Following the departure of 40 home run hitter Anthony Santander in free agency, the Orioles look to replace him. This included signing Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million deal to add some power to their lineup. Additionally, former top prospect Heston Kjerstad was in line to get almost every day at-bats to showcase his talents. Unfortunately, to say they both have struggled would be an understatement. Tyler O’Neill has ended up injured twice this year, and Kjerstad once. In the games they have played, they have a .597 and a .566 OPS, respectively, with sub-.200 averages each. To make matters worse, former Oriole Kyle Stowers currently has the 6th highest OPS in baseball at .930 to go along with 21 HR and a .295 batting average. With current center fielder Cedric Mullins on the last year of his deal, the Orioles look to their farm system for answers. 2022 draftee Dylan Beavers stands out as the most realistic.
Is Dylan Beavers the Orioles Unknown Answer?
University of Cal Product Standing Out
After a productive 2022 season in which Beavers slashed .291/.426/.634, he saw his draft stock rise significantly. He ended up landing with the Orioles at the 33rd pick, signing for $2.2 million. His first season saw mixed results as he ended up at three different levels. In rookie ball and High-A, Beavers had a .610 OPS, but at Low-A, he had a .999 OPS in the bulk of his games. He then started 2023 at High-A, where in 85 games he slashed .273/.369/.463 with 38 XBH. This success led to his promotion to Double-A for the remainder of the 2023 season. Playing in only 34 games, Beavers posted a .321 average with a .895 OPS, walking 20 times while stealing 5 bases. Beavers then struggled the following year with a .756 OPS in Double-A and a .618 OPS in a slight taste of Triple-A pitching. Additionally, he had a strikeout rate of 24%, a rate that would be in the bottom 15% in MLB.
However, Beavers would turn a corner so far in 2025, having his best season since college so far at Triple-A. In 74 games, Dylan Beavers is slashing .306/.404/.485 to go along with 24 XBH. He has also lowered his strikeout rate to 18% while walking 14% of the time as well. That walk rate would be the 13th-best in the Major Leagues if applied.
Dylan Beavers since June 1:
.330 BA
.414 OBP
.598 SLG
1.012 OPSDuring this stretch, Beavers has eight homers in 31 games and more walks (15) than strikeouts (14). pic.twitter.com/VHNdt0vmNv
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) July 19, 2025
Logjam to Fit in Baltimore
As of right now, there is no clear path to everyday at-bats for Beavers at the Major League level. This comes from Colton Cowser being the everyday left fielder and Cedric Mullins being the everyday center fielder. While right field may be open, the Orioles would be more inclined to play Tyler O’Neill, given the money they spent to acquire him. However, if the Orioles do sell at the deadline, Cedric Mullins could be on the move, which would open the door for Beavers. Colton Cowser would slide into center as he has played it in games this year, and Beavers could fill out the outfield in left. Looking past 2025, O’Neill has a player option that he could accept; if not, it should pave the way for Beavers to get every day at-bats at the big league level, playing mainly in the corner outfield.
Main Photo Credits: William Purnell-Imagn Images
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