For Orioles fans, the most exciting ballpark to attend right now might not be Camden Yards. Rather, it could Ripken Stadium, home of the Short Season-A Aberdeen Ironbirds, for whom 2019 No. 1 overall pick and catcher Adley Rutschman will reportedly make his debut this weekend.
The Orioles selected seven college position players in the first 10 rounds of this year's draft, and most of them are playing for the IronBirds already. One of those position players was outfielder Zach Watson, the Orioles' third-round pick out of LSU and former USA Baseball teammate of Rutschman.
Watson and Rutschman played together on USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team last summer. The team, which is comprised mostly of the top rising juniors in college baseball, plays a brief schedule that includes intrasquad games and matchups against Cuba and Japan, among other countries.
