Holliday is top prospect in MLB Pipeline rankings; Orioles have 7 in top 100

BALTIMORE—Orioles prospect Jackson Holliday is the top prospect in the newly released MLB Pipeline Top 100. Holliday, the overall top pick in last July’s draft, was the 12^th-ranked prospect in baseball before spring training.

The 19-year-old is hitting .303 with five home runs and 31 RBIs with a .937 OPS in 49 games at High-A Aberdeen. The shortstop started the season with Single-A Delmarva, hitting .396 with two homers and 16 RBIs in 14 games.

Holliday is one of seven Oriole prospects in the Top 100. Outfielder Colton Cowser has risen to 14^th. Cowser is hitting .323 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs and a .978 OPS in 52 games for Triple-A Norfolk. He was 40^th before the season.

Infielder Jordan Westburg, who was 1-for-4 in his major league debut in Monday night’s 10-3 win over the Reds, is 33^rd. Outfielder/first baseman Heston Kjerstad, who was 80^th before the season, is 39^th. Kjerstad, who was promoted earlier this month from Double-A Bowie to Norfolk, is hitting .286 with four home runs and five RBIs in 17 games.

Kjerstad, who along with Holliday will play in the All-Star Futures game in Seattle on July 8^th, hit .310 with 11 homers and 23 RBIs in 46 games with Bowie.

Infielder Joey Ortiz, who hit .212 in 15 games with the Orioles and was optioned to Norfolk on Monday to make room for Westburg, is 66h. Infielder/outfielder Connor Norby is ranked 70^th. Norby is hitting .283 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs in 70 games for Norfolk.

Third baseman Coby Mayo is ranked 79^th. Mayo is hitting .313 with 14 home runs and 39 RBIs with a 1.042 OPS in 67 games for Bowie.

The Orioles are the only team with seven players in the top 100.

Hyde monitors standings: The Orioles are 48-29 entering Tuesday night’s game against the Reds. The 19 games over .500 is the most they’ve been since the end of the 2014 season.

“I follow them,” Hyde said of the standings. “I look at them every night. I look in the morning if I didn’t stay up for the West Coast games.

“I am pretty focused and daily and series. I really just focus on our team … I don’t think too far ahead besides that, but I am aware of what’s going on around  the league. I do stay here way too long at night. I have multiple TVs in my office that I watch too much baseball postgame of our game. I am aware of what’s going on  around the league.”

Minor league signing: The Orioles signed catcher Meibrys Viloria to a minor league contract. He has been working out and beginning his game progression in Sarasota.

Vlloria hit .198 with three homers and 24 RBIs in 103 games in parts of five seasons with Seattle, Texas and Cleveland. He was hitless in three at-bats in 10 games with Cleveland this season.