Remembering how much Trey Mancini meant to Orioles fanbase after retirement news

Former Orioles' outfielder and first baseman Trey Mancini announced his retirement on Instagram Tuesday morning. The 34-year-old spent eight seasons in MLB, six of which came with Baltimore.

Mancini called out Baltimore in his retirement post, saying, "I am blessed to have made a home in the Orioles organization for ten years." He would go on to write, "To every fan, especially those in Birdland - your support over the years has meant the world to me. There is nothing more special in sports than a connection between a team and their fans, and I was lucky enough to feel that everywhere I played.”

The Florida native was an eighth-round pick by the Orioles in 2013 out of the University of Notre Dame. He made a five-game cameo with the club in late September 2016, during which he would launch three homers. From 2017-2019, he was an everyday player and logged the most games by any Oriole (457) by almost 100.

His two best seasons came in that stretch. In 2017, Mancini hit .293 with a .824 OPS and 24 home runs, playing 90 games in the outfield, 45 at first, and 18 at DH. He finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. But 2019 was his best season. The righty hit .291 with an .899 OPS, 35 home runs and 97 RBI, to generate career-high 3.7 bWAR. He would play 92 games in the outfield, 56 at first base, and another 18 at DH. While Mancini became a stalwart in the Orioles lineup across those three seasons, it was what happened after that that had the entire league rally around him.

Trey Mancini became an inspiration to millions in 2020 with Orioles

In April of 2020, at age 28, Mancini was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer. He wrote at the time about how hard it was to handle the diagnosis and treatment in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mancini missed the shortened 2020 season, but in September he finished his chemotherapy cancer-free and started his path back to the big leagues.

Mancini was ready for Opening Day 2021, when he played first base for the Orioles in Boston. He played 147 games in 2021, hitting .255 with 21 home runs. In 2022, the righty played 92 games with Baltimore before being traded at the deadline to the Houston Astros, where he would help them win the World Series.

He landed with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, then didn't play in 2024. The then-33-year-old started another comeback to the majors in 2025, signing a minor league contract with Arizona. While he wouldn't make it back to MLB that time, he did so in 2026, getting a five-game stint with the Angels. It was a successful five games too, as he recorded four hits, including a triple, and four RBI before getting DFA'd.

He is always going to be remembered for his time in Baltimore, though. From 2017-2022, Mancini led the Orioles in a plethora of meaningful categories, including games, hits, doubles, home runs, and RBI. It wasn't just his play on the field that enamored Orioles fans, it was his incredible fight to beat cancer and get back on the field. He'll always be remembered fondly by the folks in Baltimore.

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