TAMPA -- What a week it was for Ryan O'Hearn -- a first-time All-Star, a soon-to-be dad, a leader for the Orioles and a potential chip ahead of the July 31 Trade Deadline.
Last Sunday night, O’Hearn took O’s owner David Rubenstein’s private jet from Baltimore to Atlanta, where the 31-year-old got the first All-Star experience of his eight-year MLB career. He attended the Home Run Derby on Monday, walked the red carpet on Tuesday and then started at designated hitter for the American League in the Midsummer Classic.
On Wednesday, O’Hearn’s wife, Hannah, took to Instagram to announce she was pregnant with their first child.
Finally -- after a couple days off and a pair of tough losses to open the second half -- O’Hearn homered on Sunday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field to help the Orioles snap a four-game skid with their 5-3 win over the Rays. His leadoff blast in the sixth inning marked his 12th home run of the season, three shy of his career high set last year.
Jackson Holliday (who homered on the game’s second pitch) and Alex Jackson (who slugged his first O’s homer in the third) also went deep in support of left-hander Trevor Rogers, who delivered his fourth quality start in five outings by allowing two runs in six innings.
It was a good day for the O’s to cap an even better week for O’Hearn. And despite everything that’s happened, it’s hard for him not to be most excited about his growing family.
“It’s been a lot,” O’Hearn said. “Got a lot going on, but tremendous blessings and very grateful for them.”
O’Hearn’s 2025 will be memorable in a lot of ways. He’s been a steady force for Baltimore despite the club’s disappointing start, which has it sitting at 44-54 with 64 games remaining.
Through 85 games, O’Hearn is batting .282 with an .836 OPS. His bat has been his best tool, but he’s also provided defensive versatility -- shown again Sunday, when he moved from first base to right field when Ramón Laureano was ejected following a strikeout in the third.
As the second half began Friday, O’Hearn was still processing his All-Star trip, something he thought was only a “pipe dream” after struggling in the early years of his career in Kansas City. It’s why O’Hearn didn’t leave the All-Star Game early, staying until the conclusion of the National League’s 7-6 victory that ended with the first home run swing-off.
“Awesome experience,” O’Hearn said. “Getting to meet guys and see who they are not on the field but in the clubhouse and stuff is pretty cool. To be around the best players in the world, what an honor, and cool to represent the O’s there. …
“You never know if you’re going to get a chance to go back. I wanted to stay for the whole game and soak it in, experience it, and it ended up being a really great game.”
With the Trade Deadline approaching, O’Hearn’s year could take a swift turn before July is over.
The Orioles have fallen out of AL Wild Card contention and appear to be heading toward becoming sellers. They could be moving players on expiring contracts, with O’Hearn headlining a group that features center fielder Cedric Mullins and pitchers such as Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano and more.
“The reality is when we’re at that point in the standings and 11 days away from the Trade Deadline, we’ve got to be realistic about our situation, and the conversations that I’m having right now are more oriented toward being what’s out there for some of our available Major League players,” general manager Mike Elias said on MLB Network Radio on Sunday morning. “We’re not blowing up the team, and we think we’re going to be very good again in 2026 and have that intention. We’re not interested in changing the foundation of the team, but to the degree that we have players that interest other clubs that are coming towards the end of their contract, we’ve got to listen to that.
“So that’s what we’re spending our time on. You talk about everything, you listen to everything, you explore opportunities, but we’re trending in that direction right now.”
If O’Hearn is traded, he will surely miss Baltimore, where he became an everyday player while helping get the O’s to the postseason each of the previous two years. But he could get into a pennant chase for the final two months by getting dealt.
“I love them, and I want to be with them,” O’Hearn told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand earlier this week in Atlanta. “But at the same time, I understand it’s a business, and this happens every year. Guys get traded around this time, so this is just part of it.”