Prospect Spotlight: Connor Norby
This edition of the Prospect Spotlight covers Connor Norby, a second baseman currently with the Double-A Bowie Baysox. Norby was drafted in the second round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles out of East Carolina University. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America have Connor ranked as the 12th best prospect in the Orioles farm system. Norby also ranks as the 9th best second base prospect by MLB Pipeline.
At East Carolina University Connor hit .403 in 2020 and .415 in 2021 and also hit 15 home-runs in the 21 season. Connor was also recently announced as the Eastern League Player of the Month for August. Last month Norby had 37 hits, 9 home-runs, 26 runs batted in, and an on base plus slugging percentage of 1.066. In total this year between the Aberdeen IronBirds and the Bowie Baysox, Norby has hit .266 with 23 home-runs and 58 runs batted in over 101 games played.
Connor is currently 22 years old and is estimated by MLB Pipeline to debut in 2024. The scouting grades that Connor has received are a 55 Hit tool, 45 Power, 50 Run, 50 Arm, 50 Fielding, and 50 Overall. The only change that I would make to that report is moving his power grade up to a 60 as a 60 grade is usually around 23-27 home-runs. It’s a loaded infield farm system, realistically he’s going to be battling a lot of other players for playing time in Baltimore in a few years. However, Connor Norby is a top 10 organizational prospect in the majority of farm systems in the MLB and will be able to get a good opportunity when he gets the call to the big leagues.
