The Orioles took a high schooler with their top pick for the first time since Jackson Holliday in 2022.
The Baltimore Orioles didn't have to look very far to find one of the most dynamic athletes in this year's draft.
With the No. 7 overall pick Saturday afternoon, Baltimore selected Oak Grove High School outfielder Eric Booth Jr., one of the fastest players available and only the second prep hitter Mike Elias has taken in the first round since arriving in Baltimore. The only other? Jackson Holliday in 2022.
That alone says something about how the organization viewed Booth.
Speed is what first grabs scouts' attention. It has for years. MLB Pipeline graded Booth's running ability at 70 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale, while other evaluators believe it could eventually reach the top of that scale. At last summer's East Coast Pro Showcase, he posted a 6.33-second 60-yard dash, the fastest time at the event, and that explosiveness shows up just as much chasing balls in center field as it does racing down the first-base line.
Booth also made sure speed wasn't his only attribute, spending much of the past couple of years trying to make sure the rest of his game catches up to his athleticism. He's continued working on adding arm strength by regularly throwing a football, while also making adjustments designed to unlock more power at the plate without sacrificing the bat speed that already stands out. All of which has brought much more consistency to his game.
After hitting .467 as a junior at Oak Grove, Booth raised that mark to .481 during his senior season while continuing to show more impact with the bat. He also reminded scouts last summer that there may be more power in his swing than his profile initially suggests by winning the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American Classic before later stealing home during the game itself.
That combination helps explain why Booth has climbed into the upper tier of this draft class despite only turning 18 on July 4.
The athleticism isn't exactly a surprise when you look at his family. Booth's father, Eric Booth Sr., was drafted by the Blue Jays out of high school before choosing football at Southern Mississippi, where he developed into one of the country's top kick returners. Booth Jr. joked to MLB.com's Ben Weinrib that he's "a little better" athlete than his father, though he admitted his dad would probably disagree.
The Orioles have spent the past several years building around hitters capable of impacting games in multiple ways. Booth fits that mold, even if he's likely one of the longer-term projects in the first round. Scouts believe there's still room for his offensive game to grow as he gets stronger and refines his mechanics, giving Baltimore a player whose ceiling stretches well beyond being simply the fastest prospect in the organization.
But after using their highest draft pick since selecting Holliday first overall four years ago, the Orioles clearly believe Booth's combination of athleticism, defensive upside and developing offensive tools is worth making another long-term investment in a high school bat.
