Heston Kjerstad
The Baltimore Orioles selected Heston Kjerstad second overall in the 2020 draft. Since then, they have taken an outfielder with one of their first round picks every year since. That has caused the O’s to build up a ton of young outfield depth. If they decide to move some of that depth, Kjerstad could be out the door.
Kjerstad has very limited MLB playing time, with just 147 plate appearances over the last two seasons. For what it’s worth, he has put up a solid 113 wRC+ during that time. However, Kjerstad has demolished Triple-A pitching, making a louder argument in the minors. Since he reached Triple-A in 2023, Kjerstad has hit .299/.382/.541 with 26 homers in just 508 plate appearances. Kjerstad has struck out 22.9% of the time, but has a 9.9% walk rate and a .242 isolated slugging percentage.
Power is the name of Kjerstad’s game, and he showed off a ton of it at Triple-A. Along with a boatload of home runs, Kjerstad had a 90.1 MPH exit velocity and an impressive 11% barrel percentage. However, he has some trouble with swings-and-misses and had a 27% whiff rate at Triple-A. Kjerstad clocked in at the 81st percentile of sprint speed during his brief MLB cameo in 2024, making him an above-average runner.
Defensively, he projects as an average glove in the outfield corners with a strong arm. His throws averaged 91.4 MPH (top 92nd percentile) in 2024. For what it’s worth, Kjerstad only has -1 DRS and a -0.6 UZR/150 throughout his young MLB career. But take that with a grain of salt, as it represents less than 200 innings. Kjerstad also has some experience at first base.
Since Kjerstad was just a rookie in 2024, he comes with nearly a full contract remaining. He is affordable and will be for a long time. The former first-round pick may also have the highest ceiling of any player on today’s list. The Orioles need pitching, something the Pirates can offer in droves. Meanwhile, the O’s have a ton of young outfielders besides Kjerstad.
The O’s, unfortunately, do not seem like they are in a rush to move Kjerstad for pitching. However, his potential, his remaining contract, Baltimore's clearest needs, and the Pirates' obvious surpluses make Kjerstad the best fit for the Bucs.