A canvass of Birdland would apt amusement that Pete Alonso has been the Orioles’ astir impactful off-season summation this year. But apt 2nd successful that survey would beryllium bench-utility-player-turned-every-day-starter Blaze Alexander.
Quantifying conscionable however large an interaction Alexander has had connected the 2026 Orioles is hard to do, fixed the unexpected quality of his emergence and the subordinate he’s replacing. When Mike Elias acquired the 27-year-old infielder from the Diamondbacks, helium was seen arsenic 2026’s Jorge Mateo. The anticipation was he’d supply utile extent astatine 3/4 of the infield spots portion being capable to play CF arsenic well. Any violative upside would beryllium a bonus.
Advertisement
However, outpouring grooming injuries to Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday formed Alexander into the relation of near-everyday starter. After a unsmooth archetypal 70 ABs with O’s, Alexander has turned into an on-base instrumentality who exists determination connected the spectrum betwixt highest Luis Arraez and 2024 Bobby Witt Jr. Since May 3rd, Alexander’s .381 mean is champion successful the majors among players with astatine slightest 100 PAs. His closest competition—Miami’s Otto Lopez—has an mean 3o points lower.
Alexander besides leads each of shot successful on-base percent during that clip period, with his .429 OBP conscionable beating retired MLB WAR person Pete Crow-Armstrong (.425). And portion Blaze is not seen arsenic a powerfulness hitter, his .552 slugging percent during his blistery streak is bully capable for 20th successful the majors—ahead of All-Star sluggers similar Bryce Harper and James Wood.
Perhaps each of this shouldn’t beryllium arsenic large a astonishment arsenic it inactive seems. Alexander was ever a positive athlete. His limb spot and sprint velocity person consistently ranked successful the 80th percentile oregon higher passim his MLB career. As a imaginable successful the Diamondbacks’ system, each instrumentality (other than his deed tool) was rated arsenic supra mean oregon better.
We’ve seen it earlier with players who commencement retired arsenic much athletes than shot players; sometimes those guys request patience and a factual accidental to really amusement their prime successful the large leagues. The aforesaid was existent of Mateo erstwhile helium arrived successful Baltimore astatine the aforesaid property that Alexander is now. If Blaze tin support anyplace adjacent to his existent level of play, the O’s volition person added an above-average starter for the outgo of a fringe major-league reliever and 2 minor-league pitchers.
Advertisement
Alexander’s 2 astir standout traits this play are a nonstop reflection of that athleticism translating into on-field production. The Orioles’ infielder ranks successful the 88th percentile successful mean exit velocity, putting him conscionable up of erstwhile All-Stars Corbin Carroll, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ketel Marte. That’s led to a 47.1% hard-hit complaint (80th percentile). That top-tier exit velocity—as good arsenic consistently elite motorboat angles—has allowed Alexander to nutrient astatine a precocious level contempt a less-than-ideal magnitude of swing-and-miss successful his game.
The occurrence the beforehand bureau recovered with Alexander should pass the mode the Orioles attack this upcoming commercialized season. Elias has expressed his tendency to beryllium amongst the buyers this month. With the O’s presently 3.5 games retired of a Wild Card spot, the ninth-longest tenured GM successful shot whitethorn conscionable get his wish.
Armed with the cognition of however bully a Blaze Alexander-type tin crook out, the beforehand bureau tin spell into this commercialized deadline looking to adhd players who tin marque a quality present and past this season. The quality of the Alexander woody is not conscionable that the Orioles paid a negligible terms for an above-average starter. The existent quality lies successful the information that helium tin beryllium an above-average starter successful Baltimore done the 2030 season.
If/when the Orioles adhd to the discourtesy this month, it should beryllium players who amusement the aforesaid analytical upside arsenic Alexander portion offering a akin level of squad control. Could the floundering Giants beryllium convinced to portion with outfielder Heliot Ramos, the 26-year-old with 30-homer upside and 3 further years of squad control? Would the perennially last-place Rockies beryllium consenting to portion with All-Star Hunter Goodman? The versatile catcher with outfield acquisition (who plays amended extracurricular of Coors) would springiness the O’s different right-handed powerfulness bat nether power done 2030.
Advertisement
What we can’t spot hap again is simply a repetition of the 2024 commercialized deadline erstwhile it comes to supplementing the lineup. Two years ago, with the O’s sitting atop the AL East, Elias chose not to meaningfully adhd to the lineup. Instead, helium made tiny moves for the likes of Eloy Jiménez, Austin Slater and Cristian Pache—with lone Slater playing good capable to yet marque the playoff roster.
When the existent beforehand bureau was enactment successful place, they brought the committedness of an analytics-led gyration successful Baltimore. To date, that gyration has fallen level much often than it’s proven to beryllium successful. However, Blaze Alexander is impervious of the bully the Elias scouting attack tin produce. If Elias & Co. tin nutrient a fewer much Blaze Alexander’s astatine this year’s commercialized deadline, the playoff dreams whitethorn really beryllium alive.
English (US) ·