Dylan Beavers’ debut has been great, but his real strength isn't what fans expect

Baltimore Orioles finally got their long-stated wish when the team decided to call up Dylan Beavers. It took longer than fans wanted (and probably longer than it should have period), but Beavers has given the Orioles' lineup a much-needed injection of life. While his impressive power and ability to make hard contact in general are what get Beavers the most attention, it may not be the skill that is most valuable to Baltimore's offense.

It will not surprise anyone who has watched the Orioles for any amount of time this year that they are not exactly great at getting on base consistently. As a team, they rank 22nd in all of baseball by OBP, and their 7.9% walk rate is only good for 24th as of September 18. If you are looking for a primary cause for why Baltimore has had trouble sustaining offense in 2025, you may want to circle those numbers.

That is where Beavers comes in. Yes, Beavers has had some big hits in his short time in the majors, and his overall offensive production in the majors and minors has been impressive. However, it is his ability to draw walks and get on base that is quickly making him an indispensable part of the Orioles' lineup.

It is still early, but Dylan Beavers' ability to get on base could be the key to the Orioles' lineup going forward

All of the usual small sample size warnings apply with Beavers here. Just as the three home runs he has through his first 105 plate appearances are lower than you would have thought considering what he did in the minors, the odds that he will be able to maintain a 20%(!) walk rate and .423 OBP are pretty small. However, what we do know is that Beavers has consistently shown a willingness as a pro to work deep counts and take free passes when they present themselves.

From his first season as a pro back in 2022, Beavers has never posted a season-long walk rate lower than 12.8%. Multiple minor league stops along the way had him post walk rates of 15+%, including Beavers' time in Triple-A, where he walked at a 16.5% clip. His current 20% is objectively insane, and he won't keep that up, but it isn't that crazy that he could live in the 15% range.

Given that guys like Adley Rutschman, Tyler O'Neill, Samuel Basallo, and Colton Cowser have hit tools that could best be described as questionable at the moment, having runners on base when they do make contact is going to be the difference between winning and losing in a lot of Orioles games for the foreseeable future. Beavers has a skill set that could turn him into an all-around star and lineup anchor, but his ability to get on base also gives him a high floor and could be exactly what Baltimore needs to turn things around on offense going forward.

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