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From 2017 through 2022, the Baltimore Orioles went through an incredibly tough stretch on the field. After making the playoffs in three out of five years, the team went on a six-year playoff drought, finishing in last place in the American League East five times. A rebuild was underway, which meant there would be a lot of losing on the field.
The Orioles weren’t overly competitive during that stretch of time until they began to turn a corner in 2022. They didn’t make the playoffs, but the foundation of a what could be a very strong team was being laid with the emergence of incredible young talent. Catcher Adley Rutschman was first.
Then shortstop Gunnar Henderson began to emerge. Playing through some of those triple-digit loss seasons was center fielder Cedric Mullins. Things haven’t gone well for the team at the start of the 2025 MLB regular season, but there were expectations entering the year that this was a team capable of contending.
The core that has been built is a big reason why, with Baltimore constantly hitting on top draft picks and developing the players accordingly. It is one thing to be selecting near the top of the draft, but that doesn’t always result in finding the best player. There are plenty of examples of players being selected in the top 10 not panning out, but the Orioles did a great job of identifying talent that fit what they were looking for and getting the most out of them.
That is a major reason why they are ranked No. 2 overall in the homegrown talent power rankings put together by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report despite having only 13 homegrown players on the 40-man roster. “The Orioles have gone from laughing stock to legitimate contenders thanks to their ability to draft and develop position-player talent, and the potential is there for their homegrown offensive core to be even more impactful if Jackson Holliday realizes his potential and Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad break through as MLB regulars,” Reuter wrote.
A lot of people question why the organization skews so heavily toward positional players and not pitching, but that is just what the decision makers have settled on. They pinpoint bats to select early and load up on pitchers later on, snagging as many lottery tickets as possible and hoping they hit. The strategy has worked.
O’Hearn and Tyler O’Neill are the only starters who aren’t homegrown in their lineup. There are only four homegrown pitchers on the 40-man roster currently; Grayson Rodriguez, Keegan Akin, Kade Strawd and Brandon Young. Rodriguez possesses ace-like qualities but has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, holding him back from realizing his potential.
Now, the front office just has to take advantage of the players in the fold and build the roster up around them to not blow this window of contention. Recommended Articles.
