2025 marks PressBox’s ninth annual Best Of edition celebrating the top people, performances and moments of the year.
Best Big Splash
Rumors swirled as baseball’s winter meetings began in Orlando in December that the Orioles were intent on adding a big-time veteran bat to upgrade a lineup that underwhelmed in 2025.
First, they went after Kyle Schwarber but came up short on that pursuit. Then, they quickly pivoted to former Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who hit 264 home runs with New York from 2019-2025.
Orioles fans had been waiting for the first big splash of the David Rubenstein era, and it came in the form of a five-year deal worth a reported $155 million with Alonso, who will play the 2026 season at the age of 31 and figures to impact the Orioles’ lineup in a major way.
See Also:
• Reaction To Orioles’ Pete Alonso Signing
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles
For more Best Of, visit PressBoxOnline.com/BestOf.
