Veteran Outfielder Explains Stunning Resurgence With Baltimore Orioles

Outfielder Aaron Hicks explained what led to his sudden 2023 resurgence with the Orioles.

Early in the 2023 season, Aaron Hicks' career appeared to be on life support. Then he joined the Baltimore Orioles, and suddenly everything changed.

Hicks was batting just .188/.263/.261 when the New York Yankees released him on May 26. He was 33 and in the midst of his third straight poor offensive season after posting a .639 OPS (82 OPS+) in 2021 and 2022 combined.

Retirement appeared imminent for the veteran outfielder.

Four days later, Hicks joined the Orioles, finding a new home in the AL East. 

It turned out to be a perfect fit.

Hicks slashed .275/.381/.425 with seven homers and six steals the rest of the way, emerging as a valuable contributor on a 101-win team. He helped Baltimore win the AL East, leading the fourth-place Yankees by a whopping 19 games in the standings.

How did Hicks go from sub-replacement level to All-Star-caliber? On Tuesday, he joined MLB Network to explain a key adjustment that triggered his turnaround.

"A lot of it was to back off the plate and square up a little bit more and try to focus on hitting the ball up the middle...it was working."

- Aaron Hicks on an adjustment he made that helped him thrive with the Orioles pic.twitter.com/jSZNeHFqY1

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 16, 2024

The free-agent outfielder credited part of his revival to a change of scenery. After spending nearly a decade in the Bronx and enduring heavy booing over the past few years, he clearly needed a fresh start.

The Orioles, who were in the midst of a magical season, turned out to be a great landing spot for him. 

"Baltimore was amazing," Hicks said. "I had a great opportunity there with those guys. To be with that team that was winning, it was the right team for me at the right time."

Hicks mentioned feeding off the energy of being on a young team, which helped rejuvenate his game.

He also revealed a mechanical tweak that seemed to help. He backed off the plate a bit and focused more on hitting the ball to center field rather than trying to pull everything, which may have been a bad habit influenced by Yankee Stadium's short porch in right.

Regardless of where Hicks ends up this year, there's no doubt that Baltimore was the right place at the right time for him.