Who is Heston Kjerstad? Orioles prospect and former 2nd overall draft pick called up for MLB debut 

Heston Kjerstad, the second overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2020 draft, didn't play a minor league game until 2022. He had missed the first two seasons of his career due to myocarditis and a hamstring injury.

Since his return, Kjerstad has advanced quickly, moving from A ball to Triple-A in the last two seasons. According to Danielle Allentuck and Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner, he will now travel to Baltimore on Thursday to sign with the Orioles ahead of his potential MLB debut.

"Heston Kjerstad has been called up by the Baltimore Orioles to make his major league debut, ARBT can confirm. The Baltimore Banner was first. Kjerstad, the 2nd overall pick from the 2020 MLB Draft, overcame Myocarditis that delayed the start of his career to reach the Show." - masnARBT

The Orioles are calling up Heston Kjerstad, per @afkostka The second overall pick in the 2020 draft, Kjerstad is No. 24 in MLB Pipeline's Prospect Rankings - TalkinBaseball

Kjerstad was raised in Amarillo, Texas, and graduated from Randall High. The Seattle Mariners selected him in the 36th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, but he decided to play college baseball at Arkansas instead.

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Heston Kjerstad's baseball career

On Jun. 30, 2020, Kjerstad signed a contract with the Orioles for a $5.2 million bonus.

On Jun. 10, 2022, with the Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds, Kjerstad made his professional debut after spending the first half of the 2022 season in extended spring training. Kjerstad had a.233 batting average in 43 games while playing for the IronBirds.

Kjerstad participated in the 2022 Arizona Fall League, where he hit.371/.400/.663, led the league in at bats (89), doubles (9) and strikeouts (27) and batted .371/.400/.663 overall.

He was added to the Orioles' 2023 spring training roster as a non-roster invitee. Before being sent to minor league camp, he batted .381 with four home runs in 23 games.

On Jun. 9, he hit his first Triple-A home run, an inside-the-parker in the seventh inning of an 8-4 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on the road. Kjerstad was chosen to participate in the All-Star Futures Game in 2023.