Ryan O’Hearn received votes for the 2023 American League Comeback Player of the Year Award after becoming one of the Orioles’ most productive hitters in the middle of the lineup.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound first baseman is looking to have an even better year in 2024 and help lead the franchise to its first World Series championship in more than 40 years.
O’Hearn is confident the Orioles can make that run to a title after losing to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series.
“The sky’s the limit,” O’Hearn said. “We were the best team in the American League throughout the regular season. It was a tough, sharp ending to the season that was hard to stomach, but when you look back, we were right there with anyone. It’s a good young group that is only going to become stronger from last season and more confident. The belief is there and there are zero limits to what the Orioles can do next year as far as I’m concerned.”
O’Hearn, 30, didn’t win the Comeback Player of the Year Award. That honor went to White Sox reliever Liam Hendriks, who overcame a battle with cancer after undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Still, O’Hearn was thrilled to be considered, and he’s looking to build on his success.
“Any time you get nominated for a big-time award at the end of the year is special because it means you did something good,” O’Hearn said. “It was pretty cool. With Liam, obviously, beating cancer is a completely different level and class compared to having a couple of bad seasons and then having a good season. I didn’t expect to win, but it was a pretty cool honor to get nominated and I am happy for Liam.”
O’Hearn had his contract purchased by the Orioles from the Royals on Jan. 3, 2023, but was designated for assignment two days later. He reported to major league spring training as a non-roster invitee and had a productive camp, but it took some time to earn a promotion to the big league club.
O’Hearn started the season in Triple-A Norfolk, had his contract selected on April 13 but was optioned on May 5. He was recalled on May 9 when Ramón Urías went on the injured list and played his way into a regular spot in the lineup against right-handed pitching.
O’Hearn slashed .289/.322/.480 with 14 homers and 60 RBIs in 112 games with Baltimore in 2023. Playing with the Orioles was an easy fit for O’Hearn, who thrived in the environment.
“When I showed up in spring training this year, things just kind of clicked from the start,” O’Hearn said. “They had really good ideas on what they thought I should do. It just worked. It was a really good environment and hitting at Camden Yards helps. It’s a great place to hit and our lineup was dangerous. There were no easy outs.”
The Orioles finished the year 101-61, their best record since 1979, and won the AL East for the first time since 2014. O’Hearn is confident the club has the talent to make another run at a division title and put together a better performance in the postseason.
“It was indescribable,” O’Hearn said about the team’s success. “It was by far the most fun year of my career. I enjoyed going to battle with those guys every day. I hope to come back and do it again. I can’t say enough good things about the organization and the coaching staff. I feel like they helped me to get better. I’m getting older, but I still feel like I’m getting better every year. I enjoyed it because it’s such a special place.”
Prior to landing with the Orioles, O’Hearn played five seasons for the Royals, slashing .219/.293/.390 with 38 home runs and 131 RBIs in 342 games.
He slugged 12 home runs and collected 30 RBIs in 44 games during his first year in the big leagues in 2018, but he struggled to find that form again, leading Kansas City to designate him for assignment in December 2022 and sell his contract to Baltimore.
The Orioles are confident they got the better end of that deal.
“He has got the right makeup,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said midseason. “He had stretches where in Kansas City he didn’t play at all and was going back and forth from the minors. So to now be here and part of a winning environment and fit in so well, and I know he wants to stay and be a part of what is going on here. That was obvious in spring training. He came to the park every day with an awesome mindset and great attitude and played hard. Just doing everything right.”
Despite some struggles before joining the Orioles, O’Hearn’s confidence didn’t waver, a key component to his resurgence. Now, he’s learning from times when he’s not hitting as well and using those experiences to make adjustments and get better.
“Over the last few years, I learned to have confidence even when the numbers don’t instill it,” O’Hearn said. “It takes time to believe in yourself when you are struggling. My confidence level this past season was high with good numbers. It was such a good environment, especially when we either won the game or were in it until the end.”
O’Hearn should have more opportunities to be a productive player for the Orioles, and he plans to put in the work this offseason to improve in 2024. That work includes building more muscle and working with hitting coach Dan Hennigan, who runs Brain & Barrel outside Philadelphia. Brain & Barrel focuses on mind and muscle “while touching on speed, weight gain, pitching and everything in between” to produce five-tool players, according to the company’s website.
“Your body kind of wears down during the season,” O’Hearn said. “I played 112 games this year, which was more than I played [in the big leagues previously]. I’m getting my body right and getting back into the groove of things. I am going to get back in the weight room for a few months. Every year, I feel like I go home and get in great physical shape.”
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox
Issue 284: December 2023 / January 2024
Originally published Dec. 13, 2023