The Orioles’ fielding problems have become impossible to ignore, and Craig Albernaz sounds like a manager who knows it every time his club manages to play a clean game.
The second half is expected to bring a sharper approach to how the roster is used, with several players sliding into more defined defensive roles. Coby Mayo, for one, is not viewed as a strong everyday option in this setup. The plan appears to be using him as a platoon bat against lefties and a preferred pinch hitter in those same spots.
One of the more important names here is Jeremiah Jackson. With Jackson back in Triple-A, Jackson Holliday needs to keep getting work at second base if he stays healthy. The Orioles need to find out now whether he can handle the position.
The club also seems ready to lean harder into the value of the glove it gets from Jorge Mateo. He has been the best versatile defender they have, with the range, instincts and arm to handle third base.
At the plate, he has also been one of MLB’s best hitters since April 28, leading the league in batting average over that stretch at .363 and ranking 10th with a .953 OPS. With the Orioles now deep enough in the outfield, there’s no need to push him back out there.
Colton Cowser has become another bright spot defensively. He’s on the best defensive run of his career, and the athleticism is showing up in a big way.
He has been robbing homers, controlling his throws and avoiding the kind of wild mistakes that can unravel innings. Leody Taveras, by contrast, has been slipping after a strong first two months, which makes him a more logical fit as a fourth outfielder.
That opens the door for Dylan Beavers to get regular run in right field. The Orioles want to see what he can become, and his approach plays: he works counts, takes walks and can help turn the lineup over with runners on base. Tyler O’Neill is another name in the mix, though there’s a clear hope the Orioles resist forcing more production out of him and instead eat salary to move him at the deadline.
Behind the plate, Adley Rutschman is putting together his best defensive season since 2023, but he simply has not been on the field enough. That needs to change.
Samuel Basallo, 21, should be catching day game after night game while Rutschman remains outside the top 20 in MLB in innings caught. The expectation here is that Rutschman should be gone by August, and the Orioles will have to show whether they do the right thing.
At first base, Pete Alonso is handling the position well, but there’s concern about how the contract will age. That’s why the suggestion is to give him some DH time a few days a week while his bat is hot. Basallo, meanwhile, is described as very agile with strong instincts at first base, making it seem unnecessary to DH a player that young.
The larger picture is that this front office still loves to platoon across the roster, and that habit extends into the minors. That approach has not produced quality defenders consistently, and the major league team is feeling the effects now. The Orioles know the situation is severe, and this looks like the way they intend to attack it in the second half.
In Other News...
Orioles Need To See This From Jackson Holliday Before 2027 Plans Clear
Jackson Holliday is back with the Orioles after missing the first two months of the season with an injury, and the return has come with the kind of scrutiny that follows any top prospect in Baltimore. He is still young for his experience level and the organization has long viewed him as a major part of its future, but the early version of his comeback has not looked like the breakout many expected.
What the Orioles need now is a clearer sign that his bat is moving in the right direction, especially in the way he handles pitches and puts balls in play. For a club trying to map out its next few seasons, Hollidays development is not just about getting him healthy again, it is about finding out whether he can still grow into the role they once seemed ready to hand him. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles May Have Learned Something Concerning About Trey Gibson
Trey Gibsons first look in the big leagues gave the Orioles a reminder that pitching prospects rarely arrive with a straight line from the minors to Camden Yards. Promoted because of injuries in the rotation, the right-hander flashed the kind of arm that made him one of Baltimores better young pitchers, but the results also showed how quickly the margin shrinks against major league hitters when command slips.
What makes Gibson worth watching is that the stuff has not disappeared, and his Double-A success earlier this season suggested a pitcher who could miss bats and limit damage when everything was synced up. The concern now is less about whether he belongs in the organizations future plans and more about how long it will take for his command to catch up, because that will determine whether he is just depth for now or someone who can truly push for a rotation job down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Could Force Orioles Fans To Rethink The Trade Deadline
The Astros surge back into the American League West and wild-card picture has changed the tone around their deadline plans, turning a club that looked like a likely seller into one that may be shopping for help instead. For Baltimore fans, that matters because Houstons new posture could put the Orioles on the other side of the market, with Bleacher Reports Kerry Miller pointing to a pair of Baltimore players as possible fits if the Astros decide to buy.
One of those names would make sense for a Houston team looking to add offense, even if the power production has not matched last years pace. The other has been working through a rocky overall line, but a strong June suggested there may still be more upside there than the season-long numbers show, which is exactly the kind of profile a contender can talk itself into when the deadline starts to tighten up. [Read more 🡒]