Ike Irish was a hitting machine for Auburn this past season, he comes with versatility defensively, and now he’s property of the Baltimore Orioles.
The Orioles made the 21-year-old Irish the 19th overall pick in Sunday night’s Major League Baseball Draft in Atlanta. While Irish was previously a star catcher and was listed as a catcher at the draft, he switched to the outfield this past season so he could focus on hitting.
That strategy worked to perfection for Irish, who posted a ridiculous slash line of .364/.469/.710 this past season on the Plains. Irish belted 19 home runs, had 58 RBIs and showed some speed, too, with 11 stolen bases in 55 games in 2025 for the Tigers. Now, after donning Auburn burnt orange, he’ll have the opportunity to wear a different shade of orange if things work out long-term with the Orioles.
The Orioles appear to see Irish as a catcher for the long haul, and they celebrated the drafting of Irish with this post on Sunday night:
The projected slot value of the No. 19 pick in this draft is $4,420,900. The Orioles weren’t shy at grabbing Irish in that spot, either, knowing what he could one day bring to the franchise. Irish’s presence at Auburn translated into winning. In 3 years on the Plains, Irish was part of 2 regional teams and this past season helped the Tigers host a Super Regional for the very first time.
Irish also entrenched himself into the Auburn baseball record books, finishing with all-time top-10 marks for career batting average (.350) and home runs (39).
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
