A brief hiatus allowed for a regrouping and a chance for the Baltimore Orioles to start taking strides to turn a sinking season into one with some fight.
While it’s still not perfect, the Birds are 4-6 in their last 10, but there are signs of improvement from both the hitting and pitching sides. Though work still needs to be done, there are signs that things might be redirecting.
So, let’s take a look at our Great, Good & Ugly picks for this past stretch of games.
The Great: Ryan O’Hearn
Sooner or later, we all knew Ryan O’Hearn’s bat would pick up. After resurrecting his career in Baltimore, Birdland has had the fortune of watching this guy turn into a consistent and clutch hitter.
Over his last seven games, O’Hearn is slashing .500/.581/.769/1.350 with two home runs, five RBIs and five runs scored. He even added a stolen base while walking four times to only three strikeouts.
For the season, the soon-to-be 32-year-old vet is slashing .338/.427/.550/.977, amassing 54 hits through 46 games. He has seven doubles, nine home runs and 21 RBIs and also has a career-high .372 BABIP.
O’Hearn has also helped with outfield depth amongst the mass of injuries, encompassing a leadership position that was missing in the early part of the season.
The Good: Jackson Holliday
The former first overall pick and top prospect in all of baseball is starting to come into his own.
Over the last month, playing nearly every day, Jackson Holliday is slashing .297/.323/.434/.757. One-third of his hits (30) are for extra bases (six doubles, one triple and four home runs), as he has played in 23 games this month. The Kid has added 15 RBIs, 30 runs and two stolen bases while playing strong defense at second.
For the season, Holliday is now slashing .275/.323/.434/.757 with 50 hits across 49 games. He has hit six home runs, driven in 23 runs, scored 30 runs and stolen four bases. One of the biggest factors helping Holliday is his .333 BABIP.
As he begins to emerge towards expectations, Holliday will add to the talent that is capable of turning around the team’s misfortunes this season.
The Ugly: Heston Kjerstad
Heston Kjerstad missed an opportunity to cement himself as a regular player while Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill and Ramón Laureano have all ended up on the injured list.
Instead of seizing the opportunity, Silent J has been silent and has allowed the aforementioned O’Hearn, Dylan Carlson and even Jorge Mateo to get opportunities in the outfield. The former No. 2 overall pick has not played since the O’s 5-2 victory on Monday, a game he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Kjerstad has just three hits in his last 28 at-bats over seven games. He has struck out nine times while walking once, and his OPS during that time is a paltry .138.
On the year, Kjerstad is slashing .190/.238/.307/.545 with 41 strikeouts across 47 games. He has hit just four home runs and has driven in 16 while posting a .237 BABIP.
Now, Kjerstad has improved his defense by many strides and is also among the team leaders in hits by pitches (4). Unfortunately, time is running out, as Cowser and O’Neill have started rehab assignments.
Will O’Hearn and Holliday continue pushing the offense? Will Kjerstad save his time as an Oriole? Tune in next week for the next edition of The Great, The Good and The Ugly.
What do you think of our picks this week? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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