Basallo lived up to the hype in his age-20 season, showcasing ungodly power (.319 ISO, .589 SLG) as the youngest player with 300-plus plate appearances at Triple-A en route to an Aug. 17 big-league debut -- four days after his 21st birthday. He debuted as the youngest catcher in the majors, where a .187 BABIP contributed to a .559 OPS in 118 plate appearances. His poor surface stats in a small sample have barely suppressed his fantasy market heading into 2026, as his youth and impressive track record in the minors are alluring for projection drafters and prospect chasers alike. Adley Rutschman's presence no longer seems like a complication, as Basallo figures to catch enough to retain catcher eligibility indefinitely while starting at designated hitter when Rutschman is behind the plate. Even in his artificially poor MLB debut, Basallo's 25.4 percent strikeout rate was perfectly fine. Baltimore's flurry of offseason moves likely means the lefty-hitting Basallo will sit against southpaws (.697 OPS against at Triple-A), at least early in the year.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
r
Runs
hr
Home Runs
rbi
Runs Batted In
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
sb
Stolen Bases
avg
Batting Average
2026 .000
2025 551.8 10 4 15 6 .165
2024 .000
3y Avg. 551.8 10 4 15 6 .165
Projections Powered by
Fantasy Performance by Week
64%
Roster
30%
Start
#13
C Rank

Fantasy News

  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Good to go Sunday

    Basallo (abdomen) is starting at catcher and batting cleanup in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports. The 21-year-old departed Thursday's spring game due to abdominal discomfort, but he's ready to retake the field after getting a couple days off. The fact that Basallo is immediately working behind the plate rather than being eased back in as the designated hitter is a good indication that the injury wasn't a serious concern.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Returning Sunday

    Basallo (abdomen) will start at catcher in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Boston, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Abdominal discomfort forced Basallo out of Thursday's game early, but he was never brought in for imaging and is now set to return behind the plate after a two-day break. The 21-year-old backstop has begun the spring 2-for-8 with three runs scored through four contests.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Aiming to return this weekend

    Basallo (abdomen) believes he'll be ready to return to Grapefruit League play this weekend, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports. Basallo was pulled from Thursday's game against the Tigers due to right-side abdominal discomfort, but he thinks it was merely cramping and imaging was deemed unnecessary. Consider the young slugger day-to-day.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: No additional testing scheduled

    Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said that Basallo's (abdomen) removal from Thursday's game versus the Tigers was precautionary, and the skipper doesn't believe the catcher will require additional testing, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Albernaz added that Basallo could have remained in the game but felt no need to push things this early in spring training. Basallo was diagnosed with right-side abdominal discomfort following a tag play at home plate Thursday, but it appears he has avoided a serious injury and can be considered day-to-day.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Dealing with abdominal injury

    Basallo was pulled from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers due to right-side abdominal discomfort, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports. Basallo suffered the injury when he lunged to tag out Matt Vierling on a play at the plate. Though it's a positive that the Orioles are not immediately calling the injury a strain, it's possible Basallo still needs to undergo more testing. The club could offer more details regarding the 21-year-old's condition after the game, but he'll likely be unavailable for at least a few days, at minimum.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Slims down over winter

    Basallo said at the Orioles' recent Birdland Caravan fan event that he's lost around 15 pounds this offseason, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Basallo could afford to slim down a bit without sacrificing the massive power that's helped propel him to being one of the most exciting young hitters in baseball. The 21-year-old is locked into an Opening Day roster spot after signing an eight-year, $67 million contract extension six days into his big-league career. Where the playing time will come from is less of a sure thing, as the Orioles have Adley Rutschman at catcher and Pete Alonso at first base. Settling in at designated hitter is Basallo's most likely path, but he will get starts in the field, as well.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Resting for season finale

    Basallo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Basallo will be rested for the season finale after he made starts at catcher and designated hitter in the first two contests of the series, going 0-for-7 with five strikeouts. Unless he's called upon off the bench Sunday, Basallo will finish out the 2025 campaign with a .165/.229/.330 slash line to go with four home runs, 15 RBI and 10 runs across 31 games with the Orioles. Despite a rough showing in his first big-league stint, Basallo is locked in as a cornerstone piece for Baltimore after inking an eight-year, $67 million contract with the club in August.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Starting Friday

    Basallo (hand) will DH and bat eighth during Friday's game against the Yankees, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports. Basallo left Wednesday's game after being hit in the right hand by a pitch. X-rays on his hand came back negative, and after a one-game absence, Basallo has returned to the starting nine. The 21-year-old is slashing .176/.243/.353 in 111 big-league plate appearances this season.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Getting X-rays on hand

