Predicted Orioles Opening Day lineup strongly implies tough forced choice in outfield

The Baltimore Orioles are loaded with options but light on certainty in the outfield heading into 2026. Trade acquisition Taylor Ward has been the picture of stability in recent years, though his 2025 campaign featured some anomalies, such as a level of power we hadn't previously seen from him and a lower-than-normal batting average. Still, he's penciled in at left field.

Center field is also interesting, but Colton Cowser is the best defensive fit, and Baltimore will likely want to give him some run to find out whether the 2024 version, which hit 24 homers with a .768 OPS, or the 2025 version, which managed just a .196 batting average while striking out 35.6% of the time, is the real Cowser.

The true battle will be in right field, where last year's big free-agent fish, Tyler O'Neill, will look to prove his 2025 struggles were just a blip on the radar, while No. 2 prospect Dylan Beavers will try to be the latest youngster to ascend to prominence with the O's.

According to Bleacher Report's predictions for the opening day lineup, it's O'Neill and the cash he's owed that will win out, but can we really be sure? Both sides can make a compelling case.

The Orioles right field battle between Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Beavers might come down to money, even though there is more to consider

As the folks at Bleacher Report point out, O'Neill's $16.5 million salary for 2026 is the second-highest on the team after Pete Alonso. The 30-year-old also has one more year on his deal, so the Orioles aren't escaping the former St. Louis Cardinal any time soon.

It was, of course, O'Neill's work with the 2024 Boston Red Sox that motivated this deal. A .241/.336/.511 line with 31 homers coming from a division rival was just too tempting for Baltimore to pass up. However, O'Neill has his warts, such as a career 30.2% strikeout rate and a poor glove in the outfield.

His .199/.292/.392 line last season made him one of his free-agent class's biggest busts, but there were some mitigating factors. Primarily, neck, shoulder, and wrist injuries necessitated three separate IL stints and clearly limited his performance. The underlying data also shows that he may have had some bad luck. O'Neill put up a stellar 16.5% barrel rate, a .523 xSLG, a .243 xBA, and a .360 xwOBA, indicating that his quality of contact should have produced better results that would've been made even better alongside his superb 10.5% walk rate.

As for Beavers, the 24-year-old is a tough one to square. The youngster showed some promise in his 35-game debut last season, with his eye-popping 19% walk rate. Speedy and athletic, there is tantalizing potential present in the youngster, but inconsistent performance from his hit tool and power make him difficult to project. We saw that in his limited action last year as he hit just .227 with a .400 SLG.

This all makes for a unique battle where finances might come into play more than one would expect. If O'Neill wins out and plays well, perhaps the Orioles have a chance to dump his contract at the trade deadline, meaning Beavers will have to wait. The true question will be, at what level does Beavers have to perform this spring to overcome the financial incentive to start O'Neill? Another point to consider is that the Orioles also will want to see if they can salvage Leody Taveras, and top prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. will enter the outfield fray at some point this year. All of that makes for a clouded picture without an easy answer.