Tyler O’Neill hasn’t remained on the Orioles’ active roster for a month straight this year, missing time with neck inflammation and a left shoulder impingement. Now healthy, he is performing like the player the Orioles awarded a three-year, $49.5 million contract last offseason.
O’Neill is hitting .259/.339/.593 in 62 plate appearances since his return in early July, including home runs in four straight games from July 25-29. His health is a key reason why.
“He’s a guy that feels good when his swing feels good,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “Really happy and really optimistic about the direction he’s headed.”
When O’Neill dealt with his various injuries, he couldn’t get into the cage and work on his swing to make necessary corrections.
O’Neill had an explosive start to his Baltimore career, going 8-for-14 with two extra-base hits in his first four games with the Orioles. He then hit .118/.193/.255 in his next 57 plate appearances before a neck issue forced him to the injured list.
O’Neill’s brief return featured more of the same, with one hit in 15 at-bats. His overall slash line dropped to .188/.280/.325. He had more strikeouts (27) than total bases (26) at that point. Then came an absence of nearly two months due to a left shoulder issue.
O’Neill couldn’t execute everything he wanted to during pregame prep, which leaked into poor on-field results, he said on the Orioles’ broadcast on July 27. The latest trip on the injured list gave him time to get into a routine.
“I feel like I’ve been working really hard with the guys in the cage … we’ve been getting after it and putting in a lot of good work,” O’Neill said. “I’m starting to feel like myself in the batter’s box now. Balanced, mechanics are in a better spot, so let’s just keep those things going now.”
O’Neill said he didn’t make crazy adjustments but was able to figure his issues out through consistent repetitions. He has gotten in a good position when he lands, he added, and his barrel is dropping into the zone the way he wants.
Especially in O’Neill’s short return following his first injury, he struggled with his timing. Seven of the nine balls put into play were pulled, varying across both type of pitch and pitch speed.
His at-bats showed a common theme — planting his left foot too early off his leg kick, creating a noticeable hitch between the time he lands and the time he swings to create separate motions. O’Neill averaged a 17-degree launch angle in the six-game stretch between IL stints.
The at-bat below from July 25 shows a swing much more synced up with his leg plant, allowing a smooth bat path, and as a result, a cleaner and better result. O’Neill has averaged a 27-degree launch angle since his return.
“Hopefully I’ve found that click now,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill’s launch angle has returned closer to his 2024 form, when he blasted 31 home runs. That season was his best and featured his highest average launch angle since 2021, when he finished eighth in National League MVP voting and slugged .560.
The 30-year-old has improved his OPS by more than 100 points since returning. Given that Ramón Laureano, Cedric Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn were all traded, a healthy O’Neill is important the rest of the way for the Orioles.
O’Neill has a player opt-out in his deal at the end of this year, but if he chooses to stay in Baltimore, he will have two years remaining on his contract. The Orioles would love this version of O’Neill — a healthy one — to be the one they employ.
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