Baltimore Orioles Veteran Slugger Among Best in Positional Power Rankings

The Baltimore Orioles have a strong group of young talent, but one of their veterans has been just as productive.

Aug 19, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (6) hits a double against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have come out of their rebuild firing on all cylinders with the young talent they've acquired while toiling at the bottom of the standings.

While many of their prospects have been emerged as quality players, and some have turned into perennial award winners, having a veteran presence on the roster is another big key to success. The club has done well in that department, too.

Ryan Mountcastle was one of the first prospects from the Orioles' rebuild to make it to the Majors, debuting in 2020. He has been a consistent presence in their lineup, helping the team with his offensive production and veteran leadership for the younger members of the roster.

Mountcastle's production has not gone unnoticed. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report released his last first base power rankings of 2024, and the veteran landed just outside of the top 10, ranking 13th.

Mountcastle provided his usual middle-of-the-order production, hitting .271/.308/.425 for a 113 OPS+ with 30 doubles, 13 home runs, 63 RBI and a career-high 2.6 WAR in 124 games. The 27-year-old was also an AL Gold Glove finalist, and it will be interesting to see if he is on the move this winter after seeing his name come up in rumors at the deadline.

It was another in a long line of productive offensive seasons for Mountcastle. The veteran entered this offseason with a slash line of .265/.316/.450 with 91 home runs, 328 RBI and a 114 OPS+ across 2,312 plate appearances in 563 games.

Defensively, he only played first base this year, with two Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant, falling in the 78th percentile in Major League Baseball. His OAA ranked ninth among first basemen.

Should Baltimore look to trade the veteran, the Orioles may have a hard time finding a partner, as most contenders already employ a first baseman and many of them aren't expected to be moved.

The Orioles may, however, package Mountcastle with a prospect and look to bring a Major League-level player back in return from a bottom-dwelling team, like the Chicago White Sox, for a pitcher (Garrett Crochet, anyone?).

It has been a fantastic five years for Mountcastle with the Orioles, and he has proven to be the spark that set the end of their rebuild in motion while continuing to provide value offensively and defensively along the way.