The year 2025 is a big one for the Baltimore Orioles, as it will be yet another year of contending baseball in Charm City.
To help bring in the new year, we have put together a list of the top 25 Orioles of all time. Before we start discussing the list, let’s discuss the qualifications and thought process when constructing this list.
First thing, only players that played for the Orioles will be on this list. This means anyone who played for the St Louis Browns or played in the Orioles organization before 1954 does not qualify.
Second, only seasons with the Orioles correspond with this list. For example, some players might be lower than others because they had their better seasons as part of another franchise.
With that being said, here are the top 25 Orioles of all time.
25. CHRIS HOILES
Originally traded for Fred Lynn in 1989, Chris Hoiles was the catcher of the 90s for the Orioles. He played 10 years with the O’s and was able to tally 739 hits, including 122 doubles and 151 home runs.
Hoiles’ career is mostly known for his infamous walk-off grand slam against the Seattle Mariners in 1996, but some don’t know that Hoiles actually received MVP votes for his 1993 season. He is arguably the best catcher in Orioles’ history and showed his dedication to the organization, as he was a Bird his entire career.
24. RICK DEMPSEY
Rick Dempsey is the only other catcher on this list, and it’s much deserved for the career he put together as an Oriole. In his 12-year run with the O’s, Dempsey collected 854 hits and carried a .674 OPS while also having 424 walks.
Dempsey is most famously known for being the 1983 World Series MVP, and while his basic stats don’t pop off the page, he was such a balanced player both offensively and defensively. More importantly, he was the heart and soul of the O’s for over a decade.
23. MARK BELANGER
Mark Belanger is the shining example of a defensive specialist. Belanger, as an Oriole, is without question the worst offensive player on this list, and it’s not even close, as he had a .227 average as an Oriole and an underachieving .280 slugging percentage.
So why does Belanger make this list? Well, he is one of the best defensive players in Orioles’ history. Belanger was an All-Star, was a part of the Orioles 1970 World Series-winning team and won a total of eight Gold Gloves as an Oriole.
22. BOBBY GRICH
Would you believe me if I told you that of the 24 players on this list, Bobby Grich has the second highest on-base percentage? It’s surprising but true, as Grich was the definition of an on-base merchant.
Grich had a .372 OBP in his 786-game career as an Oriole, but his 730 hits, 457 walks and 45 hit-by-pitches showed that he was very special to those Oriole teams. Grich was a three-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves and was a member of the 1970 World Series Orioles roster.
21. BRADY ANDERSON
Not only is Brady Anderson’s career not talked about enough outside of his 1996 season, but he is also the answer to one of the great trivia questions: What player hit 50 home runs in a season and then never hit more than 25 in a season after it?
Nonetheless, Anderson’s career is quite impressive, as he hit 209 home runs as an Oriole and stole 307 bases, which is the most from anyone on this list and by any player that played for the Orioles. Anderson was also a three-time All-Star as an Oriole and played an above-average center field, with a .989 career fielding percentage.
20. BRIAN ROBERTS
Brian Roberts is the first player thus far that I personally got to see live and is known as one of , if not, the best leadoff hitters in Orioles’ history.
He’s mostly known for three things in his career as an Oriole: having an impressive 80% stolen base percentage, his iconic turn of the back on the first pitch of the game and, my personal favorite, being the other run in the 2007 All-Star Game when Ichiro hit his iconic inside the park home run in San Francisco. Nonethless, the two-time All-Star had an impressive .278 batting average and also hit an impressive 35 triples during his 1,327-game career as an Oriole.
19. SCOTT MCGREGOR
Scott McGregor is the first pitcher on the list, and I think people don’t understand how solid he was on the mound. He had a 3.99 ERA in 2,140 innings pitched and was a strikeout machine, tallying 904 for a K/9 of 3.8.
McGregor also had great command, walking just 518 and having a BB/9 of 2.2. He’s most notably remembered for his 20-win season in 1980 with his fellow teammate and 1980 Cy Young winner Steve Stone. McGregor was also an All-Star during his long 13-year career with the Orioles and recorded the final out of the 1983 World Series.
18. MIKE FLANAGAN
We have our first player on the list to win a big award as an Oriole, and it’s none other than Mike Flanagan, who despite being the 1979 AL CY Young winner, is not talked about enough for his illustrious career.
