I’m sure at some point in your life you’ve heard the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and for the Orioles’ case, that was exactly what Ryan O’Hearn was to them.
O’Hearn was selected by the Kansas City Royals back in the 2014 MLB Draft in the eighth round. After working his way through the Royals system, O’Hearn would make his MLB debut on July 31, 2018.
While his 44 games are a small sample size, O’Hearn actually put together a solid rookie campaign, slashing .262/.353/.597/.950 with 12 home runs.
Unfortunately for O’Hearn, 2019-2022 was much tougher sledding. Through those four seasons, the Sam Houston State product slashed a combined .211/.282/.351/.633 while also spending some time back in the minors in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
The Royals had finally seen enough, designating O’Hearn for assignment before GM Mike Elias and the Baltimore Orioles came calling, acquiring the left-handed first baseman in exchange for cash considerations.
While that might seem like the turning point for O’Hearn, he wasn’t quite over the hump yet, as the Orioles actually wound up designating him for assignment as well. In a decision I’m sure they all regret, the other 29 teams decided to pass on O’Hearn, as Baltimore would end up optioning him to Triple-A Norfolk to start the 2023 season.
O’Hearn would play just 11 games there before being called back up to the bigs, in large part to his .354/.404/.729/1.133 slash line.
O’Hearn would become a big piece for the 2023 O’s, blasting 14 home runs with a .802 OPS, helping the Birds to 101 wins and their first AL East title since 2014.
The 2024 season has been even better for O’Hearn. His 11 home runs already almost match his 2023 total, and his .279/.338/.458/.796 slash line has been enough for manager Brandon Hyde to bat O’Hearn in the three hole for one of the best offenses in baseball.
So what exactly has gone right in Baltimore for O’Hearn to seem like a completely different player?
Well, for starters, he’s been a huge beneficiary to the banning of the shift. Baltimore also has the luxury of having Ryan Mountcastle, so O’Hearn really only has to bat against right-handed pitching, which he profiles much better against.
While those aren’t really in his control, O’Hearn has also made the adjustments himself to find this success. His 10.9% strikeout rate is in the 98th percentile. It’s also less than half of his 22.3% strikeout rate in 2023.
Although O’Hearn hasn’t been hitting the ball nearly as hard in 2024, it’s helped him to get on-base at the highest clip of his career (.338) thus far.
While his game is not the flashiest, O’Hearn has become a very good player for the Orioles in the middle of their lineup and seemingly always finds a way to get a big hit when the club needs it most.
What are your thoughts on the rise of Ryan O’Hearn? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like RJ’s content? Follow him on X – @blaw690
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment