Ryan O’Hearn’s All-Star start crowning achievement of Orioles’ developmental success

The nature of a rebuild afforded the Baltimore Orioles the opportunity to draft some blue chip prospects in the MLB Draft. Adley Rutschman was one of the best catching prospects the game had seen in recent memory when the O's made him the first overall pick back in 2019. Jackson Holliday wasn't the consensus top prospect, but it was easy to see a path to stardom.

The O's record gave them high picks in the second round, too, where they selected a high school prospect with some question marks in Gunnar Henderson.

But to build a successful team, you can't just find success in the draft. You have to win on the margins, and that's exactly what the Orioles have done over the last few years.

Ryan O'Hearn is a fantastic player development story for the Orioles

Back in February of 2020, the Cardinals designated infielder Ramón Urías for assignment. The O's scooped him up, and he's been a solid utility piece ever since. Yennier Cano wasn't the headliner of the return from the trade that sent Jorge López to Minnesota, but Cano turned into an All-Star in 2023. But perhaps the most successful story is that of Ryan O'Hearn, who will start for the American League at designated hitter at this year's All-Star Game.

O'Hearn didn't have the look of an All-Star during his first few seasons in Kansas City, and he would be the first to admit it. In five seasons with the Royals, O'Hearn had a -2.6 bWAR, according to Baseball Reference. He hit just .219 with an OPS under .700, and was traded to the Orioles for cash considerations in January 2023.

Even then, O'Hearn's roster spot in Baltimore was far from assured. He had plenty of competition with other left-handed power options the Orioles had brought in, namely Nomar Mazara, Lewin Díaz and Franchy Cordero. O'Hearn himself was designated for assignment two days after his trade to Baltimore, only to come back to the organization and head down to Triple-A Norfolk.

In April of 2023, O'Hearn got his shot with the big league roster. He was optioned back to Norfolk just a few weeks later, but recalled on May 9. From there, he never looked back.

O'Hearn would go on to hit .291 with an .811 OPS that season, including a .297 average with a dozen home runs against right-handed pitching. Last season, the veteran made great strides with his walk rate and strikeout rate, but lost some power and average. This year, though, he's put it all together.

Heading into this weekend's series against the Braves, O'Hearn is back hitting close to .300 with an on-base percentage over .380 and an .853 OPS. It's the best season of his long and winding career.

The talent, clearly, was always there. For whatever reason, the right buttons just weren't pushed in Kansas City. Now, O'Hearn is thriving in Baltimore, a staple of the O's lineup. For a player that has often joked that the bench in Kansas City should have a statue of him for how often he sat there, an All-Star start couldn't be much sweeter. Baltimore's development helped him get there.

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