How Orioles' Samuel Basallo wrecked his AL Rookie of the Year chances

The last Baltimore Orioles player to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award was shortstop Gunnar Henderson in 2023. 

The AL East club may have to wait a little longer for the next one. 

At the beginning of the season, catcher Samuel Basallo would have been a surefire bet to receive at least a few Rookie of the Year votes. 

He signed an eight-year, $67 million extension with Baltimore that ultimately led to the Adley Rutschman trade to the Boston Red Sox. 

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote Friday that Basallo has been the Orioles' best rookie this season, but his second-half struggles are somewhat concerning. 

"Basallo has 18 home runs, which is nothing to sneeze at. Only two of those round-trippers have come in the past two months, though, as Basallo has a disastrous .149/.250/.243 triple-slash since the All-Star Break," Miller wrote.

"He was one of the top six or seven preseason candidates for AL Rookie of the Year, but he most likely won't receive a single vote at this rate." 

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It's important to remember that Basallo just turned 22 less than two months ago, and he played 97 games at Triple-A before his promotion. 

Like any other young hitter, there will be massive struggles against Major League pitching before a potential breakout. 

With more consistency, Basallo could be a top-five catcher in baseball in the coming years. 

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