One of the many mysteries of the 2026 season was the failure of outfielder Dylan Beavers to capitalize on his impressive final six weeks of 2025.
Beavers remained a rookie this season, and while his batting average was roughly the same (.226 in 2025, .227 this year), his on-base percentage plummeted.
In 2025, Beavers played 35 games, walked 26 times and struck out 36 times with a .375 on-base percentage. This year, he walked 35 times in 105 games, striking out 99 times for a .305 OBP. He missed six weeks with a right oblique strain.
Beavers ended the season by homering in both games of the September 25th doubleheader. He hit a grand slam in the first game.
“We’re taking data points and learning from what you see in the box,” he said. “A lot of the [Yankees pitchers] we see this weekend are going to be guys we see quite a bit next year.”
In 2025, Beavers was on a team that finished 75-87, and this year, the Orioles improved only marginally to 79-82.
“The big thing is to be honest with ourselves,” he said. “Once it’s all said and done, look back on what we did well and what we didn’t do well. If you can’t take anything away from it or learn from it, then it’s going to be the same thing next year. The big thing is being honest and assessing what we need to improve upon for next season.”
Beavers hit .231 against right-handers, and .219 against left-handers, though all his power came facing right-handed pitching. His nine home runs came off righties, and he had a .715 OPS off righties and a .537 OPS off lefties.
“Consistency is the main thing I need to improve on,” Beavers said. “I think I did stuff well, but not consistent enough. It’s my first full year of it, so it was definitely challenging, and I would have liked to have had better results for myself and the team … Definitely stay healthy all season next season and be available.”
Beavers, Colton Cowser and Leody Taveras were the only outfielders to end the season with the team and play more than 100 games in 2026, and the team must have better production to do better in 2027.
“Every guy individually should hold themselves accountable,” Beavers said. “See what they need to improve upon and that’ll help the whole team. I think everyone’s going to look at it from an individual perspective. At the end of the day, you pull your weight and help the team win. I think if everybody comes together and does that, it’s going to help next year and beyond.”
Elias on homegrown players
At last Monday’s end-of-season availability, president of baseball operations Mike Elias was again asked about the regression of a number of the homegrown prospects.
Beavers, the Orioles’ 33rd overall pick in 2022, is one of those homegrown players, but he doesn’t have the experience that Cowser, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday do.
“It’s been a huge factor for us,” Elias said. “A lot of guys that came on like gangbusters or were excellent in the minor leagues have had their performance kind of go backwards a little bit over a year or two in a way that wasn’t expected for me internally, but more important to me, like externally.
“I didn’t hear anyone saying, ‘Oh, this guy is gonna regress,’ or read anything. And it’s been a problem. We’ve also had a lot of health factors in some of those regressions and we’re doing our best to address it. Some of it’s innate to baseball. There’s a lot of variability and it’s really hard to be a player and kind of stay on top of your game, but if there’s anything we’re doing organizationally to give us more than our fair share of that problem, we’re looking at it. And if I’d have that solved, it would have been solved by now. So it’s not something easy but it’s at the front of our minds.”
Roster moves coming
In the coming weeks, the Orioles will begin reshaping their 40-man roster. They have eight players on the 60-day injured list — pitchers Keegan Akin, Kyle Bradish, Zach Eflin, Ryan Helsley, Colin Selby, first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, infielder Jordan Westburg and outfielder Tyler O’Neill.
Akin will be a free agent. Eflin and Mountcastle have options that will likely not be exercised, and Helsley has a $14 million option that he seems likely to exercise. Selby, who had right shoulder surgery, might not be asked to return next season.
Bradish, O’Neill and Westburg will be placed on the 40-man roster.
Outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has a $20 million salary for 2027 or he can be bought out for $2 million.
Right-handed starter Chris Bassitt, left-handed starter Trevor Rogers, reliever Andrew Kittredge will be free agents.
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