Ryan O’Hearn fell just short of starting the All Star Game in 2024. O’Hearn qualified as a finalist for the American League designated hitter spot before finishing slightly below Houston’s Yordan Álvarez. And while the fan vote falls short of exact science, nobody questioned that O’Hearn belonged among the league’s best.
Baltimore acquired O’Hearn from the Royals for cash considerations before last season. The former eighth-round pick emerged from a group of players assembled to compete for the backup first base job, and he joined the Orioles for good on May 5, 2023.
O’Hearn went on to secure a significant role as the cleanup hitter against right-handed pitching.