The Orioles played some bad baseball at the end of the last decade. The club plummeted into a rebuild after a disastrous 47-115 season in 2018, and the team took several years to claw its way back to relevancy.

Baltimore currently sits at its darkest point over the last few seasons, but the front office remains optimistic that it can turn things around next year. It’s far too early to tell whether the O’s will compete in 2026, especially with the O’s turning out a rebuild-quality roster for the final six weeks of the season.

Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander all started games for the Orioles in 2019, but the trio did not emerge as Baltimore’s “outfield of the future” until after the 2020 covid season. Mullins put together his famous 30/30 season in 2021, and Santander posted a 120 OPS+ the following season.

Brandon Hyde still sent out lineups featuring Rougned Odor, Tyler Nevin, and Chris Owings, but the outfield provided some much needed hope. Now, with fans desperate for some optimism, the position groups have flipped.

Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg are now the faces of the present and the future. The infielders will set the tone for the bounce-back campaign next season. Meanwhile, Tony Mansolino sent out Ryan Noda, Dylan Carlson and Greg Allen to man the outfield last night.

Things look extra bleak with Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill stuck on the injured list, but neither player is exactly a stranger in that neighborhood. O’Neill’s injury concerns were well documented before Mike Elias inked him to the first multi-year contract under his tenure, but Cowser’s hoping to dodge developing a reputation of his own.

With Mullins out of the picture, Cowser initially projected as the everyday center fielder, but that never materialized. Tony Mansolino said the club wanted to avoid placing extra pressure on Cowser as he looked to break out at the plate. Cowser hit the IL with a concussion last week.

Defensive transitions can take a toll on a young player’s bat. Coby Mayo probably didn’t benefit from attempting to play third base, and the O’s appear set with him at first for the remainder of this season. Cowser, on the other hand, already has 67 MLB appearances in center field under his belt. Pair that with 150+ at the minor-league level, and the guy should probably be capable of playing center while working his way out of a slump.

The Birds may ease Cowser back into center when he returns, but the club really needs to know whether he can be the starting center fielder in 2026. The front office may already know the answer to that question, but don’t expect them to share anytime soon.

While the Hays, Mullins and Santander trio emerged as consistent contributors, the hope began to shift toward several blossoming infield prospects. Rutschman, Henderson, Westburg, Connor Norby, Joey Ortiz, César Prieto, and eventually Holliday made it easy to picture a talented infield at Camden Yards. Fans have soured on “prospect dreaming” after the last few seasons, but it’s still preferable to have a talented system.

So the outfield of the present stinks, does the outfield of the future look any better? Dylan Beavers recently entered the Jahmai Jones territory of social media. Beavers, now a Top 100 prospect according to Baseball America, has hit the cover off the ball at Triple-A this season. He could join the Orioles as early as next week, and the former 33rd-overall pick should have an opportunity to play daily for the remainder of the season.

The O’s declined to give Jud Fabian a look this season, and the former second-rounder has watched his stock fall over the last season. Injuries prevented former first-rounder Enrique Bradfield Jr. from making a case for a cup of coffee this year, and guys like Nate George and Vance Honeycutt remain a long way from Birdland.

The Orioles blended top prospects with guys like Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo to fill out their infield, but they never went outside of the organization for respected free agents. The organization had the talent to justify that with the infield a few years ago. They cannot afford to take the same approach with the outfield next season.

Cowser resembles the closest to a sure thing in the outfield next season. The front office really cannot depend on 100+ games from O’Neill, and Heston Kjerstad remains one of the biggest question marks in the organization. Beavers, despite the hope for a rookie-of-the-year type season, hardly qualifies as a guarantee.

It would be slightly easier to stomach watching players like Jeremiah Jackson and Jordyn Adams if the club had three or four prospects knocking down the door. Beavers should provide a glimmer of hope this fall, but the Orioles will need external outfield help if they hope to compete in 2026 and beyond.