The Baltimore Orioles are picking up designated hitter/first baseman Ryan O'Hearn's $7.5 million option for the 2025 season. O'Hearn finished the 2024 regular season strong at the plate and ultimately hit .264/.334/.427 with a .761 OPS, career-high 15 home runs, 59 RBI, three stolen bases and career-high 60 runs scored in 142 regular-season games in his second year in Baltimore. He has slashed .275/.329/.450 with an above-average .779 OPS, 29 home runs, 119 RBI, eight steals and 108 runs scored in 254 games in his two seasons with the O's and will remain a part of the organization as the team looks to make the postseason for the third straight year in 2025. The 31-year-old lefty swinger should remain a lineup regular for Baltimore next year against right-handed pitching.
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan O'Hearn is back in the starting lineup as the designated hitter for Game 2 of the wild-card series on Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals and right-hander Seth Lugo at Camden Yards. O'Hearn did not make the start in Game 1 on Tuesday with a lefty on the mound, but he did appear as a pinch-hitter late in the game. The 31-year-old lefty swinger will now hope to do some damage in the six-hole in a must-win game for Baltimore. He could be a sneaky DFS play for Wednesday's action against a right-hander. O'Hearn hit .264 (106-for-401) against righties in 2024, including all 15 of his home runs. He finished September strong, too, going 8-for-20 (.400) with two home runs, a double and five RBI in the last six games of the regular season. With Adley Rutschman moving back to catcher, James McCann will open Wednesday's contest on the bench.
Ryan O'Hearn, Austin Slater Not Starting In Game 1
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Austin Slater are not included in the starting lineup for Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Kansas City Royals at Camden Yards on Tuesday. In addition, catcher James McCann will be behind the dish and will hit ninth against Royals left-hander Cole Ragans. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter and is batting fifth, while Colton Cowser starts in left field and bats sixth. O'Hearn ended the regular season on a tear with the bat but did not have a single one of his 15 home runs on the year against left-handed pitchers. With veteran righty Seth Lugo set to start for KC in Game 2 on Wednesday, expect the lefty-hitting O'Hearn to be back in at DH for the O's. Slater has hit just .209 combined in 2024 with two homers and 18 RBI in 177 at-bats with the Orioles, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds.
Baltimore Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Cedric Mullins are sitting out Monday's game against the New York Mets at Citi Field with a left-hander on the mound. Eloy Jimenez is serving as Baltimore's DH and will hit sixth, while rookie Colton Cowser will start in center field and bat seventh against Mets left-hander David Peterson. O'Hearn has only faced lefties 29 times this year, going 7-for-27 (.259) with none of his 12 homers. Meanwhile, Mullins has hit just .143 (11-for-77) with one of his 13 homers in 2024 against southpaws, so it's no surprise that both players are sitting to begin the week. Cowser, who also bats from the left side, is hitting .229 (22-for-96) with four of his 18 homers against lefties in his first MLB season. He has never faced Peterson. Jimenez hasn't homered against a lefty this year but has gone 16-for-55 (.291) against them.
Ryan O'Hearn, Ramon Urias Not Playing Against Nationals
Baltimore Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn and third baseman Ramon Urias are both out of the starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting Washington Nationals at Camden Yards. Eloy Jimenez is serving as the designated hitter and is batting sixth, while rookie Coby Mayo is at the hot corner and is hitting eighth against rookie left-hander DJ Herz. Since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline at the end of July, Jimenez has gone 12-for-25 (.480) with two doubles and four RBI in nine games for the O's. Mayo, who is Baltimore's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is still searching for his first major-league hit through six games. He has struck out in 10 of his first 17 plate appearances and hasn't taken advantage of Jordan Westburg's (hand) injury while taking a back seat to the veteran Urias.
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan O'Hearn (knee) is back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the hosting Miami Marlins, serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup against Marlins right-hander Kyle Tyler. O'Hearn is good to go following Monday's off day after he sat out of Sunday's contest with knee soreness. The 30-year-old left-handed power bat will always have some DFS appeal while hitting cleanup in one of the most potent lineups in baseball, especially while facing a right-handed pitcher. O'Hearn currently has an .809 OPS with a .274/.342/.466 slash line and 12 home runs and 38 RBI in 295 plate appearances over 81 games in his second year with the O's. He's hitting .276 (68-for-246) with all 12 of his long balls in 2024 against righties.
Heston Kjerstad, Ryan O'Hearn Sitting Against A Lefty
Baltimore Orioles rookie outfielder Heston Kjerstad and first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn are out of the lineup on Wednesday against the visiting Chicago Cubs with left-hander Shota Imanaga on the mound. Catcher Adley Rutschman will serve as the designated hitter and bat second, while Austin Hays will start in left field and bat sixth. James McCann will do the catching and hit in the nine-hole. Kjerstad was in the lineup the last two games when the team faced a left-hander, but he'll take a seat on Wednesday. The 25-year-old has fared much better in 18 games with the O's this year than he did in his debut in 2023, as he's gone 14-for-46 (.304) with three homers, two doubles and 12 RBI in 54 trips to the plate. His presence in Baltimore has led to more time on the bench for fellow rookie Colton Cowser, who is in center field and batting eighth on Wednesday.
Ryan O'Hearn, Cedric Mullins On The Bench Versus Southpaw
Baltimore Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Cedric Mullins will take a seat on Tuesday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians with a left-hander on the mound. Infielder Ramon Urias is also starting on the bench. Adley Rutschman will serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff, rookie Colton Cowser is in center field and batting ninth, and Jordan Westburg is playing third and hitting fifth against Guardians left-hander Logan Allen. James McCann is catching and batting eighth. O'Hearn and Mullins typically hit the bench with lefties on the mound. McCann is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak, going 7-for-22 with eight RBI. Mullins has become a part-time player in Baltimore this year given his overall struggles at the plate. He's hitting just .204.
Baltimore Orioles first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn got in on the slugfest in Tuesday's 11-3 win over the Twins. O'Hearn went 2-for-5 with a single and a two-run home run. The 30-year-old has made the most of his playing time in the O's lineup, slashing .333/.400/.689 with four HR, 11 runs scored, and six RBI in 50 plate appearances. The O's have plenty of young talent to stack the lineup, but O'Hearn is worth a look in deeper leagues as long as he hits well enough to earn playing time.
Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that first baseman Ryan O'Hearn will be getting reps in the corner outfield at spring training. O'Hearn could see an occasional start in the outfield this year, but most of his playing time figures to come at first base and designated hitter. The 30-year-old left-handed slugger was in the strong side of a platoon at first for the O's in 2023 and impressed with a .289/.322/.480 slash line, .801 OPS, a career-high-tying 14 home runs, 22 doubles, a triple, 60 RBI, five stolen bases and 48 runs scored in a career-high 112 games in his first year with the team. O'Hearn hit the ball hard consistently and was mostly a surprise because of the fact that he cut down on his strikeout rate in his first year in Baltimore. He'll be an asset in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues, but betting on a repeat might be foolish.
Ryan O'Hearn
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