OF Heston Kjerstad Taken No. 2 by Orioles in Surprising Pick at 2020 MLB Draft

The Baltimore Orioles turned heads with the No. 2 pick of the 2020 MLB draft, selecting outfielder Heston Kjerstad.

The Arkansas product was considered the No. 10 overall player by MLB.com.

According to Joe Trezza of MLB.com, the Orioles had reportedly been discussing underslot deals in Round 1 to provide the team with more options in later rounds.

After No. 1 overall player Spencer Torkelson went first overall to the Detroit Tigers, outfielder Austin Martin, pitcher Asa Lacy and infielder Nick Gonzales were considered other top options for Baltimore.

JJ Cooper of Baseball America broke down the strategy for the Orioles:

Despite it being an unexpected pick, Kjerstad could be a quality prospect for this team:

The left-hander only played 16 games in 2020 but hit an incredible .448 with six home runs and 20 RBI. Though this was a small sample size, he has dominated at the plate throughout his college career with a .345 batting average, 35 home runs and 32 doubles in 145 games.

He also played a key role in leading the Razorbacks to the College World Series in each of the last two years.

"He's going to play in the big leagues a long time," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said, per Richard Justice of MLB.com.

Kjerstad joins an organization that needs an infusion of talent. Baltimore has 223 losses over the past two seasons.