Dylan Beavers had a fine season in 2025. The Baltimore Orioles believe it will springboard to a better 2026 and help rebuild the club back into a power in the rugged American League East.
Beavers was named the 2025 International League MVP after batting .304 with 18 homers and 23 stolen bases for the Norfolk Tides.
In 35 games for Baltimore after getting called up Aug. 16, he hit .227 with 4 homers, 14 RBI. He wore down in September, going 5-for 43 (.116) with 14 strikeouts in his last 12 games.
He showed good patience at the plate all year, drawing 95 walks to 112 strikeouts over Triple-A and MLB play combined for 2025.
BALTIMORE: Dylan Beavers of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates his walk off homer against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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The 24-year-old knows adjustments are in order. He’s been well aware of that his entire career, saying that comfort and confidence levels play a big part in his success.
“There are just so many variables when it comes to hitting,” Beavers told SteveOnBaseball, where Steve Malewski has covered the Orioles and their farm system for years. The interview came in mid-2024 at Double-A Bowie.
“You could feel great one day, but the results might not be there,” Beavers continued. “There is a lot more that plays into it. So, if you feel like you have a good process, I think in the long run you will have success. Patience is very important. You know otherwise you will keep scrapping with every adjustment you make if you focus on a two or three-game sample size.
“I kind of evaluate based on what I am feeling in the box and how I am covering certain pitches.”
In college, the slender 6-foot-5 outfielder was compared to Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich for his combination of power and speed. In 123 games at California (2000-22). Beavers had 36 homers, 102 RBI, 17 steals and a .291 average. The Orioles made him the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Baltimore paid him a $2.2 million signing bonus after doling out $8.19 million to the No. 1 overall pick, Jackson Holliday.
As Beavers matures, he shows similarity to Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker. They are built about the same. Speed helps both on the bases and in the field, where either can play any outfield spot. Beavers’ strong arm probably makes right field a good fit.
Baseball Savant measured Beavers’ sprint speed at 28.9 feet per second — 70th of 579 MLB non-pitchers. Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner led at 30.3, just ahead of Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt and outfielders Victor Scott of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton at 30.2.
Proud Tradition
Beavers is the 10th Orioles farmhand to win the International League’s MVP Award. The others:
- 1966, Mike Epstein, 1B
- 1968, Merv Rettenmund, OF
- 1970, Roger Freed, OF
- 1971, Bobby Grich, SS
- 1973, Jim Fuller, OF
- 1976, Rich Dauer, 2B
- 1988, Craig Worthington, 3B
- 1994, Jeff Manto, 3B
- 2019, Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
BALTIMORE: Don Baylor of the Baltimore Orioles watches his home run in a 1972 game at Memorial Stadium. Baylor played for the Orioles from 1970-75. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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Baseball Hall of Famers Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr., and Mike Mussina played well for the Orioles’ IL farm team but did not gain MVP honors there. That also goes for long-time Orioles stars like Boog Powell, Paul Blair, Don Baylor, Davey Johnson, Dave McNally, Mike Flanagan, Brady Anderson and Gunnar Henderson.
Baseball Hall of Famers who were IL MVPs:
- 1943, Red Schoendienst. SS, Rochester Red Wings (St. Louis Cardinals)
- 1974, Jim Rice OF, Pawticket Red Sox (Boston Red Sox
- 1993, Jim Thome, 3B, Charlotte Knights (Cleveland Indians)
Baltimore’s Birds Need Beavers
Beavers and Holliday were among eight first-rounders on the Orioles’ big-league roster in 2025 – a season that was bitterly disappointing despite all that supposedly top-shelf talent.
The Orioles, coming off successive trips to the postseason with records of 101-61 in 2023 and 91-71 a year ago, tumbled to fifth in the division at 75-87. Manager Brandon Hyde was fired in May after a 15-28 start, the team dealt away nine veterans at the trading deadline, and injuries were at the root of the disarray.
“We’re not gonna blame it all on injuries,” interim manager Tony Mansolino told Roch Kubatko of MASN.com in mid-September. I think that’s a little bit of a copout, it’s not very accountable from our perspective to do that. But yeah, it’s hard when all your players aren’t on the field at the same time.”
According to Sportrac.com, Baltimore had 29 players go on the injured list. Only Holliday and Beavers of the eight first-rounders avoided the list. In total, the Orioles sent players to the injured list 34 times.
HOUSTON: Jackson Holliday and Dylan Beavers (right) celebrate the final out of a Baltimore Orioles victory over the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Aug. 17, 2025 (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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Staff ace Grayson Rodriguez never took the mound after spring training due to a series of injuries. Slugger Tyler O’Neill, signed as an off-season free agent, homered on Opening Day. By the end of April, he went on the injured list for the first of three times throughout the season, each trip with a different ailment (neck, shoulder, wrist).
Catcher Adley Rutschman homered twice in Opening Day. He missed 32 games with a strained left oblique, 33 with a strained right oblique. That’s not good for a switch hitter expected to be delivering in the middle of the order.
So many other key players missed time, too.
Beavers’ Future With Baltimore Orioles
The outfielder really is a key to the franchise going forward. He has the overall tools to take command in the outfield the way shortstop Henderson has in the infield.
The club could field eight first-round picks at nine spots – should they all remain healthy. The best of the group, Henderson, was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2023 after being a second-round choice, No. 42 overall, in 2019.
ATLANTA: Colton Cowser of the Baltimore Orioles rounds second base after hitting a two-run homer against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 5, 2025. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images)
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The team could have an outfield of three first-round picks with speed and power potential in Heston Kjerstad (No. 2 overall in 2020), Colton Cowser (No. 5 in 2021) and Beavers.
Jordan Westburg (No. 30 overall in 2020) at third, Holliday (No. 1 in 2022), first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (No. 36 in 2015), Henderson at short and catcher Rutschman (No. 1 in 2019) round out the potential dream lineup.
If Rodriguez returns to the mound, that would be an eighth first-rounder.
The pitching staff must be rebuilt. Beavers can provide solid defense and run support for whoever the Baltimore Orioles send to the mound in 2026.
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