Drew Wheeler
Offense
C Adley Rutschman
1B Coby Mayo
2B Jackson Holliday
3B Jordan Westburg
SS Gunnar Henderson
OF Colton Cowser
OF Enrique Bradfield Jr.
OF Dylan Beavers
DH Samuel Basallo
BN Jud Fabian
BN Livan Soto
BN Heston Kjerstad
Pitching
SP Grayson Rodriguez
SP Cade Povich
SP Kyle Bradish
SP Michael Forret
SP Tyler Wells
RP Chayce McDermott
RP Felix Bautista
RP Yennier Cano
Offense
On the offensive side, they should improve upon their successes of 2024, where they finished third in MLB in wRC+ and second in home runs as a team. It’s no secret that their development of hitting prospects is considered to be in the top tier of organizations and that the current chunk of prospects that are soon to be part of the Orioles are some of the best in the world, and by 2027, they’ll all be approaching, or in their peak years. Starting with the heart of the team in Adley Rutschman, we should see continued success as a backstop and a hitter going forward. He’ll be just 29 years old in 2027; although he had somewhat of a down year in 2024, partially due to injury and poor BABIP luck, he’ll still be one of the top catchers in the league.
At first and second, Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday should be firmly entrenched in their positions by this point, and the yo-yo season of ’24 that saw them both scuffle at the plate and never quite latch on to a starting role should be long gone in the rear-view mirror by ’27. Rounding out the infield are both fixtures in the lineup in Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg. Gunnar Henderson is one of the best shortstops in the game, only paling in comparison to Bobby Witt Jr. I think we’ll see a 40/30 season out of Gunnar at some point. Westburg has always been one of my favorite players. He does everything well and can play multiple positions, but I think he will settle in at third base in the long term.
The outfielders are the most significant question mark for this team, led by Colton Cowser, who, at this point, already has a pretty big lefty/righty split but shows good pop. Out of this group, I’m most excited about Dylan Beavers, as there’s a good chance he can be a 20/20 bat with an average that won’t stink up the joint while playing a fine corner outfield spot. Enrique Bradfield could be the most valuable in fantasy due to his speed and ability to make solid contact all over the field. You can’t forget Samuel Basallo’s bat in this formidable lineup, and he should fit in right in the middle of that order, providing 30 homerun power. He’ll probably see time at catcher, first base, and designated hitter, ensuring he gets 500+ at-bats.
I have Heston Kjerstad, Jud Fabian, and Livan Soto on my projected bench. Each has their issues; in Fabian and Kjerstad, it’s strikeout rate, while Soto is just a fine bench piece and the type of player that managers love to have on their bench as he can play both infield and outfield and is a solid enough hitter. I considered including a few more players in this exercise but ultimately left them out for various reasons, largely because I didn’t think they’d crack the starting lineup. Often, general managers don’t want promising prospects to sit on the major league bench. Some of the names I considered adding are Leandro Arias, Tavian Josenberger, Fredrick Bencosme, and Vance Honeycutt. Honeycutt is the least tested of the group in professional baseball but has a chance to rocket up prospect rankings and the organizational ladder with a solid showing next season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were in the 2027 starting lineup, but I wasn’t ready to include him there.
Pitching
The pitching staff may not be as potent as the offense, but it will ultimately decide how far the Orioles go. Anchoring the staff is Grayson Rodriguez, who has had an up-and-down major league start to his career but should turn into the SP1. Kyle Bradish will be a few years past his Tommy John and a solid SP2 for the Orioles. After Bradish, the fall-off is noticeable, relying on Tyler Wells and Cade Povich, who should be solid if they are unspectacular rotation pieces. I included Michael Forret in the back end of the rotation but could easily see Brandon Young taking that spot. I ultimately prefer Forret due to his fastball.
The bullpen could become a strength for the pitching staff, with Felix Bautista being a few years removed from his elbow issues and remaining an elite closer. In Yennier Cano and Chayce McDermott, you have two pitchers who can throw gas and rack up strikeouts and walks. McDermott has worked primarily as a starter in the minors, but with the aforementioned walk issues, he should ultimately be a solid reliever.
Playoff Aspirations
The Orioles playoff chances are very good with this team, as the offense should be humming and remain a top offense in the league for the foreseeable future. Almost everyone in the lineup can provide 20+ home run potential, and they should be very active on the basepaths. As mentioned, the pitching staff will largely determine how far the Orioles go. As the recent playoffs have shown, you don’t need a dominant rotation to make it all the way to the top, just timely pitching.
Discussion