    Basallo was removed from Wednesday's game against the Rays after getting hit on the right hand by a pitch, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Interim manager Tony Mansolino said after the game that Basallo will receive an X-ray on his hand, which will help determine the severity of the backstop's injury. Should the 21-year-old need to miss any amount of time, Ryan Mountcastle would stand to benefit from extra reps as Baltimore's designated hitter.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Exits Saturday with hand injury

    Basallo departed Saturday's game against the Dodgers due to right-hand discomfort, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Basallo was hurt in the fifth inning when he was hit in the right hand by a foul tip. The rookie catcher originally tried to remain in the game, but he sailed a practice throw into center field and was subsequently lifted. Alex Jackson replaced Basallo behind the plate Saturday and would presumably be in line to start if Basallo needs to miss time, as Adley Rutschman (oblique) and Gary Sanchez (knee) are both on the injured list.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Walks it off Friday

    Basallo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-1 win over the Dodgers. The rookie swatted his second career homer and his first at home in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and he made it count -- with the score tied 1-1 and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Basallo crushed a Tanner Scott fastball 433 feet over the fence in right-center field. The 21-year-old is still adjusting to big-league pitching, but his upside is undeniable, and through his first 15 games with the O's he's slashing .204/.271/.389 with four doubles, nine RBI and a 4:13 BB:K.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Receiving rest Wednesday

    Basallo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. The Orioles are wrapping up their series in San Diego with a day game, so Basallo will receive a break after he had started at catcher or designated hitter in each of the previous four contests. Alex Jackson will step in behind the plate Wednesday, while Ryan Mountcastle serves as Baltimore's DH.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Slugs first big-league homer

    Basallo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk Saturday in an 11-1 victory versus San Francisco. Basallo achieved a personal milestone when he swatted a 376-foot shot in the fourth inning for his first major-league homer. The long ball also snapped a seven-game stretch without an RBI for the rookie backstop. Basallo hasn't exactly hit the ground running since being called up Aug. 17, but he's at least been moderately productive with six RBI through 11 games while striking out a tolerable seven times in 42 plate appearances.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: On bench Friday

    Basallo is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports. Basallo inked an eight-year extension with the Orioles earlier Friday, and he'll get the night off to rest after what interim manager Tony Mansolino called a "rigorous" medical examination leading up to the extension. The 21-year-old had started in three of four games since being called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, and he should be a near-everyday player going forward.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: 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.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Set to resume hitting

    Basallo (oblique) is scheduled to resume a hitting progression Tuesday with the aim of returning to action for Triple-A Norfolk as soon as this weekend, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports. Basallo hasn't played since July 13 due to the right oblique injury, but Norfolk has thus far resisted placing him on its injured list. Assuming Basallo incurs no setbacks while he advances through his hitting progression over the next few days, he could rejoin the Triple-A lineup by the weekend, though Norfolk may initially prefer to use the 20-year-old backstop as a designated hitter coming off the injury. Despite being slowed by multiple injury concerns this season, Basallo has been productive when available for Norfolk, slashing .264/.383/.591 with 19 home runs across 253 plate appearances.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Mashing as youngest Triple-A hitter

    Basallo is slashing .244/.360/.578 with 13 home runs, a 14.9 percent walk rate and a 24.8 percent strikeout rate in 40 games for Triple-A Norfolk. Basallo is the youngest hitter at Triple-A, as he doesn't turn 21 until August, yet he is one of the best power hitters at the level. Among Triple-A hitters with at least 150 plate appearances, Basallo's .333 ISO ranks second behind 34-year-old Carlos Perez. He isn't on the 40-man roster yet, but Basallo appears ready for the next level, at least offensively.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Back as DH by late April

    Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Tuesday that Basallo (hamstring/elbow) could be ready to serve as a designated hitter with Triple-A Norfolk within a couple weeks, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. He would then be ready to resume catching sometime in May. Basallo is sidelined by a mild left hamstring strain and also has some right elbow inflammation. The top prospect put up an .868 OPS with a pair of home runs in his first seven contests with Norfolk before going on the 7-day injured list.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Lands on IL

    Triple-A Norfolk placed Basallo (hamstring) on its 7-day injured list Saturday. Norfolk deactivated Basallo one day after he was removed from a game due to left hamstring discomfort. The severity of Basallo's injury isn't yet known, but the catching prospect will need at least a week off to move past the issue. Basallo had already been slowed down in spring training after suffering from elbow inflammation, which had resulted in him being limited to designated-hitter duties over his first seven games this season with Norfolk.
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  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Injures hamstring

    Basallo was removed from Friday's game with left hamstring discomfort, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports. Basallo has battled an elbow issue since late in spring training, which limited him to DH duties to start the year with Triple-A Norfolk. The severity of the hamstring issue is unclear, but it's been a bumpy start to the season for Basallo.
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