A closer look at the Orioles’ leadoff options

Before Albernaz was hired, former Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino predicted Holliday would be the club’s leadoff hitter for the next five years. The former No. 1 overall pick fits the mold with 82nd-percentile speed and plenty of potential at the plate, but he was caught 11 times in 28 stolen-base attempts in 2025 and has yet to become a consistent on-base threat.

Until Holliday fully adjusts to big league pitching and improves as a baserunner, he may be better suited to bat lower in the lineup. That said, the Orioles rarely bunted this past season, and Albernaz comes from a Cleveland Guardians team that recorded 28 sacrifice bunts — the fifth-most in MLB. If he brings that bunt-heavy philosophy to Baltimore, Holliday’s speed could become a weapon.

Taylor Ward

Ward, 32, is coming off a season in which he tallied a career-high 36 home runs and 103 RBIs for the Los Angeles Angels. That level of power production makes him an obvious middle-of-the-order candidate, where he spent most of 2025, but he also offers more leadoff experience than anyone on the Orioles’ roster.

In 174 career games (169 starts) as a leadoff hitter, Ward has posted a .259/.326/.456 (.783 OPS) slash line with 32 home runs, 81 RBIs, and 108 runs scored. He was penciled into the No. 1 spot 22 times this past season and hit .220/.258/.462 (.719 OPS) with nine RBIs and 12 runs scored in 97 plate appearances.

Unlike Holliday, Ward offers below-average speed (45th percentile) and does not attempt many stolen bases. But the veteran slugger can be counted on to reach base consistently. Ward posted an 11.6% walk rate (82nd percentile) in 2025, which could fit well atop the Orioles’ lineup.

Gunnar Henderson

Henderson, 24, has batted leadoff in 173 of his first 497 career games, making him the second-most experienced table setter on Baltimore’s roster. The lefty-hitting All-Star has performed well in that role, batting .276/.347/.533 (.880 OPS) with 42 home runs, 103 RBIs, and 129 runs scored.

In 2025, Henderson saw his power production dip while spending most of the season batting third. Overall, he hit .274/.349/.438 (.787 OPS) with 17 home runs in 154 games, and set a career high with 30 stolen bases on 35 attempts. He made just 13 starts from the leadoff spot and struggled to a .179/.207/.304 slash line in those games.

Henderson led off for much of the 2023 and 2024 seasons — both of which ended with postseason trips for Baltimore. There is little doubt he can again be an elite table setter, but if he returns to that role in 2026, the Orioles would need to get creative to balance their lineup.

Read More: What’s next for the Orioles after the Shane Baz trade

With Jordan Westburg, Ward, and Alonso presumably following Henderson, the heart of the order would skew heavily to the right side. That would push a cluster of left-handed bats toward the bottom of the lineup, leaving them more vulnerable against left-handed pitching.

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