The Road to The Show™: Orioles’ Kjerstad

Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken toward achieving his Major League dream. Here's a look at fourth-ranked Orioles prospect Heston Kjerstad. For more stories about players on The Road to The Show, click here.

Heston Kjerstad’s professional career was in jeopardy before it even began. But in less than three years since being drafted, the 24-year-old is on the doorstep of the Major Leagues with Triple-A Norfolk.

Kjerstad was diagnosed with myocarditis, which causes inflammation of the heart, after being selected with the second overall pick in 2020. The condition pushed his professional debut to last June, and he has since played what amounts to about one full season in the Minors – 136 total games so far. But even with the delay, he’s done nothing but hit at just about every level.

Kjerstad opened the 2023 season with Double-A Bowie and forced his way onto one of the most talented rosters in the Minors at the beginning of June. Since being elevated, he’s batting .323/.414/.602 with 14 extra-base hits, including five homers, and 22 runs scored.

MLB Pipeline’s No. 37 overall prospect has held his own against advanced competition over the past year. Kjerstad is the reigning Arizona Fall League MVP, and he notched a base hit in his first All-Star Futures Game appearance on Saturday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. It’s been an interesting start to a career for Kjerstad, who has quickly become one of the more accomplished players in the Minors.

"Everybody has expectations for you, but I put higher expectations on myself than what anybody thinks I'm capable of," Kjerstad told MLB.com in October. "I want to be the best I can be and I want to find out how good I can become."

Kjerstad earned some notoriety as a prospect coming out of Canyon Randall High School in Texas. He was drafted by the Mariners in the 36th round in 2017 but opted to attend the University of Arkansas.

The lefty-swinging outfielder was a three-year starter for the Razorbacks. His all-fields power and ability to hit jumped out as an underclassmen. Kjerstad broke the Arkansas freshman home run record with 14 while batting .332 with a .972 OPS in 2018. He was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American.

Kjerstad followed that with 17 homers during his sophomore season as he hit .327 and maintained a .975 OPS. Due to the pandemic shutdown, he played in just 16 games with the Razorbacks before the Draft in 2020, but he was able to impress in that small sample, hitting .448 with a 1.304 OPS, six homers and 19 runs scored.

Kjerstad ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 Draft prospect and was viewed as the best lefty college bat, with a power potential that was second only to top Draft prospect Spencer Torkelson.

After the Tigers took Torkelson at No. 1, the Orioles selected Kjerstad, whom general manager Mike Elias deemed “our favorite bat,” at No. 2. Following the Draft, Kjerstad signed with Baltimore for a reported $5.2 million bonus, which was about two-thirds of the slot value.

It would be two years to the day of the 2020 Draft until Kjerstad appeared in a professional game. The effects of myocarditis kept him sidelined for all of 2021, and he suffered a left hamstring strain in March of 2022 that delayed his debut until June.

All Heston Kjerstad does is hit 💪 pic.twitter.com/46jUkQ01bU

— Orioles Player Development (@OsPlayerDev) July 9, 2023

But Kjerstad tore the cover off the ball in his first Minor League action. He produced a .463/.551/.650 slash line with a pair of homers and 17 RBIs in 22 games with Single-A Delmarva before earning his first promotion.

The game didn’t come as easy to him in the South Atlantic League, where he batted .233 with a .674 OPS with High-A Aberdeen. He made up for the lost time with Scottsdale in the AFL, where he certainly looked to be in control. Kjerstad batted .357 with a 1.007 OPS, five homers and 17 RBIs over 22 games to be named MVP of the circuit.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound slugger brought his hot streak into his first Grapefruit League showing. Kjerstad finished with a .381/.409/.810 slash line, nine extra-base hits, including four homers, and nine RBIs in 23 games that spring.

After the regular season, it seemed Kjerstad might need to head back to Aberdeen. But he proved in the AFL and Spring Training that he was ready for Double-A to start this season. Before being promoted, Kjerstad hit .310 with a .960 OPS and 11 homers for the Baysox.

Kjerstad has mostly played the outfield as a professional, but started to get in games at first base this season.

His first Futures Game appearance will most likely be his last. At the very least, he should have an opportunity to challenge for a spot on Baltimore’s Opening Day roster in 2024, or he may even be able to follow in Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg’s footsteps and help the big-league club with its postseason push in the second half this year.