O's hopeful O'Neill can return to form in '26

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill's Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BALTIMORE -- The first multi-year free-agent signing of the Mike Elias era in Baltimore didn’t go quite how the Orioles’ front office had envisioned.

At least, it hasn't yet.

On Dec. 10, 2024, the O’s inked outfielder Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million deal to serve as a right-handed-hitting slugger in the middle of their lineup and as a key member of their outfield mix. O’Neill had an injury history, but that hadn’t stopped him from being a productive MLB player for seven seasons up to that point.

However, O’Neill couldn’t stay on the field nearly enough for that to be the case in 2025, playing only 54 games around three stints on the injured list due to three ailments -- neck inflammation (April 24-May 9), a left shoulder impingement (May 16-July 4) and right wrist inflammation (Aug. 6-Sept. 12).

But Elias remains optimistic that O’Neill can have a bright future in Baltimore moving forward.

“From what I see as an evaluator, the talent is there,” said Elias, who has led the Orioles’ baseball operations department since November 2018. “I mean, the power, the swing, the way he moves in the outfield -- that player is in there. He wasn't able to express the type of production that he's done in his best years this year, because he wasn't available that much. That's been part of his history, and we know that.

“I think he's a tremendous roster fit for our group when he's up and running and going good, and he's a guy that can carry a lineup when he's doing that.”

O’Neill expressed frustration with his injury misfortune multiple times during the second half of a 2025 campaign that was disappointing for both himself and the Orioles (75-87). He wanted to help lead the team to better results, but he didn’t play enough to do so.

Over 209 plate appearances, O’Neill hit .199 with six doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 26 RBIs and a .684 OPS, numbers well below what the 30-year-old has proven to be capable of.

In 2021, O’Neill slugged 34 home runs with a .286/.352/.560 slash line in 138 games for the Cardinals. In '24, he belted 31 homers and posted an .847 OPS over 113 games in his lone season with the Red Sox.

“I know the player that I am. I know the way that I can produce on a day-to-day basis,” O’Neill said. “The guys around me know what I can do and how I can produce. That’s always there; I always have confidence in myself.”

But O’Neill also knows he needs to stay healthy to reach those levels, which has been an issue. He’s played 96 or fewer games in three of the past four seasons, though he’s avoided major injuries that would sideline him for long periods.

O’Neill’s contract with the Orioles featured an opt-out clause following his first season. If he had performed well, he could have returned to the free-agent market and pursued a larger deal.

Instead, O’Neill appears to be a lock to be in Baltimore for two more seasons. So it’ll be crucial for the O’s to find ways to keep O’Neill healthy -- whether that’s in a platoon role or increased time at designated hitter -- and get the most out of their investment in the slugger.

“Now that we've had him for a year, we're talking with him and trying to plan out ways to do as best as we can to keep him in tip-top form for as much as possible next year,” Elias said, “because I do think he can really raise the ceiling of this team, and I'm optimistic about it.”

How does O’Neill plan to use this offseason to reach his own personal ceiling?

“I’m going to get in the gym; I’m going to work really hard in there. I’m going to trust my training program and rely on the experts around me,” O’Neill said. “I’m going to have a facility to myself and a batting cage to myself, just the way I like it. So I’ll be able to get good work in throughout the months in the wintertime. ...

“Coming into next year, there’s a lot of motivation to want to produce and be more available.”