Flanagan had a 3.89 ERA in his 15-year career with the Orioles and had 17 total shutouts during his tenure. The tall lefty was an All-Star for the Orioles and was also a part of the 1983 World Series team.
17. RAFAEL PALMEIRO
Like him or not, Rafael Palmeiro was a dominant slugger who played 1,000 games with the Orioles and did nothing short of tear it up in black and orange, as he hit 223 home runs and 1,071 total hits in Baltimore.
Palmeiro also stole 38 bases and had a .886 OPS during his seven-year tenure with the Orioles. Despite his allegations of using steroids during the later part of his career, you can not take away what Palmeiro did during his first stint with the Orioles. He was an All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and a Silver Slugger.
16. MELVIN MORA
I have been writing for The Baltimore Battery since June of 2022, and let me just say that I have never been more excited to write about a name more than Melvin Mora, who was my favorite Oriole growing up.
Mora slashed a clean .280/.355/.438 and had a .793 OPS in 1,256 games with the O’s. He collected 1,323 hits and crushed 158 home runs. Mora was also a solid defensive third baseman and a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger.
15. NICK MARKAKIS
Before we discuss his career, does anyone else remember Nick Markakis playing first base for six games?
Markakis is the definition of a contact machine. He had a .290 batting average with 1,547 total hits and crushed 473 extra-base hits during his time with Baltimore. Markakis was also a huge defensive presence in right field, having a cannon of an arm and the reflexes of a cat, which led to two Gold Gloves.
14. GREGG OLSON
Greg Olson is hands down the best closer in Orioles’ history. He not only leads the O’s in saves with 160, but he had a 2.26 ERA as a closer in 320 games with the club.
Olson only gave up 88 earned runs and struck out 347 batters in 350.1 innings for an impressive 8.9 K/9. He is a former Rookie of the Year in 1989 and is an All-Star.
13. AL BUMBRY
Al Bumbry is considered extremely underrated by Oriole fans. He had an impressive .283 average during his 14-year career as an Oriole and stole 252 bases in 344 attempts, good for a 73% stolen base percentage.
Bumbry also collected 1,403 hits and had 52 triples. He was a former Rookie of the Year winner and was an All-Star in his time with the O’s. Bumbry was also a part of the 1983 World Series team.
12. PAUL BLAIR
Paul Blair won four World Series rings, and his defense is something that defined his career and the career of many others. He collected 1,426 total hits, with 51 triples and 126 home runs in 1,700 games with the Orioles.
Blair only had a career .694 OPS and a slugging percentage of .388, but when you have the defense like he did, it makes up for it. Blair was a two-time All-Star and an eight-time Gold Glover.
11. DAVE MCNALLY
Just missing the top 10 is Dave McNally, who is the first pitcher mentioned who was a part of the famous three 20-win pitchers during the 1970 season.
McNally’s time in Baltimore was 13 years of nothing short of dominance, as he pitched a total of 2,652.2 innings and carried a 3.18 ERA in 412 starts. McNally also had four straight years of 20 wins, was a three-time All-Star and was a member of the 1966 and 1970 World Series-winning teams.
10. KEN SINGLETON
We have officially entered the top 10, and it starts with Ken Singleton. It’s pretty funny that Singleton is 10th and McNally is 11th, as the Orioles traded McNally to the Montreal Expos for Singleton in December of 1974.
Singleton was an offensive machine, slashing a clean .284/.388/.445 with a .833 OPS in 1,446 games. He hit 182 home runs and knocked in 766, but his best stat is having 886 walks to 860 strikeouts. Singleton was a three-time All-Star during his tenure with Baltimore and was a member of the 1983 World Series team.
9. BOOG POWELL
Booooooooooooooooog! Yes, Powell was a good player and is not just memorialized at Camden Yards for his amazing barbecue. He’s actually the first MVP to enter the list, as he won the award for his impressive 1970 season.
Powell hit 303 home runs in his 14-year career with the Orioles and had four seasons of 30+ home runs. Powell also had 1,574 total hits and carried a .826 OPS. He was also a part of the 1966 and 1970 World Series teams and was a four-time All-Star.
