I’ve seen a lot of prospective lineups bandied about for the Orioles as we creep closer to spring training 2026, and what might prove to be the defining season of Mike Elias’s tenure.
After trying numerous vs. LHP/vs. RHP permutations of this lineup, I keep coming back to the idea that the Orioles need to max out plate appearances for their best two players.
Here are a few of the elite power hitters in the game by most frequent lineup spot in 2025
Aaron Judge (2)
Juan Soto (2)
Shohei Ohtani (1)
Kyle Schwarber (2)
The smartest teams are putting their premier hitters as high in the order as possible, maximizing plate appearances for their stars and reaping the benefits.
The Orioles, whether by 2025 performance, projection systems, or the eye test, have two “elite” hitters (or hitters capable of that mantle): Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso.
My first contention is this: the Orioles should start their lineup – regardless of the handedness of the pitcher – with Gunnar-Pete in the 1-2 spots.
I think in a way, those two are on their own island. They are the mini lineup within the lineup. Really, the lineup resets after those two.
I call this concept the superstar reset.
The idea is that any other logic to lineup construction is overwhelmed by the sheer value of accruing additional plate appearances from elite hitters who are head and shoulders better than the rest of your lineup. Thus, in constructing the lineup, we should essentially start from scratch with the 3-hole hitter.
So the real question is this. What is the best seven-player lineup from the Orioles’ remaining hitters?
Here are the archetypes I’d be looking to fill
- Highest OBP
- Best overall hitter with OBP
- Run producer 1
- Run producer 2
- Run producer 3
- Second worst hitter
- Worst hitter
I changed the numbering so it wasn’t confusing, but if you think about it, we are treating the #3 spot in the lineup as the leadoff spot. You can also look at these lineup spots as essentially the 1-7 spots in the lineup.
My Proposal vs. RHP
Beavers posted a .387 OBP against RHP in 112 MLB plate appearances to back up a .414 OBP against RHP in 457 AAA plate appearances. That’s practically a full-season sample of a .400-ish OBP against right handed pitchers. This obviously hinges on Beavers carrying over the strides he made in 2025; if he does, I think he’s the clearest candidate to “lead off” vs RHP following our superstar reset.
Despite his miserable 2025 and declining offensive numbers since his rookie season, Adley was still the Orioles’ most capable hitter in terms of chase %, whiff %, BB% and contact rate. Every Orioles fan knows how talented Adley is, and knows he is capable of the .374 OBP and .809 OPS he put up in 2023. Additionally, having a switch-hitter in the middle of the order really helps with platoon balance. While Adley has been superior against RHP the past couple years, I still think he’s the best candidate in this spot.
5. Taylor Ward
I was torn between Jordan Westburg and Ward in this spot, but I settled on Ward because of his track record as a run producer.
I truly believe that Basallo can be a legit run producer in 2026. He torched RHP in AAA in 2026 and flashed elite bat speed in his cup of coffee at the major league level that outpaced even Henderson and Alonso. Of all the (hopefully) blossoming young talent on this team, Basallo has the loftiest ceiling as an elite hitter in the game. Notably, Fangraphs OOPSY projection system projects Basallo as the team’s third-best hitter after Henderson and Alonso. Hopefully, we will soon have a three-headed superstar tier to reset the lineup behind, which includes Basallo.
7. Jordan Westburg
I’d really like to get Westburg higher in this lineup; however, I think it makes sense to alternate handedness for our three players in the “run producer” tier. Westburg has posted a near-.800 career platoon split against RHP and is the third-best projected hitter for the Orioles in 2026 by some models.
I flinch every time I see someone post an Orioles 2026 lineup with Holliday in the leadoff spot. It makes absolutely no sense to bat Jackson leadoff until he’s fully acclimated to big league pitching. He made strides from 2024 to 2025, going from ghastly to just below-average at the plate. Of course, if he arrives in 2026 and fully breaks out, we can reconsider this lineup spot.
Cowser was not a major league hitter in 2026; a declining Pedro Alvarez with less raw power. His K and whiff percentages were in the 1st and 2nd percentile respectively among all MLB hitters. Some Orioles fans seem to underestimate how close he is to being optioned to AAA. I wouldn’t be surprised if Reed Trimble and Enrique Bradfield push him early this year. Conversely, Cowser still has plus bat speed and power, so there’s a chance he bounces back. I think he’s pretty clearly our worst hitter at this juncture, but his CF defense helps him keep hold of a starting spot.
