3 Orioles with the most at stake in the second half of the season

The Baltimore Orioles are at a tipping point. If the rest of this season goes well and they sneak into the playoffs, then the team's slow start will be looked at as a funny piece of trivia. If the rest of the season goes poorly and they finish with a losing record for the second year in a row, someone is going to have to be held accountable, and changes will be made. On an individual level, the rest of this season is especially important to various players who are trying to establish themselves as big leaguers.

Ever since the Orioles drafted Jackson Holliday with the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, they have wanted him to be a key part of their core. They tried to have Gunnar Henderson move to third base in anticipation that Holliday would be their franchise shortstop, until it was clear that Henderson was the better option at short. They've gone into three straight seasons where they've expected Holliday to be a major contributor at second base, and he has not lived up to those expectations so far.

The Orioles need Jackson Holliday to prove he's an everyday player

If by the end of this season Holliday still has not shown the Orioles he has what it takes to be an everyday big league second baseman, then it will be hard for the Orioles to justify going into a fourth straight year with Holliday penciled in to a major role.

Holliday is still very young and even if he doesn't break out this year, could still develop into a quality big leaguer. Look no further than first-time All-Star and Home Run Derby champion Jordan Walker for an example of how a young and highly touted prospect can come up and struggle for years before figuring things out and becoming a star. However, the Orioles could be in their final years with Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, and they spent big money to bring in Pete Alonso to win now. They need real impactful players to help turn this team around, so if Holliday is going to need two more years to figure it out, that will have to happen on a different team.

That said, after a slow start returning from injury, Holliday rode a nice hit streak into the All-Star break. If he can keep that momentum up through the rest of the season, then the Orioles might get their wish of having Holliday be a key member of this team. He doesn't have to be an MVP candidate or even an All-Star to justify the Orioles keeping him around; just be a 2-3 win player, and he'll have a long career at second base.

Coby Mayo needs to play well if he ever wants to real opportunity

Coby Mayo has been in a weird situation with the Orioles for years. The Orioles didn't clear a position for him when he debuted. Then they didn't clear a position for him the following offseason to allow him to have a normal rookie year. Then they switched his position mid-season. Then they signed a big free agent who plays his new position. Then they tried to trade him. Then Jordan Westburg got injured, and they tried to make him play third again. That's quite the roller coaster.

Now, with Blaze Alexander injured, unless the Orioles do something dramatic, Mayo is going to be the primary third baseman for the rest of the season. The thing with Mayo is that unless he makes an unprecedented defensive leap this season, there is no way that the Orioles would want to bring him back next year as their primary third baseman; he just isn't good enough at that position. With Pete Alonso locked in at first and Samuel Basallo as the primary DH, there isn't room for Mayo there either.

So what is Mayo playing to prove? The answer is a little sad, but Mayo needs to play well in order to get himself out of Baltimore and on to a team where he can be part of their future. If Mayo continues to struggle at the plate, it's going to be hard for the Orioles to find someone willing to give them anything of value for him. The Orioles have shown with Kyle Stowers and Heston Kjerstad that if they are not able to get anything for a former top prospect, they will just let you play in Triple-A until you're in your late twenties. That is not the future that Mayo wants. If Mayo can have a good second half, he'll turn himself into a valuable offseason trade chip. If he doesn't, then he'll be in danger of becoming a Norfolk Tides Hall of Famer.

The Orioles don't know if Dylan Beavers is going to be part of their future

Dylan Beavers is older than Holliday and Mayo, but he is the only rookie of this bunch. The reason he needs to prove himself this season is becuase he has much less of a professional track record than the Orioles' other young players. What's meant by this is that Beavers was an unimpressive minor leaguer for years before having a massive breakout in 2025. If in 2026 he goes back to looking and performing like an unimpressive minor leaguer, then it is a lot easier for the Orioles to say that was a flash-in-the-pan season last year and move on from him.

The Orioles outfield has declined sharply over the last few seasons, going from a strength to a weakness. Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, and Anthony Santander combined to provide a solid defensive floor and mostly batted in the top half of the order. Now the Orioles outfield defense is terrible, and most of their outfielders are bottom-of-the-order bats. The Orioles don't need another left-handed outfielder who struggles at the plate and can't field.

If one or two of these young players break out for the Orioles in the second half, that would be very good for the Orioles' future. If all three were to do so, it would be even better. If none of them do, then it will be a busy offseason for the Orioles' front office, looking for replacement players all over the place.

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