A few weeks ago, Christian Encarnacion-Strand looked like the kind of player the Orioles might have been ready to send back to Norfolk.
That’s how fast things can turn. Blaze Alexander was closing in on a return after a run that had him shockingly among baseball’s top 10 hitters from April 24 until he was hit by a pitch right before the All-Star break, Coby Mayo was surging, and Encarnacion-Strand’s old flaws were right there again - shaky range, limited mobility, swing-and-miss, inconsistency at the plate. Those are the same issues that pushed the former top 100 prospect out of two previous organizations and kept him in Triple-A this season while Baltimore’s lineup sat near the bottom of the league for much of the year.
Now he’s the one carrying the bat.
Over the last two weeks, Encarnacion-Strand has completely changed the conversation. He has become the Orioles’ hottest hitter, the only one who has been playing a supporting role to Pete Alonso’s ridiculous run lately. He turns 27 in December, which is still younger than Heston Kjerstad.
Manager Craig Albernaz pointed to that impact after Wednesday’s game.
“He’s been huge,” Albernaz said of the third baseman after Wednesday’s game. “Obviously, the way he’s been swinging the bat has been a huge plus for us, especially with Blaze going down.”
The numbers back it up. Encarnacion-Strand has driven in 15 runs over his last 13 games, and Baltimore has gone 7-6 in that stretch thanks to a mix of strong starting pitching and timely production from him and Alonso, who is back at DH while managing a calf issue. Encarnacion-Strand is hitting .294/.302/.588 in that span, a line that also reminds you why he spent so much time in the minors.
He’s struck out 16 times and walked once during this surge.
That’s the tradeoff with Encarnacion-Strand. The power is real, but so are the holes.
He can punish a fastball and struggle with offspeed stuff. The defense doesn’t give him much cushion either.
It’s the kind of profile that leaves him in that awkward middle ground - dangerous enough to matter, limited enough to make you wonder how far it can go.
Where does that leave the Orioles? For now, it means riding the streak.
There’s already a future roster puzzle forming. If Baltimore trades Gunnar Henderson as many expect, moves Jackson Holliday to center field and brings in a glove-first shortstop, Encarnacion-Strand could end up bouncing between third base, first base and DH in 2027.
Alexander could also be part of that mix, mostly at third but with the ability to handle a corner outfield spot. If Henderson stays through the deadline and then gets dealt later, the third-base picture gets even messier for Encarnacion-Strand.
That’s all down the road. Right now, the Orioles just need the bat to keep playing.
Encarnacion-Strand mashed everything he saw Wednesday night, and Baltimore has reason to keep leaning on him while the opportunity is there. The club has scored 21 runs in two games in St.
Louis, the Cardinals’ bullpen is depleted, and Thursday’s opponent is headed into a bullpen game. That sets up a real chance for a sweep as the Orioles continue their road trip through Sacramento and Denver.
The long-term outlook is still cloudy. For the moment, though, the message is simple: enjoy the streak while it lasts. Encarnacion-Strand looks more like a stopgap than a player to build around for 2027, but he’s giving the Orioles something useful right now, and they’d be wise to keep taking it.
In Other News...
Pete Alonso's Orioles Turnaround Followed A Huge Offseason Life Change
Pete Alonsos first season in Baltimore has come with more than just a new uniform. After signing a five-year, $155 million deal and leaving the Mets for the first time in his career, he had to sort through a major transition both on and off the field, including the demands of being a new father while adjusting to different routines with the Orioles. The early stretch was not seamless, and the change in rhythm showed up in his production.
Since May, though, Alonso has looked much more like the player Baltimore expected. He has settled in with a .940 OPS and 27 home runs over that span, a strong sign that the personal reset and the baseball adjustment have started to align. For the Orioles, it is a reminder that even a marquee addition sometimes needs time before the full impact arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Face A Bigger Gunnar Henderson Question Than Expected
Gunnar Henderson has been the kind of player the Orioles expected to build around for years, but the conversation around him has taken an unexpected turn as his long-term fit in Baltimore comes into sharper focus. The idea is no longer just about where he helps most on the field right now, but whether the club should start thinking more creatively about its infield alignment to protect both Henderson and the rest of the roster.
Former MLB executive Jim Duquette has helped push that discussion into the open, and it comes at a time when Hendersons defensive issues and offensive dip since mid-2025 have made the picture murkier than anyone in Baltimore would have preferred. If the Orioles decide they need a veteran shortstop and a different home for Jackson Holliday, the ripple effects could be significant, with Henderson at third base emerging as one possible answer to a much bigger question about how the team wants to structure its future. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles May Have Found Their Third Base Answer At Perfect Time
Christian Encarnacion-Strand has quickly turned into one of the more useful additions the Orioles have made in a season where every steady hand has mattered. Acquired from the Reds in April and called up in mid-July, he has given Baltimore production on both sides of the ball while the club has stayed in the thick of the AL Wild Card chase. For a team still sorting out its long-term infield picture, that kind of midseason impact is exactly what it needed.
Encarnacion-Strands arrival also comes with something the Orioles value as much as the current help: time. He is under team control through 2030, giving Baltimore plenty of room to keep evaluating how he fits into the roster beyond this year. If he keeps making the kind of impression he has so far, the Orioles could enter 2027 looking at him as more than just a handy depth piece and more like a real answer at third base. [Read more 🡒]