Executives made their Rookie of the Year predictions, and Samuel Basallo received some attention.
Where will Baltimore Orioles catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo land in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2026? An article by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com recently revealed the results of voting predictions among executives around the baseball world.
In the AL, Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Trey Yesavage and Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle both received 25 percent of the prediction votes. Meanwhile, Basallo checked in third with 13.6 percent of votes. Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen (6.8 percent), Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle (6.8 percent) and Red Sox left-handed pitcher Connelly Early (4.5 percent) also received votes, while other players made up the remaining 18.3 percent of votes.
While Basallo may not be the favorite to win the award among executives, his 13.6 percent of votes clearly suggests MLB front offices are paying attention to his potential. For Basallo, the biggest question is which role he will play during the 2026 season.
Samuel Basallo's Potential Role with Orioles in 2026
It remains to be seen exactly what Basallo's role will be in 2026. The Orioles' top prospect in 2025, the 21-year-old features a high ceiling without question. The problem is that Baltimore has Adley Rutschman at catcher and signed first baseman Pete Alonso earlier in the offseason.
Basallo is expected to make the big league team and play in an everyday role, though. It seems likely that he will serve as the O's backup catcher for Rutschman while starting at designated hitter. If Alonso ever needs a day off -- which may not occur given the fact that the former New York Mets star has played all 162 games in each of the past two seasons -- Basallo can also fill in at first base.
It may not be a consistent role in terms of spending each contest at the same position, but Basallo will likely play most days with the Orioles during the '26 campaign barring unforeseen circumstances.
The upcoming season will also be an important one for Rutschman. He is looking to bounce back and prove that he is still an All-Star caliber player following a difficult 2025 season. If he struggles once again, one has to wonder if Basallo will surpass him as the team's catcher of the future.
Either way, Samuel Basallo features a high ceiling and should be a legitimate candidate for AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2026.