Orioles' Tyler O'Neill Aiming to Extend Impressive Streak on Opening Day

It will be interesting to see what sort of role Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill will have for his team in the 2026 season.

The 30-year-old signed a three-year, $49.5 million deal with the Orioles in December of 2024. This contract didn't work out in the way Baltimore was hoping for last year, as O'Neill missed a majority of the season because of a neck, a shoulder, and then a wrist issue that demanded three separate stints on the IL.

And even when O'Neill was healthy, the .199 average, .684 OPS, and 9 home runs in 181 at-bats left a lot to be desired for a guy who is making nearly $17 million per season.

But now that O'Neill is healthy, he appears poised for a bounce-back 2026 season. What's for sure is that he has looked fantastic this spring, as he currently has a whopping .538 batting average and a 1.446 OPS in 13 at-bats with the Orioles during spring training (he missed some action to play for Team Canada in the 2026 World Baseball Classic).

Canada right fielder Tyler O'Neill (9) | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Yet, even if O'Neill was struggling at the plate this spring, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz would be insane to keep him out of Baltimore's Opening Day lineup

O'Neill has hit a home run on his team’s Opening Day in each of the past six years, which is a record. In fact, he tied the record when hitting his fourth straight Opening Day home run in 2023, broke it with No. 5 in a row in 2024, and then the "cherry on top", in his words, was when he did so for the sixth consecutive year for the Orioles last season.

TYLER O'NEILL HAS HOMERED ON #OPENINGDAY IN SIX STRAIGHT SEASONS! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0hE5YV87E7
— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2025

Tyler O'Neill Addresses Opening Day Home Run Streak With 6-Word Message

This historic run isn't lost on O'Neill. And he was asked about what it would mean to make it seven seasons in a row with an Opening Day home run during an interview with Jake Rill of MLB.com that was published on March 19.

“It’s more icing on the cake,” O'Neill said. He also added, “It’s an elephant in the room. Pressure’s off, obviously. I don’t really have to prove anything in that regard. But yeah, it’s on my mind. Would it be great to push it to seven? Yeah. Of course, it would be. And if I get the opportunity to do that, great. But if not, no big deal.

“We’ve got 161 games to go after that. It’s just all about having a good time and being with the guys and not making more of it than it is," he continued.

Last year, Tyler O’Neill slugged a home run on Opening Day for the 6th straight season, extending his own MLB record. He called it “a little cherry on top.”

What would it be if he now extends it to 7?

“It’s more icing on the cake,” he said with a smile.https://t.co/atT3Tef2y3
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 19, 2026

O'Neill will be facing Minnesota Twins righty Joe Ryan on Opening Day, whom he already has one home run against.

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