Four Oriole prospects will play for the Arizona Fall League’s American League team in Sunday night’s Fall Stars Game.
Outfielders Vance Honeycutt and Ike Irish, the Orioles’ top draft picks in 2024 and 2025, and right-handed pitchers Braxton Bragg and Patrick Reilly, who’ve been part of the Peoria Javelinas, are the four.
Honeycutt, who’s hitting .256 with a 1.035 OPS, three home runs and 13 RBIs, and Irish, hitting .313 with an .899 OPS, two home runs and 12 RBIs, are the biggest names.
Honeycutt and Irish have combined to steal 13 bases in 15 attempts.
While Honeycutt isn’t among the Orioles’ Top 30 prospects, Irish is No. 5, according to MLB Pipeline,
Bragg, who on Tuesday was named the AFL’s Pitcher of the Week, joining Reilly, who won the honor three weeks ago, is the 22nd-ranked prospect.
In five games, two starts, Bragg is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA. He’s allowed seven runs, six earned, in 15 innings on 13 hits, striking out nine and walking three.
“It’s an incredible honor to pitch in the Fall Stars game,” Bragg said. “Everyone here is really good. I’ve put myself in a spot to be recognized like that. It makes you feel good. Obviously, you’ve got to stay hungry. Pitching in the Fall Stars game is not the ultimate goal in my career. It’ll be a really cool experience, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Reilly, who’s not ranked by MLB Pipeline, is 2-0 with a 2.87 ERA in five games, four starts. He’s allowed eight runs, five earned on 13 hits in 15 2/3 innings, striking out 25 and walking seven.
Bragg and Reilly both have a good chance of being added to the Orioles’ 40-man roster by November 17th. They both missed significant time with Tommy John surgery in 2025. Reilly had his in May and returned to pitch this season. Bragg’s was in July 2025 and his AFL action is his 2026 debut
“Getting my first innings of the year is awesome,” Bragg said. “I was itching to get back out and compete.”
Bragg was the Orioles’ eighth-round draft pick in 2023, a year in which the Orioles also picked prospects Levi Wells in the fourth round, Nestor German in the 11th, and Michael Forret in the 14th.
Each has an excellent chance to be added to the 40-man roster.
“It would be really exciting,” Bragg said. “I’ve been working ever since I’ve gotten into pro ball to put myself in these next steps. I can’t control a lot of things, and I’ve always been preached to ‘control the controllables.’ I can just control what I do every day on the field.”
Another right-hander, Trey Gibson, who’s already made it to the majors, was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
If he were put on the 40-man roster, Bragg would get to pitch during major league spring training.
“I think it would be an incredible honor,” he said. “It would be great to pick the brains of the guys who are obviously doing it on an everyday basis at the big league level and have been doing it for years. It would be a great experience to compete at the highest level, which I know I can do.”
His draftmates have all pitched in Triple-A, a level Bragg likely would have reached if not for Tommy John surgery.
“It was definitely crushing,” Bragg said. “The first month or so after that I blew out and needed to get surgery. I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel at some point, so I just had to continue to trust that was going to happen and here I am.”
Bragg and Reilly rehabbed together.
“Everyone goes through their progression differently,” Bragg said. “Some guys feel really good really early and some guys build up over time. I was one of those guys that builds up over time and started to feel better every week.
“There were some points where you have to hold back a little bit. You get above that velo range. They tell you have to hone it down. It’s tough to do that.”
When Bragg was hurt in 2025, he was pitching for Double-A Chesapeake. He was 2-2 with a 2.32 ERA in nine games, eight starts, after allowing just six hits and no earned runs in 16 1/3 innings over three starts for High-A Frederick.
He struck out 59 and walked just 12 in 42 2/3 innings.
“The command has always been something I’ve prided myself on,” Bragg said. “I think there’s a difference between being a thrower and being a pitcher. Velo had to come over time, but I always had the command. I got to the offseason after my first pro season in ’24-’25, and I put about 15-20 pounds, and the velo ticked up.
“It’s harder to hit harder velos. Everything just clicked for that strikeout/walk ratio. It’s really hard to hit a baseball, especially when it’s coming in harder. It’s makes it more difficult.”
The four Orioles, who’ve been joined by utility player Brandon Butterworth and right-handers Kailen Hamson, Kiefer Lord and Teddy Sharkey, are part of a team featuring prospects from Cincinnati, San Diego, Seattle and St. Louis.
“They treat us well out here, and it’s been nice to meet some new dudes and get to experience this league with them,” Bragg said. “It’s a high-level league.”
Peoria and Surprise are tied for first place with 16-10 records.
The Fall Stars game can be seen on MLB Network on Sunday night at 8.
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