Ever since J.J. Hardy’s last game in an Orioles uniform, shortstop has been an ever-revolving door in the O’s lineup. From the (brief) highs of Manny Machado in 2018 to the ensuing roller coaster of mediocrity with the likes of Tim Beckham, Jonathan Villar, Richie Martin and Freddy Galvis, Baltimore featured 13 different starting shortstops between 2018 and 2021.
The 13th player on that list—Jorge Mateo—entered the 2022 season with the starting shortstop job, but with no expectations that he would provide stability at the position. After all, this was the same Mateo who bounced around three organizations before arriving in Baltimore as a waiver claim in August 2021.