Questions about the Orioles’ 1st and 2nd halves

With the Orioles’ second half of the season about to begin at Houston on Friday night, let’s look at some questions about what happened in the first half and could happen in the second half.

Who was the most surprising player of the first half? I have three picks. First, it’s Blaze Alexander, whom we won’t be seeing for much of the second half after his left thumb was fractured by Kansas City’s Lucas Erceg on Sunday.

Alexander, who’s filled in admirably for Jordan Westburg at third base, has a 1.6 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), tied with Samuel Basallo and Adley Rutschman for third. Taylor Ward has the leading WAR, 2.1 followed by Pete Alonso’s 2.0.

In 82 games, Alexander’s hitting .312 with an 8.07 OPS, four home runs and 29 RBIs.

Brandon Young has become an essential part of the starting rotation with a 7-2 record and a 3.42 ERA. He’s the leader in both wins and ERA.

Even though relief pitcher Rico Garcia’s ERA has risen to 2.61, he was unhittable for the first two months of the season and that shouldn’t be forgotten. He leads the team with 44 appearances.

Who’s the most disappointing player of the first half? Every time Gunnar Henderson has a multi-hit game, I think he’s ready to get on a roll. He’s been a disappointment in each major category, hitting .224 with a .697 OPS, 17 home runs and 43 RBIs.

Henderson has been consistently disappointing with a .214 average in March/April, .225 in May, .245 in June, and .200 so far in July. His longest hitting streak was just seven games from April 6^th-13^th. At the end of the streak, his batting average was just .239.

Who’s the pick to click in the second half? Why not Gunnar? Perhaps four days away from baseball will help, and he’ll rediscover his magic. Last season, Henderson stole 20 bases in 22 attempts in the second half.

Ward, who hit 36 home runs in 2025, has only six, and finally hit his first at home last Saturday.

How important is the second half to Jackson Holliday? The 22-year-old second baseman didn’t have a spring training because of surgery to remove the hamate bone from his right wrist, and had a stop-and-start rehab process.

He came back in mid-May and in June hit only .179 with a .626 OPS.

If Holliday can play up to his potential in the second half, it could help the Orioles withstand the absence of Alexander.

He’s only 22, but it’s important that he finally plays well for an extended period in the second half.

Who’s the Orioles’ closer? With Ryan Helsley out indefinitely with right elbow irritation, they don’t have one.

Garcia, who has four saves this season, could get some more opportunities. So could Tyler Wells, who has two saves.

Maybe Yennier Cano or Anthony Nunez will get more chances. Nunez had three saves before he was returned to Triple-A Norfolk when Helsley was activated last month after his first bout of elbow inflammation.

Andrew Kittredge saved consecutive games last weekend, and also has three.

Perhaps president of baseball operations Mike Elias will find another closer at the trade deadline.

Will the Orioles be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? As long as the Orioles stay within a few games of the final wild-card spot, Elias will buy.

The Orioles could use some help in the bullpen, not only a back-end reliever, but another left-hander.

A better right-handed hitting outfielder would be nice, and I’m sure that Elias also will look to improve the rotation.

What exciting prospect will be called up in the second half? I don’t think there is one. After last year’s trade deadline, the Orioles called up Basallo and Dylan Beavers, which helped liven up the slog of the last two months.

This season, there’s no big-name prospect. If he can stay healthy, perhaps outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. will be the position player called up when the roster expands to 28 on September 1^st, but he only played 39 games for Norfolk.

Bradfield does have 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts. No Oriole has more than Leody Taveras’ 10.

Whatever happened to Heston Kjerstad? The 27-year-old outfielder suffered a hamstring injury late in spring training, and is hitting .295 with a .766 OPS, five home runs and 23 RBIs in 45 games at Norfolk.

Perhaps he’ll get another look in the second half, or the Orioles will try to trade him.

How is attendance? The Orioles’ average attendance of 22,053 ranks 24^th in the majors, and extrapolates to 1,764,240. That’s slightly below last year’s figure of 1,803,655.

The Orioles will hold their Hawaiian shirt weekend on the next homestand, July 24^th-26^th, and host the Philadelphia Phillies the next weekend. Both series should draw well, and if the team’s record improves, they should surpass last year’s figure.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com