First baseman Pete Alonso will be named the Most Valuable Oriole next week. He hasn’t disappointed during a disappointing season. There also have been some unexpected players who have made an impact.
Most surprising newcomer (Pitcher): On the surface, reliever Josh Walker seems like an odd choice for this faux award. He’s 31 and entering the season had 27 major league appearances with the New York Mets and Toronto.
His 6.45 ERA in 24 games with the Mets, and his 7.20 in three games for the Blue Jays last season didn’t suggest a go-to left-hander.
However, Walker is working on a streak of 18 consecutive scoreless outings, the best of any Oriole in 10 years, and his ERA is a cool 1.61.
With Keegan Akin rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, there was a great opportunity for Walker.
“It just speaks to the player and all the work they’ve put in,” manager Craig Albernaz, especially a guy like Josh Walker, who’s really come into his own, and like I keep on talking about, development is messy. You never know when it’s going to click for somebody, and for Walker it seems like it’s clicking now.”
Another surprising newcomer is right-hander Alex Hoppe, who was obtained from Seattle in the trade for Taylor Ward.
Hoppe recorded his first major league win on Tuesday night, and he and Pete Alonso, who hit his 300th home run, were celebrated with beer showers and took individual laundry cart rides.
“That’s what makes baseball great,” Albernaz said. “You have those team moments and then you also recognize the small, individual accomplishments.”
Hoppe had a 5.79 ERA in 24 games with Seattle and has a 1.42 ERA in 16 games with the Orioles.
Most Surprising Newcomer (Position player): When the Orioles acquired third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand in April, the transaction didn’t draw much attention.
CES, as he’s now popularly known, waited patiently at Triple-A Norfolk, hitting .273 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs with an .846 OPS in 61 games.
Encarnacion-Strand watched player after player summoned while he waited, and it wasn’t until Blaze Alexander broke his left hand in the final game before the All-Star break that he was summoned.
In 51 games, the 27-year-old is hitting .277 with an .846 OPS, 10 home runs and 35 RBIs.
He had strong stats in his first year with the Cincinnati Reds, when he hit .270 with an .805 OPS, 13 home runs and 37 RBIs in 63 games in 2023.
It will be interesting to see what the Orioles’ plans are for him in 2027 when Alexander, Coby Mayo and, hopefully, a healthy Jordan Westburg are in the mix for third base.
Don’t Let the Season End Award: Coby Mayo is still batting just .255, but his OPS is .755, higher than that of Samuel Basallo and Gunnar Henderson.
His 24 home runs and 63 RBIs trail only Alonso, and his unlikely inside-the-park home run was one of the most exciting plays in the 2027 season.
Mayo is hitting .321 with a 1.112 OPS against left-handers, and in the second half, he’s hitting .269 with an .890 OPS, 12 homers and 29 RBIs.
“His first full season in the big leagues, navigating that, and the player he’s turned into, the force he’s turned into,” Albernaz said.
Reliever You Didn’t Expect to See Award: Luis De León is the Orioles No. 7 prospect, and it wouldn’t have been a shock if he received an opportunity or two to start late in the season.
However, the Orioles thought that the left-hander might have some success in the majors as a reliever.
In six games, LDL has a 2.45 ERA and has allowed just three hits in 7 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking two.
At Norfolk and Double-A Chesapeake, De León averaged just under five walks per nine innings.
“It’s great to see how he’s handled his first big league stint,” Albernaz said.
De Léon has a collection of Muhammad Ali caps, unusual for a player born in the Dominican Republic nearly 30 years after Ali’s prime.
Like with Encarnacion-Strand, the Orioles are faced with a nice dilemma. Should they build on De León’s success and have him focus on relieving or have him compete for a starting spot in 2027?
Notes: Left-hander Cade Povich will be recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to start Friday night’s game against Milwaukee, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun, which was confirmed by an industry source. … Norfolk outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. is out with right adductor tightness. He’s injury is considered day-to-day, but the Tides’ season ends Sunday.
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