The Orioles announced that they have signed their first-round pick from this years draft . reports that the signing bonus was just over $4.4MM, right around slot value for the 19th overall pick. Irish spent the past three years with Auburn. He was primarily a catcher in his earlier years with the Tigers but spent more time in right field this year. Ryan Schmelzer Jersey That was due to a fractured scapula he suffered when he was hit by a pitch, but there were already questions about his ability to stick at the position even before that happened. There appear to be le s questions about the bat. He slashed .350/.435/.625 acro s his three seasons at Auburn, with a .364/.469/.710 line this year. He also has some experience with a wood bat, having played in the Cape Cod League in 2023 and 2024 with a combined .307/.414/.396 line. ranked Irish fifth in the cla s. and both had him at #11 and at #13. All outlets praise his left-handed swing, which can produce hard contact to all fields, though his future power potential is a bit le s certain. As mentioned, its a question whether or not Irish should be behind the plate or if he should be moved to right field or perhaps first base. For what its worth, the Orioles announced him as a catcher, so it seems the door is still open for him to be a backstop. The Orioles have behind the plate, though hes only controlled through the 2027 season. is at Triple-A and is considered one of the top prospects in the league, though theres a chance he ends up at first base in the long run. Photo courtesy of Mickey Welsh, Imagn Images Nathan Legare Jersey