8. ADAM JONES
The main man in the outfield during the 2010s was Adam Jones, who was the undisputed leader when he was in Baltimore for 11 years. He was not only a fan favorite but was also a defensive specialist in the outfield.
Jones had a .777 OPS in 1,613 games with the O’s and hit 263 home runs and 1,781 total hits. Jonesy was most famously traded to the Orioles for left-hander Erik Bedard, and it’s safe to say the O’s won that trade, as Jones was a five-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glover and Silver Slugger.
7. MIKE CUELLAR
Mike Cuellar joins McNally as a member of that 1970s three-headed monster. Something that isn’t talked about with Cuellar is that he struggled before coming to Baltimore.
After joining the O’s, Cuellar would have three straight seasons of 20+ wins. The Cuban lefty had 143 wins with the Orioles and carried a 3.18 ERA in 2,028.1 innings on the mound. He won the Cy Young in 1969 and was also a three-time All-Star.
6. MIKE MUSSINA
Mike Mussina just misses out of the top five. A fun fact about Mussina is that the Orioles drafted him in 1987 in the 11th round, and Mussina decided to go to Stanford and bet on himself. The Orioles would then select him again with the 20th overall pick in 1990.
Mussina was the dominate pitcher of the 90s, especially with the Orioles, carrying a 3.53 ERA in 2,009.2 innings and 288 starts. Mussina is the first National Baseball Hall of Famer on this list, as he was a five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glover.
5. EDDIE MURRAY
Eddie Murray is put at number five for one reason: he didn’t win an MVP in an Orioles uniform. But that does not take away from Murray’s incredible time with the Orioles, having a .868 OPS and hitting 363 home runs in 1,884 games.
Murray is a National Baseball Hall of Famer, was a seven-time All-Star, the 1977 Rookie of the Year, a three-time Gold Glover, a two-time Silver Slugger and was a major part of the 1983 World Series team.
4. FRANK ROBINSON
Frank Robinson only played six seasons with the Orioles, but he etched his name in Orioles’ history. Robinson was the definition of production, hitting 179 home runs with a .944 OPS, stealing 34 bases and winning the Triple Crown in 1966, which earned him his second MVP.
Robinson is a National Baseball Hall of Famer, was a five-time All-Star, was an integral part of the 1966 World Series team, earning himself that year’s World Series MVP and AL MVP.
3. JIM PALMER
The best pitcher in Orioles’ history, and it’s not even close. Jim Palmer pitched 19 seasons with the Orioles, carried a 2.86 ERA and earned 268 wins, which are both the career-highs for the Orioles franchise.
Palmer is also the Oriole leader in games played (558), innings pitched (3,948), strikeouts (2,212), games started (521), complete games (211) and shutouts (53). The National Baseball Hall of Famer was a three-time Cy Young winner in 1973, 1975 and 1976, was a six-time All-Star, was a part of all three Orioles World Series-winning teams, was a four-time Gold Glover and a two-time ERA title holder.
2. BROOKS ROBINSON
It’s safe to say that the top two were easy to decide. Brooks Robinson is the best defensive infielder in the history of baseball, as he spent 23 years with the Orioles and was a literal highlight reel.
Brooks tallied 2,848 hits, 482 doubles, 268 home runs and had a career OPS of .723. But you primarily remember him for his impeccable defense, which earned him 16 Gold Gloves, a record for third basemen. Robinson was also the 1964 MVP, was an 18-time All-Star, was a member of the 1970 World Series team and was the 1966 World Series MVP runner-up to his teammate and last-name-sharer, Frank Robinson.
1. CAL RIPKEN JR.
You should’ve figured that The Iron Man had to be number one on this list. Ripken Jr. leads all Orioles in games played (3,001), at-bats (11,551), hits (3,184), doubles (603), home runs (431), RBIs (1,695) and walks (1,129), along with may other stats.
Ripken Jr. is the first person that any fan thinks of when it comes to the Orioles, and it’s not just because of 2,131 or 2,632. He’s a National Baseball Hall of Famer, was a two-time MVP winner in 1983 and 1991, the 1982 Rookie of the Year, a 19-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glover and eight-time Silver Slugger.
These 25 men defined what it means to wear the orange and black and gave Charm City countless memories with their great play.
Happy New Year, Birdland, from all of us at The Baltimore Battery!
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