Are you worried about Orioles’ core players? | MAILBAG

Question: Two years ago I was sure the O’s had the best core group of young players in all MLB. But the group of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser has been a huge disappointment this year. Only Gunnar has had a decent year. I know injuries have played a big part but even when healthy the other three have regressed. Add Heston Kjerstad to that group and you have three number one picks who have certainly not performed up to expectations. How much longer do you give them to before you begin to call them busts? From: Dave Gruber

Answer: Dave, there’s a lot to unpack there. Rutschman is a most interesting case. His defensive metrics this year are actually quite good, but his offense has continued to lag. He’s only played in 85 games, and his two oblique injuries haven’t helped his case.

I would say 2026 is a huge year for him and for the Orioles.

As for Cowser, he’s lost a lot of time to injuries, and I’m concerned about his large number of strikeouts. It’s vital for him to cut down on those. His poor batting average is troubling.

Westburg’s season has also been marred by injuries. However, in 73 games, he’s hit .276 with a .799 OPS, 15 home runs and 34 RBIs. If he played in 145 games, double what he’s played, and hit 30 homers and drove in 68 RBIs with a .276 average and .799 OPS, you’d be satisfied with those numbers.

It’s worrisome that Cowser and Westburg have had trouble staying on the field, and if those issues persist in 2026, you’d be skeptical about them. I’m particularly bullish on Westburg, but I want to see him play 150 games next season.

Question: I have read that the Orioles don’t want Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo to go above a certain amount of at-bats so they are both eligible for Rookie of the Year status next season. How close is the team to shutting them down for the season? From: Beth Rowell, Sparta North Carolina

Answer: Beth, in order to maintain rookie status, Basallo and Beavers must not exceed 130 at-bats, and I don’t think they will. Both players are less than halfway to 130 at-bats with 17 games to play. Beavers has played in 20 games, Basallo 17.

Beavers, who had the game-winning hit on Wednesday night, is helping himself by drawing a large number of walks, which don’t count toward at-bats, and the Orioles have occasionally not played them against left-handed pitchers.

I think they’ll both play a lot in the final 17 games, but will bat fewer than 130 times.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.