Griff O’Ferrall Stats & Scouting Report

AB	37
AVG	.081
OBP	.306
SLG	.162
HR	1

Full name Griffin O'Ferrall
Born 02/02/2003 in Richmond, VA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Virginia
Drafted in the PPI round (32nd overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2024 (signed for $2,697,500).

View Draft Report

School: Virginia
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.5
BA Grade: 45/High
Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 30. Run: 55. Field: 50. Arm: 45.

O’Ferrall is the stereotypical, steady college grinder profile who doesn’t boast loud raw tools but does everything well and helps win games. A 6-foot-1, 185-pound shortstop and righthanded hitter, O’Ferrall assumed Virginia’s everyday shortstop role as a true freshman and spent the next three seasons making tons of contact. He finished his three years with a .345/.409/.443 slash line and just a 9.7% strikeout rate. During the 2023 summer he was invited to Team USA where he assumed the coveted starting shortstop role and then was second on the team with a .463 average in 10 games. Contact is the name of the game for O’Ferrall as a hitter. He grinds at-bats, puts the ball in play and is difficult to strike out. In three years he managed an 86% overall contact rate and 93% in-zone contact rate. While he finds the barrel, he mostly hits soft line drives and the ball dies off his bat with wood, with very little power upside to project on moving forward. In one of the most power-friendly college environments, O’Ferrall hit just eight home runs in 910 UVA plate appearances. He’s a sound and reliable defender at shortstop, though he’s not flashy and his arm might be stretched on plays in the hole to his arm side. Because of that he could be a better fit for second base. He’s an above-average runner and savvy basestealer who went 50-for-58 (86.2%) in stolen bases.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average

Adjusted Grade: 30

Track Record: O’Ferrall held down the starting shortstop role for three years at Virginia and was named the Brooks Wallace Award winner as the nation’s best shortstop in 2024, shortly before the Orioles drafted him 33rd overall and signed him for just below slot at $2.7 million. O’Ferrall had a challenging first full season in pro ball, with a .618 OPS at High-A Aberdeen before spending the last two weeks of the season at Double-A Chesapeake.

Scouting Report: O’Ferrall’s hit-tool driven profile was on display as he made plenty of contact, whiffing just 5.8% of the time, and controlled the strike zone well. His challenges impacting the ball, however, meant his contact didn’t generate much by way of results. His 19.7% hard-hit rate was among the system’s lowest. If he can’t hit the ball with more authority, it might be a reach for him to be even a below-average hitter. Defensively, O’Ferrall handled shortstop well and can probably play there in a pinch at the highest level, with a skillset that may fit better at second. He’s an above-average runner who made an impact on the bases.

The Future: O’Ferrall’s ability to play defense and play the game hard can get him to the big leagues, though his lack of hard contact can mute the impact he’ll have. He’s set to return to Chesapeake for 2026.

Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 30 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.

Track Record: O’Ferrall picked up plenty of accolades as a three-year starter at Virginia, setting the Cavaliers’ single-season hits record as a sophomore and winning the 2024 Brooks Wallace Award as the nation’s best shortstop. His steadiness on the dirt and ability to make contact were among the several traits that drew the Orioles to O’Ferrall in 2024 with their second day-one selection, a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick added for Gunnar Henderson’s American League Rookie of the Year win in 2023. Baltimore signed O’Ferrall for a slightly below-slot deal of $2.7 million as the 33rd overall pick.

Scouting Report: O’Ferrall walked more often than he struck out in college, highlighting the advanced bat-to-ball ability and swing decisions that the Orioles have coveted at the top of the draft. He doesn’t whiff often and has a feel for the barrel, which can make him an above-average hitter, but he hasn’t demonstrated much ability to impact the baseball to this point, limiting his overall offensive profile. O’Ferrall already has cut down on his chase rate in pro ball, which is a good first step. The Orioles have experience with that skill set and will hope to get the most out of it and keep a player who otherwise grinds and helps teams win with solid-average or better tools. O’Ferrall is fundamentally sound and can make all the plays at shortstop, while being an above-average runner who is rarely thrown out stealing.

The Future: O’Ferrall might be modestly outperforming his tools if he becomes a solid-average major league regular, but he boasts a high utility floor and showed some early-season strength gains as a junior that point to some upside in his offensive profile that can help him be an everyday player. He’ll begin his first full pro season at High-A Aberdeen in 2025.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45.

Draft Prospects

School: Virginia Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.5
BA Grade: 45/High
Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 30. Run: 55. Field: 50. Arm: 45.

O’Ferrall is the stereotypical, steady college grinder profile who doesn’t boast loud raw tools but does everything well and helps win games. A 6-foot-1, 185-pound shortstop and righthanded hitter, O’Ferrall assumed Virginia’s everyday shortstop role as a true freshman and spent the next three seasons making tons of contact. He finished his three years with a .345/.409/.443 slash line and just a 9.7% strikeout rate. During the 2023 summer he was invited to Team USA where he assumed the coveted starting shortstop role and then was second on the team with a .463 average in 10 games. Contact is the name of the game for O’Ferrall as a hitter. He grinds at-bats, puts the ball in play and is difficult to strike out. In three years he managed an 86% overall contact rate and 93% in-zone contact rate. While he finds the barrel, he mostly hits soft line drives and the ball dies off his bat with wood, with very little power upside to project on moving forward. In one of the most power-friendly college environments, O’Ferrall hit just eight home runs in 910 UVA plate appearances. He’s a sound and reliable defender at shortstop, though he’s not flashy and his arm might be stretched on plays in the hole to his arm side. Because of that he could be a better fit for second base. He’s an above-average runner and savvy basestealer who went 50-for-58 (86.2%) in stolen bases.