Final Lineup vs. RHP
Henderson (SS)
Alonso (1B)
Beavers (RF)
Rutschman (C/DH)
Ward (LF)
Basallo (DH/C)
Westburg (3B)
Holliday (2B)
Cowser (CF)
This is by no means a lineup that you’d jot down on the back of a napkin. However, if you accept the concept that the Orioles are best served maximizing ABs for our stars, then the superstar reset that places Beavers and Rutschman as our de facto #1 and #2 hitters, with the thump of Ward, Basallo and Westburg to convert them into runs, I think this lineup actually makes a lot of sense.
The main weakness I see is the potential for a left-handed reliever to be brought in to face Holliday-Cowser-Henderson.
I think the obvious counter move is this: One of Jeremiah Jackson/Coby Mayo/Ryan Mountcastle pinch hit for Holliday (with Jeremiah as the defensive replacement), and Tyler O’Neill pinch hits for Cowser. Then Leody Taveras replaces O’Neill in CF.
All in all, I’m falling in love with this lineup and think it has a lot of underlying logic to it.
My proposal vs. LHP
What did Walt Whitman say? Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself.
Any way I slice it, I think we want to go R-L-R at the top of the lineup against LHP, whether Ward/Henderson/Alonso or even O’Neill/Henderson/Alonso.
I think you could make the argument that O’Neill (.894 OPS) and Ward (.918) have over the course of their careers performed like superstar bats against LHP.
With this in mind, I’m going to slot Ward in at the leadoff spot against lefties, and start the lineup at the #4 spot.
Archetypes
- Highest OBP
- Best overall hitter with OBP
- Run producer 1
- Run producer 2
- Second worst hitter
- Worst hitter
With that in mind…
4. Tyler O’Neill: Lefty crusher with career .363 OBP and .894 OPS against LHP. Sure, he’s a huge injury risk, but the underlying numbers in 2025 said he was the same hitter he’s always been, with the biggest gap between his OPS (.684) and expected OPS (.883) in baseball. Also, Beavers can PH for him against a tough bullpen righty.
5. Adley Rutschman; Same blurb as before; the combination of plate/zone discipline and being a switch hitter keeps Adley in the middle of this lineup, for me.
6. Jordan Westburg: I love Westy in the 6 hole in this lineup. It keeps the pressure off him, and on the pitcher as the #6 hole still features a hitter capable of an .800 OPS.
7. Coby Mayo/Ryan Mountcastle: This is where the lineup gets messy. I don’t know who will be left between these two (or none of the above) by the end of spring. But for now, I think it’s safe to slot one of these two in this spot.
8. Jackson Holliday/Jeremiah Jackson: I think to the chagrin of some fans, the Orioles will platoon Holliday, Cowser, and probably Basallo more than ever before, if they don’t show early significant strides against LHP. I’d personally give Basallo a longer leash as I think he has the highest ceiling. However, the Orioles can’t afford to give Holliday (.572 OPS vs. LHP) and or Cowser (.638 vs. LHP) much run if they continue to be automatic outs when facing same-handed pitching. This could be a good spot for J.Jackson to sneak some ABs.
9. Colton Cowser/Leody Taveras: See previous blurb. Hopefully by midseason Reed Trimble (also a switch hitter) is pushing Taveras for the backup CF spot, or even Cowser for a starting role.
Final lineup vs. LHP
Ward (LF)
Henderson (SS)
Alonso (1B)
O’Neill (RF)
Rutschman (C)
Westburg (3B)
Mayo/Mounty (DH)
Holliday/Jeremiah Jackson (2B)
Cowser/Taveras (CF)
Figuring out a way to beat left-handed starters is critical for the Orioles success in 2026. After they ranked 20th in baseball against LHP, the Orioles acquired two of the best lefty-crushers in the game in Alonso and Ward. The Orioles also used the end of 2025 to give playing time to guys like Mayo and Jeremiah Jackson, who could platoon against LHP and sneak additional ABs as late-game subs or give starters days off. I’m especially impressed with the top-6 in this lineup and think the Orioles should be able to regularly field a lineup against lefties with only Gunnar and one or two other left-handed hitters in the order.
Conclusion
My keys to the Orioles lineup success using the superstar reset are the following:
— Maximize ABs for Henderson and Alonso
— Pad the lineup behind these two with OBP threats (Beavers, Rutschman, etc) for the secondary run producers in the 5-7 spots
— Use a platoon-heavy approach, especially against LHP. Don’t be afraid to sit Holliday and Cowser vs lefties!
— Take the pressure off the young core to start the year, situating Westburg, Holliday and Cowser in the bottom half/third of the lineup
— Give players plenty of days off; this is the deepest bench the Orioles have had in years. Use it!
I see this as a top-5 lineup in the game with the potential to be the best and the depth to weather inevitable injuries. Opening day 2026 can’t come soon enough!
