Austin Hays is going through it right now. Nine games into the 2024 season, the Orioles outfielder owns a putrid batting line of .077/.172/.077. And while he hasn’t been the team’s worst hitter (shoutout to Ramón Urías’ .170 OPS), he could be the one closest to losing his current status, moving from an everyday option to more of a platoon alongside some up-and-comers in the organization.
There was already speculation going into this past offseason that it could be time for the Orioles to pass the torch in some respects from the incumbent outfield trio of Hays, Cedric Mullins, and Anthony Santander to the next generation.