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.
ST. PETERSBURG -- Over the Orioles’ first 92 games of the season, they were among the worst pinch-hitting teams in MLB. At that point, they were 13-for-74 (.176) in such situations.
Since then, however, it’s been a complete turnaround. In fact, Baltimore has been one of the best pinch-hitting clubs over its past 32 games (entering Monday), going 14-for-43 (.326) in pinch-hit spots during that span. No team has had more pinch-hit knocks since July 8.
What’s changed?
Manager Craig Albernaz is insistent that the reason for the O’s improved pinch-hitting stats is the players’ commitment to their work. They may not have been getting results when hitters came off the bench early in the season, but it wasn’t due to a lack of preparation.
“They know when they’re not in the starting lineup, they know that’s what it is -- they’re just not starting that game. They know they’re going to have a big chance to come in and make an impact, either on the basepaths, at the plate or on defense,” Albernaz said. “Our guys have really taken to that and owned that. For our guys, there’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes that we do as far as their prep work, getting in the cage, keeping their bodies ready, letting them know these are the pitchers that you guys might face so they can get prepared that way.
“But the credit goes to the players. It’s such a hard job to come in and pinch-hit, and they have been doing a great job of keeping the prep work and managing the at-bat, too.”
Tyler O'Neill has been among the Orioles’ top offensive producers over the past 2 1/2 months, hitting .267 with eight home runs and an .868 OPS over his past 44 games entering Monday. But the 31-year-old outfielder has also been one of Baltimore’s top pinch-hitters as well.
For much of O’Neill’s nine-year MLB career, he has struggled when entering a game off the bench. Entering 2026, he was 7-for-55 (.127) with only one homer, which came when he was a rookie with the Cardinals in ‘18.
This year, O’Neill has gotten a lot more pinch-hit opportunities -- and he’s thrived, going 7-for-21 (.333) with three home runs, all of which came from July 8-Aug. 4. His three pinch-hit homers are tied for the most in a season in O’s history (since 1954), along with Whitey Herzog (‘62), Sam Bowens (‘67), Pat Kelly (‘79), Jim Dwyer (‘86) and Sam Horn (‘91).
The only MLB player with more pinch-hit home runs than O’Neill this season is the Cubs’ Michael Conforto, who has four.
“I could come in in the fifth, in the seventh, eighth, whatever it is, just kind of being ready for that, tracking the game, watching the pitch count from the other side and seeing how the boys are doing,” O’Neill said. “There’s been a bit of success for me recently, and that’s been great. It definitely took me a little while to get used to.”
O’Neill isn’t the only Orioles player having pinch-hit success of late, however.
Jeremiah Jackson is 4-for-13 (.308) as a pinch-hitter this season. The 26-year-old’s most recent opportunity came during Friday’s 6-5 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field, as he came to the plate with runners on second and third and one out with the game tied at 2 in the seventh inning. Jackson worked a 3-1 count before Tampa Bay decided to intentionally walk him.
Then, Dylan Beavers came off the bench to pinch-hit with the bases loaded immediately after. The 25-year-old knocked a go-ahead two-run single, improving to 2-for-9 (.222) as a pinch-hitter this season.
Beavers is still getting used to pinch-hitting in the big leagues, but he actually finds it less challenging than doing so in the Minors.
“I think it’s a little bit easier to pinch-hit here, just because you have access to a cage and you get a lot more data and have a better idea of who you’re going to see when you come into the game,” Beavers said. “I definitely think we do a good job of being ready off the bench.”
That’s because of the preparation that Albernaz referred to. Orioles players who begin the game on the bench are often back hitting in the batting cages, and they know which relievers from the opposing team they may have to face.
Whatever else the O’s may be doing to excel in these spots, they clearly need to keep doing it. And the players are always eager to get into the game and have a chance to come up big.
“Whether that role is coming off the bench or starting or whatever, it doesn’t matter to me,” O’Neill said. “I just want to be able to contribute.”