Pick 5 – Baltimore Orioles
Selection: 1B Richie Sexson
If there’s a unifying theme to the early portion of this draft, it’s this: the teams picking high have holes everywhere. And Baltimore might be the most baffling puzzle of the bunch. For years the Orioles have hovered in that uncomfortable middle zone—too talented to bottom out, too flawed to break through—and now find themselves staring at a roster that needs just about everything.
Trying to pin down Baltimore’s priorities is an exercise in futility. You could make a perfectly reasonable case that they should anchor the rotation behind Dwight Gooden and Steve Avery, both of whom still possess top-tier ability but lack stability behind them. But you could make an equally compelling argument that this lineup—thin, inconsistent, and overly reliant on streaky stretches—needs a foundational bat even more.
Enter Richie Sexson, a potential four-star hitter in this draft and the closest thing to pure, unfiltered power the DBL has seen in years.
Sexson isn’t Helton; he’s a different kind of monster. Where Helton brings balance and polish, Sexson brings thunder. His power isn’t theoretical—it’s the sort of raw, reality-bending force that front offices dream about and pitchers wake up sweating over. And the best part? He’s not just a one-dimensional slugger. Sexson is a future Gold Glove defender at first base, the rare power bat who can actually improve a team’s infield defense rather than compromise it.
With Mark Grace all but guaranteed to walk given his unnecessary $270,000 ask, the Orioles have a ready-made vacancy at first. Sexson doesn’t just fill it. He claims it. Day one. No seasoning required. And with Leo Gomez likely to be re-signed to anchor the middle of the order, Sexson provides the perfect protection—an imposing bookend to a lineup that desperately needs intimidation.
Let’s not dance around it: 50+ home runs a year is on the table. Not as a pipe dream, but as a legitimate, statistical outcome for a player with this profile. Baltimore isn’t one piece away—but Sexson gives them the kind of cornerstone you happily build around for the next decade.
This pick is simple. This pick is sensible. And for a franchise that’s been stuck in indecision for years, this pick is a statement.
Baltimore gets its bat. And what a bat it is.