The Orioles’ outfield picture may end up telling the story of the rest of their season, and a lot of it comes down to two young bats: Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers.
By the end of this month, Baltimore will have to sort out whether it’s buying or selling. That call may not come quickly, and the front office still has plenty to weigh across the roster.
The bullpen needs help. The rotation is moving in the right direction.
The infield is missing Jordan Westburg. And in the outfield, the mix is a little more complicated.
Taylor Ward has given the Orioles a steady everyday presence since arriving from the Angels. The 32-year-old has seen his power dip, but he is still less than 10 walks away from a career high. Ward has become a useful table setter, and the pending free agent has given Baltimore more than Grayson Rodriguez has provided in LA.
Leody Taveras, signed early in the offseason to a one-year, $2-million deal, was never a lock to break camp with the club despite the major league contract. He made the team as a backup outfielder, then hit .288/.397/.455 in the season’s first month. When Colton Cowser got hot, Taveras briefly moved into an everyday role, and he still looks like a solid fourth or fifth outfielder.
Tyler O’Neill has been a different story. He has stayed relatively healthy, but the production has been rough. The bat Baltimore brought in to handle lefties is hitting .184 overall and .141 against southpaws.
O’Neill has also become a stand-in for some of Mike Elias’s recent misfires. The Orioles waited through the offseason before finally landing a multi-year deal, and this was the player they settled on. At this point, O’Neill has his contract and Elias’s stubbornness to thank for keeping him in the mix.
That makes Cowser’s and Beavers’s development even more important. Cowser opened the year ice-cold, hitting .186/.269/.220 over his first 26 games while struggling with offspeed pitches.
Then the power came back: four home runs in May, four more in June. He still hasn’t fully matched the offensive ceiling he showed as a rookie, but his defense has been one of the few real bright spots in the outfield.
There’s reason to believe Cowser can handle center field. He may never be a high-average hitter, but his .317 on-base percentage is only four points shy of what he posted in 2024. After winning the AL’s Most Outstanding Rookie Player’s Choice award, he has worked his way back into an everyday role and could be set up for a strong second half.
Beavers is trying to do his part too. The Orioles held off on promoting him last season because they thought he might have a real shot at a rookie award this year.
That idea went sideways when he strained his oblique in mid May. Now healthy again, he’s back to building on the one thing that has always stood out: getting on base.
The 33rd-overall pick in the 2022 draft entered last night’s game hitting .222/.313/.342. He put up a 119 OPS+ in 35 games last fall, but his line this year has settled at an 86 OPS+ so far.
The timing of his return matters here, because he only rejoined the Orioles at the end of June and is still finding his footing. Baseball development does not move in a straight line.
If Baltimore decides to sell, Ward could be moved. There’s also a path where the Orioles keep him and hand him a qualifying offer after the season, but his time in Baltimore could still end early if another club is willing to pay up.
O’Neill is a much tougher case. He has another year left on what the source called his albatros of a contract, and it’s hard to imagine another team taking that on. Even if the Orioles were willing to absorb money, his deal would still be a drag for almost any roster.
That leaves the rest of the outfield depth chart with a lot riding on internal growth. Beavers can cover center in a pinch, but his value is going to come mostly from reaching base and adding some pop.
Cowser is the cleaner fit in center and the more complete defender. If both can take another step, the Orioles’ outlook in the outfield changes fast.
There’s also a Triple-A layer to this. Heston Kjerstad and Enrique Bradfield Jr. are both healthy with Norfolk, and both remain in the conversation. Kjerstad entered last night’s game hitting .288/.316/.442 over 41 games, while Bradfield Jr. was at .258/.323/.342 with 15 stolen bases in 34 appearances.
Either one turning into a legitimate big leaguer would be a major win for Baltimore at this stage. They’re flawed, but each brings skills that can matter at the next level.
Ward - and even Taveras, depending on how things shake out - could be wearing a different uniform by the end of the month. But even if the Orioles stay put, the second half still asks the same question: can Cowser and Beavers keep moving forward? For a team trying to find something positive in a disappointing season, that answer may matter a lot.
In Other News...
Contender Now Linked To One Orioles Bat Fans Feared Losing
The trade deadline is starting to draw some familiar names into the rumor mill, and for Orioles fans, one of the more uncomfortable ones is a bat they have grown attached to. CBS Sports Mike Axisa recently pegged Taylor Ward as a possible fit for a Phillies club that has improved under Don Mattingly and looks like a buyer, with the appeal tied to his on-base ability and right-handed swing even as his home run total has dipped.
For Baltimore, the intrigue is less about Philadelphias needs than what Ward represents if the market keeps warming up. He is viewed as the kind of rental a contender can chase before he reaches free agency after the season, which is exactly the sort of profile that tends to stir deadline noise around a player who has become part of the Orioles everyday picture. The question now is how aggressive that pursuit gets, and whether Baltimore is forced to weigh short-term value against the kind of return that could make moving him easier to stomach. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have A Taylor Ward Problem At The Worst Time
Taylor Ward gave the Orioles exactly the kind of early boost they were hoping for, working his way on base at a strong clip and producing enough in April to look like a real middle-of-the-order fit. Since then, though, the bat has cooled, and the difference has shown up in both his power and his ability to get on base, which has made his once-promising start feel more fragile as the calendar moves toward the trade deadline.
That slide has already been noticed outside Baltimore, too. ESPNs latest trade-chip rankings have Ward slipping from 12th in the first edition to 24th now, a reminder that his market is changing along with his production. The Orioles would love to see him straighten things out over the next stretch, not just because they need the offense, but because a stronger finish would give them a much better position when the deadline conversations really start to heat up. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Bullpen Concerns Just Grew As Another Lineup Shuffle Looms
The Orioles bullpen picture took another hit with Keegan Akin now seeking a second opinion on his left elbow, while Colin Selby remains on the 60-day injured list and Ryan Helsley is still working through treatment on his right elbow. For a club already trying to patch together innings, the latest medical updates only add to the pressure on a relief group that has been asked to absorb a lot this season.
At the same time, Baltimore is trying to manage the rest of the roster with an eye on a Cubs matchup that brings a left-handed starter into the mix. The lineup card reflects that balancing act, with the Orioles turning to several younger bats and moving pieces around as they look for the right combination, even as the bullpen uncertainty keeps hanging over the day. [Read more 🡒]