The hard-hitting first baseman just missed a starting spot on the AL All Star team. Now, with Ryan Mountcastle sidelined, the Orioles need Ryan O’Hearn to pick up his power numbers.
Ryan O’Hearn fell just short of starting the All Star Game in 2024. O’Hearn qualified as a finalist for the American League designated hitter spot before finishing slightly below Houston’s Yordan Álvarez. And while the fan vote falls short of exact science, nobody questioned that O’Hearn belonged among the league’s best.
Baltimore acquired O’Hearn from the Royals for cash considerations before last season. The former eighth-round pick emerged from a group of players assembled to compete for the backup first base job, and he joined the Orioles for good on May 5, 2023.
O’Hearn went on to secure a significant role as the cleanup hitter against right-handed pitching. He provided a boost while Ryan Mountcastle spent time on the injured list and continued to require at bats once the righty returned. O’Hearn slashed .289/.322/.480 over 112 games and received votes as the AL’s Comeback Player of the Year.
The 31-year-old entered this season looking to prove last year was no fluke. He did just that with an All-Star worthy first half, but O’Hearn has finally stumbled with a .625 OPS through the first 26 days in August.
The first season with legitimate expectations has left the team with plenty of injuries and an inability to hold first place. The offense has struggled since the break, and injuries to Jordan Westburg, Jorge Mateo and Mountcastle have only hurt the cause.
The dog days of summer have been brutal, and Baltimore still finds itself waiting for several key contributors to return. Anthony Santander has done his best to carry the offense, but he shouldn’t have to do it alone. Now should be Ryan O’Hearns time to shine.
One look at O’Hearn’s Baseball Savant page will leave anyone seeing red. He ranks in the top 10 percent of xwOBA (.370), xBA (.289) and xSLG (.498). He manages to hit the ball hard without striking out, and his 12.7 K% ranks in the 96th percentile of Major League Baseball.
O’Hearn rarely gets cheated at the dish, and he knows how to work a count. His 10.7 BB% is nothing to sneeze at, and he chases pitches outside of the zone significantly less than the average major leaguer.
O’Hearn’s impressive numbers come with the caveat that he predominantly faces right-handed pitching. Brandon Hyde platoons O’Hearn and Mountcastle based on the pitching matchup, but that doesn’t rule either player out for the duration of the game. Hyde routinely turns to his bench late in games, and O’Hearn has made his skipper look smart. The lefty has slashed .375/.474/.688 in 19 at bats as a pinch hitter this season.
The guy’s 90.3 MPH exit velocity somehow feels low. His routine flyouts often reach the warning track, but he went over a month without a homer before finally breaking through last night. Baltimore’s dependency on the long ball has been well documented, and O’Hearn’s lack of power from the middle of the order has loomed large.
O’Hearn tallied 11 homers in the first half, but the power simply hasn’t been there of late. Entering last night, O’Hearn had only two extra-base hits in the month of August. He’s still delivering quality at bats, but his frustration finally boiled over with an ejection last week against New York.
Mountcastle’s injury could provide O’Hearn a few more opportunities against lefties. Baltimore recalled Emmanuel Rivera to replace Mountcastle, and Rivera holds a career .255/.321/.379 line against left-handers. Rivera will likely start against southpaws, but Hyde could allow O’Hearn to face lefty relievers at a slightly higher rate.
The Orioles do not need O’Hearn to reinvent himself, but they do need him to play to his potential. No player needs extra motivation to swing for the fences in modern baseball, but a power surge from O’Hearn could be exactly what Baltimore’s offense needs to get back on track.