SAN FRANCISCO — Orioles outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad is set to be promoted to Triple-A Norfolk less than a year after making his professional debut, a team source told The Baltimore Banner.
Kjerstad is hitting .310 with Double-A Bowie in 46 games, including a .959 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He has clubbed 11 homers for the Baysox and will join a Norfolk roster with ample talent, including highly ranked prospects such as infielder Jordan Westburg and outfielder Colton Cowser.
Kjerstad, 24, was selected with the second overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Arkansas, but his path to Major League Baseball was delayed because of myocarditis, the inflammation of a heart muscle. He was sidelined for two seasons before debuting with Low-A Delmarva last year. He needed only 22 games at that level before the Orioles promoted him to High-A Aberdeen.
Kjerstad was invited to major league spring training this year and impressed with his ability at the plate. Once there, Kjerstad seemed motivated to make up for lost time. He hit .381 in 23 spring training games with a 1.219 OPS. He then reported to Double-A and, because of his success there, is set for a quick rise to Triple-A.
“We all have this picture-perfect plan we envision of doing certain things at certain times, one after the other, but never envision the setbacks,” Kjerstad said during spring training. “And that’s the beauty of the journey. Your story’s never finished, and there’s always going to be some things thrown into your story that you never really anticipated. But that’s part of the journey.”
The journey now has brought Kjerstad one step from the major leagues.
