A Baltimore pitcher could walk out to the mound at Camden Yards, spin around five times, point to the first player that enters his field of view, and that player could be an All Star this year. The 2025 Orioles infield has the potential to be the most prolific unit in the American League.

If you count the man behind the plate, three of Baltimore’s starting infielders were the top prospect in baseball at one point in their young careers. The rest of the bunch features players with particularly impactful tools and one of the stronger platoons in the AL East.

Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, and Adley Rutschman provide the O’s plenty of star power, but Jordan Westburg ranks as one of the best hitters on the team. Ryan Mountcastle should benefit from more hospitable dimensions in left field, and Ryan O’Hearn has hit the ball harder than most since his arrival in 2023.

The Orioles could have used an extra upgrade or two on the mound, but nobody should have a bone to pick with this bunch.

The injured star

Unfortunately, the group will be down a superstar player on Opening Day. Henderson strained his right intercostal while making a jumping catch on February 27, and the shortstop never returned to Grapefruit League play.

Baltimore announced that Henderson would begin the season on the injured list and miss a minimum of seven days. Birdland twitter legend Eric Garfield shared videos of Henderson playing in a game at the O’s Sarasota complex on Tuesday, and the injury is not expected to sideline Henderson long term. The Orioles have been careful with their franchise player—as they should be—but the club remains hopeful that Henderson will return in early April.

Livan Soto is expected to take Henderson’s place on the Opening Day roster. Soto hit .386 over 44 spring training at bats.

Behind the plate

Rutschman made the All Star team in each of the last two seasons, but his second-half struggles caused plenty of concern. The former number one overall pick slashed an underwhelming .207/.282/.303 after the break while refuting rumors of a potential injury.

Rutschman did not carry any of the negative vibes into spring ball. The switch-hitting backstop hit .357 with a 1.033 OPS in 42 at bats. He routinely displayed good swing decisions at the plate while demonstrating a commitment to taking the ball the other way. Rutschman firing on all cylinders would provide a significant boost as the team waits for Henderson to return.

The Birds replaced James McCann with another veteran catcher. Gary Sánchez slashed .220/.307/.392 but still managed 11 homers in 245 at bats last season. The former Yankee has 184 career homers under his belt and should still be capable of spelling Rutschman when necessary.

Baltimore’s top prospect Samuel Basallo showed off his power-hitting potential in Sarasota and could arrive by the end of the season.

The Ryan platoon

Mountcastle and O’Hearn both return to complete the platoon at first base. Mountcastle crushed lefties again with a .306/.350/.463 line last season, while O’Hearn hit .264/.338/.439 against righties. Mountcastle has the bat to play every day, but Brandon Hyde limited O’Hearn to only 44 plate appearances against lefties last season.

There’s a buzz surrounding Mountcastle with the left field wall moving in, but O’Hearn nearly made the All Star teams last season. Both players could spend plenty of time in the lineup with one utilizing the DH slot if their bats dictate the usage.

An injury or significant struggles by either player could open a spot for top prospect Coby Mayo. Mayo has struggled defensively at third base, and many believe he will call first base home in the future. The 23-year-old will begin the season at Triple-A Norfolk.

The young studs

Jackson Holliday struggled in his first stint at the major league level, but the rookie phenom passed the eye test by the end of the season. The Orioles drafted Holliday as a shortstop, but he primarily played second base last year. Now, with Henderson set to miss at least the first week, Holliday is expected to spend at least some time at short early in the season.

We’re throwing Jordan Westburg into the “young stud” category because he made an All Star team at 25-years-old. The Orioles offense took a significant step back when Westburg broke his hand at the end of July, and the Birds would love to see a healthy season from one of the best pure hitters on the roster. Westburg slashed .264/.312/.481 in his first full season while splitting time between second and third base.

The holdouts

Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo have heard all the chatter about the youth movement in Baltimore, but the two waiver claims refuse to surrender their positions.

Mateo fell just short of his goal to be fully healthy by Opening Day. The speedster missed the second half of last season after suffering a left elbow subluxation during a collision in the field. He made it to the plate for 11 at bats by the end of spring training, but the utility man needs a little more time before returning to the active roster.

Urías provided a spark for a struggling offense with a .278/.343/.476 line after the All Star break last season. His defense may not match the Gold Glove caliber from only a few years ago, but the 30-year-old can still play every infield position.