Five and a half years into a relationship, you should probably know your partner well enough to predict their order at their favorite restaurant.

Five and a half years into Mike Elias’ tenure in Baltimore, most Orioles fans probably know the general manager’s preferences well enough to predict his first-round draft pick — or at least tell you who’s on his short list. Elias has always shown a partiality for college position players who hit from the left side, and the departure of former head of draft operations Brad Ciolek for the Washington Nationals won’t change his inclinations.

Luckily for Elias, this MLB draft class is heavy on college bats. Five of MLB Pipeline’s top eight draft prospects are collegiate hitters, and another is a two-way phenom at the University of Florida. Although Baltimore will wait until pick No. 22 to make its first selection — the lowest the franchise has drafted since 2016 — there should be several players available who fit Elias’ preferred demographics by the time the O’s are on the clock.

“I think there’s a bunch of college hitters that have really performed,” said Matt Blood, Orioles vice president, player development and domestic scouting. “I think you’ll probably see a majority of, in terms of the numbers, that that’ll probably be what gets drafted the most.”

Here are five prospects the Orioles could draft with the 22nd overall pick.

OF/RHP Carson Benge, Oklahoma State

If you were to create a player in a lab for the Orioles to draft, he would probably look a lot like Carson Benge. A left-handed-hitting outfielder with a patient approach and the ability to hit to all fields, Benge mashed 18 homers with a 1.109 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in his final year at Oklahoma State. Oh, yeah, and he posted a 3.16 ERA in 18 appearances on the mound.

But all of these selling points are reasons Benge may not last until the 22nd pick. MLB Pipeline has the 21-year-old ranked as the 18th-best prospect in this draft. Baseball America is even more bullish on Benge, slotting him 16th. Although Benge may eventually have to choose between hitting and pitching, his two-way upside, combined with his phenomenal tools, will make a team very happy on draft night.

C Malcolm Moore, Stanford

Elias has drafted only one catcher with his top selection since coming to Baltimore, and we all know how well that turned out. But Elias has never been faced with the quandary of spending another top pick on a backstop. Louisville’s Henry Davis was off the board by the time the O’s picked at No. 5 in 2021, and there haven’t been any catchers deserving of consideration at the team’s other draft spots.

Which is why Stanford’s Malcolm Moore would be a fascinating selection at No. 22. Moore can hit — a .967 OPS with 16 homers in 2024 — and, as a draft-eligible sophomore, is just 20 years old. But would the Orioles draft another catcher that high with Adley Rutschman poised to dominate the position for years? Talent always wins out for Elias, so he likely wouldn’t hesitate if he considered Moore the best player on the board. Plus, Moore’s iffy defense may mean a move to first base is in his future anyway.

RHP Brody Brecht, Iowa

If you’re part of the crowd that would like to see the Orioles add an arm, don’t get your hopes up. Elias has yet to take a pitcher with his top selection. Florida State right-hander Jackson Baumeister became the highest-drafted hurler of the Elias era when the O’s scooped him up with their competitive-balance-round pick (63rd overall) last summer. If Elias decides to stray from his tendencies, Iowa righty Brody Brecht could entice him.

A former wide receiver on the Hawkeyes football team, Brecht is a 6-foot-4 fireballer with a fastball-slider combination that has drawn comparisons to that of last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Pirates superstar Paul Skenes. Although Brecht’s 99-mph heater helped him rack up 128 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings in 2024, his command can be erratic, leading to 49 walks and a good-not-great 3.33 ERA. Still, arms like Brecht’s don’t come around often.

OF Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina

Few prospects in this year’s draft boast as many highly graded tools as UNC’s Vance Honeycutt. MLB Pipeline gives the outfielder a 60-grade power tool (on a 20-80 scouting scale), a 65-grade run tool, a 60-grade arm and a 70-grade fielding tool. Honeycutt mashed 28 homers and stole 28 bases in his junior season, plus he boasts Gold Glove potential in center field.

So what’s not to like? Scouts are concerned with his high strikeout rate — 28% in 2024. But, if there’s one thing the Orioles can teach, it’s plate approach. Look at Gunnar Henderson, who has transformed himself into one of the most patient hitters in baseball after struggling with whiffs to start his professional career. Honeycutt’s diverse skill set is tantalizing enough for Baltimore to take a chance if he’s available.

3B Tommy White, Louisiana State

With the second overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Orioles snapped up Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad, despite his less-than-impressive footspeed and defensive limitations. Why? The bat was just that good. Thirty-three games into Kjerstad’s big league career, the Orioles appear to have nailed their evaluation.

LSU’s Tommy White, who hit 75 home runs in three collegiate seasons, might develop into a good enough pro hitter that his below-average speed and arm won’t matter much. “Tommy Tanks” hit .355 with a 1.123 OPS in 187 NCAA games and helped the Tigers capture a College World Series title in 2023. Even though scouts believe he might have to move from third base to first base, White has the kind of raw power and bat-to-ball skills the Orioles crave in prospects.