The Baltimore Orioles have signed right-hander Braden Smith, their 15th-round pick (440th overall) in the 2026 MLB Draft, completing the deal ahead of the July 27 deadline for signing draft selections. Smith, a native of Byron, Illinois, was drafted out of the University of Central Florida.
Smith was one of 16 players from Baltimore's 2026 draft class signed on July 25 and 26 as the Orioles pushed to finalize their class before the 5 p.m. ET Monday cutoff. Among the other players signed in the same window were right-handers Gunnar Garrison, Miguel Hugas, Garrison Sumner, Ross Norman, and Diego Gutierrez, as well as shortstops Will Plunkett, Brayden Fry, and Jimmy Anderson, catcher Leo Marrero, and outfielder Kevin Roberts Jr.