Samuel Basallo

Active

Baltimore Orioles · Catcher

Age 216' 4" · 250 lbsBats Left

FBaseball Overview

At just 21 years old, this young catcher enters 2026 fresh off a debut season that showed modest offensive production but clear signs of development, evidenced by his .251 batting average and 12 home runs across 239 at-bats. His minor league pedigree—highlighted by multiple Baseball America All-Star selections and a Triple-A Post-Season All-Star nod in 2025—suggests the tools are present for growth as he gains MLB experience behind the plate. The power potential is intriguing for a catcher his age, though the lack of speed (zero stolen bases) and still-developing batting average limit immediate fantasy value in deeper leagues. Fantasy managers should view him as a speculative add with considerable upside if his batting average continues trending upward, while recognizing the position's inherent scarcity offers some baseline value even with modest counting stats.

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	OBP	SLG	OPS
2025	Baltimore Orioles	31	.165	4	15	10	.229	.330	.559
2026	Baltimore Orioles	77	.256	14	42	31	.321	.468	.789
Career	Totals	108	.228	18	57	41	.294	.426	.720

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2021	DSL Orioles 1	41	.239	5	19	18	1	.338	.410	.748
2022	FCL Orioles	43	.278	6	32	22	1	.350	.424	.774
2023	3 teams▼	114	.313	20	86	75	12	.402	.551	.953
2024	2 teams▼	127	.278	19	65	68	10	.341	.449	.790
2025	Norfolk Tides	76	.270	23	67	49	0	.377	.589	.966
Career	Totals	401	.283	73	269	232	24	.366	.498	.864

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg91.3 mph

Max EV112.5 mph

Launch Angle12.5°

Barrel %12.2%

K %25.6%

Hard Hit %45.6%

Whiff %30.7%

Chase %40.2%

xBA0.257

xSLG0.478

xwOBA0.342

GB%42.5%

LD%24.3%

FB%28.2%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

LD% — Line drive rate. High LD% hitters make consistent hard contact; line drives are the batted ball type most likely to fall for hits and boost batting average.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2025

Baltimore Orioles

.165

.229

.330

.559

2026

Baltimore Orioles

.256

.321

.468

.789

Career

Totals

108

.228

.294

.426

.720

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2021

DSL Orioles 1

.239

.338

.410

.748

2022

FCL Orioles

.278

.350

.424

.774

2023

3 teams▼

114

.313

.402

.551

.953

2024

2 teams▼

127

.278

.341

.449

.790

2025

Norfolk Tides

.270

.377

.589

.966

Career

Totals

401

.283

269

232

.366

.498

.864