When the Orioles drafted Nate George with the 489th pick of the 2024 draft, the selection barely registered a blip on the prospect radar. Baseball America had George ranked 272nd among draft-eligible prospects. The Orioles had kept selecting proven college bats, and George was an 18-year-old prep prospect from Illinois with a commitment to a JUCO in the Florida Panhandle that most expected him to honor.

Cut to today: the 19-year-old center fielder just wrapped up one of the most impressive debut professional seasons in recent Orioles memory, earning the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year award while propelling himself into Baseball America’s top 100 prospects.

The six-foot, 200-lb. outfielder came to the Orioles as exactly the type of athletic outfielder Mike Elias loves to t

See Full Page