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ESPN’s Jeff Passan Makes Bold Claim About Orioles’ Lineup After Pete Alonso Deal

The Orioles have an absolutely loaded lineup after adding Alonso.

Ryan Phillips

Pete Alonso is leaving the New York Mets to join a loaded Baltimore Orioles lineup on a five-year, $155 million deal.
Pete Alonso is leaving the New York Mets to join a loaded Baltimore Orioles lineup on a five-year, $155 million deal. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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Pete Alonso’s decision to sign with the Orioles could represent a massive shift in the American League East.

After Baltimore landed Alonso on a five-year, $155 million deal, Jeff Passan made a pretty big claim. ESPN’s MLB insider took to X and tweeted the following:

The Baltimore Orioles lineup might have the best lineup in baseball. Whatever order Craig Albernaz chooses, he’s got Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso, Jordan Westburg, Taylor Ward, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Sam Basallo, Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser. A wrecking crew.

While that claim is bold, it really isn’t hard to see it being correct.

While there could still be moves coming, Baltimore’s lineup is absolutely loaded after adding Taylor Ward and Alonso. Here’s a look below.

Pete Alonso is set to take over at first base, and the 31-year-old is coming off an outstanding year in which he slashed .272/.347/.524, with 38 home runs and a wRC+ of 141.

Former No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday has yet to hit his stride in the majors, but the second baseman has all the tools to become elite. In 2025, he slashed .242/.314/.375 with 17 home runs and a wRC+ of 96. He’s only 22 and is poised for a breakout.

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson should be a perennial MVP candidate, who carries a lifetime 132 wRC+, with a peak of 154 in 2024.

Third baseman Jordan Westburg slashed .265/.313/.457 with 17 home runs and a wRC+ of 115 in 2025, and the 26-year-old should only improve.

Catcher Adley Rutschman is coming off a down year, and his hitting numbers have trended in the wrong direction since he posted a 134 wRC+ as a rookie in 2022. He’s sure to be pushed by top prospect Samuel Basallo, who made the big leagues in 2025. Last season, Rutschman slashed .220/.307/.366 with nine home runs and a wRC+ of 91.

Basallo is currently penciled in at DH. The 21-year-old sac action in 31 games as a rookie in 2025, he slashed .165/.229/.330, with four home runs and a wRC+ of 55. But in 76 games at Triple A, he posted a .966 OPS, with 23 home runs, and had 44 walks against 76 strikeouts. He consistently crushed the ball in the minors, and his bat should catch up eventually.

Baltimore landed 31-year-old Taylor Ward in a trade this offseason, and the left fielder should boost the team’s outfield offense. In 2025, the 31-year-old slashed .228/.317/.475, with career-highs in home runs (36) and RBIs (103), while posting a wRC+ of 117. With more protection surrounding him in the lineup, those numbers could jump up.

Right fielder Dylan Beavers is another young guy poised to break out. In 35 games as a rookie in 2025, he slashed .227/.375/.400, with four home runs, but did post a wRC+ of 125. In 94 Triple A games, Beavers slashed .304/.420/.515 with 18 home runs and a wRC+ of 152. At 24, he has plenty of room to grow.

Colton Cowser is set to take over in center field, and stop me if you’ve heard this before, he’s a young top prospect poised to make a jump. In his first full season in 2024, Cowser slashed .242/.321/.447, with 24 home runs and a wRC+ of 119. He took a step back in 2025 (as did much of the lineup), and those numbers dropped to .196/.269/.385, with 16 homers and a wRC+ of 83. His season got a late start due to a fractured thumb and was later stalled by a concussion. A full, healthy season should see him back on the right trajectory.

Passan is right, that is a loaded lineup. While changes could still be coming, Baltimore should enter the 2026 season with one of baseball’s best offenses. Adding Alonso was just the icing on an already attractive cake.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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