Orioles Release Heston Kjerstad

Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad is heading to the free agent market after clearing outright waivers, Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner reports. The team previously designated him for assignment, per Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun.

This ends a bitterly disappointing Baltimore tenure for Kjerstad, who has fallen well short of expectations since the team took him second overall in the 2020 draft. Kjerstad missed the 2021 season with myocarditis, delaying his major league debut until 2023. Since then, the lefty-swinging Kjerstad has batted a meek .217/.280/.359 (80 wRC+) with 10 home runs and below-average strikeout and walk rates of 29.1% and 5.4%, respectively, in 333 plate appearances.

Now 27 years old, Kjerstad has yet to get an extended look in the bigs in any season. He set career highs in games (54) and PA (167) in 2025, but even then, he only played a third of the campaign. Kjerstad mustered a paltry 57 wRC+ that year, as he hit just .192/.240/.327 with four homers, a 26.9 strikeout percentage and a 3.6% walk rate.

Thanks to an unspecified medical condition, Kjerstad missed the last two months of the 2025 season. Kjerstad was healthy in time for Spring Training this year, but he suffered a hamstring strain in March and did not come off the injured list until the last week of May. The Orioles immediately optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk, where he spent almost the entire season. He hit .289/.337/.462 with 11 homers and a 106 wRC+ in 333 trips to the plate with the Tides. The Orioles recalled Kjerstad when rosters expanded in September, but he only got into 11 games during the final month of the season. He went 4 for 19 with one extra-base hit (a double), nine strikeouts and no walks in that stretch.

Between his subpar production and his lack of minor league options, it isn’t a surprise the rest of the league passed on Kjerstad when he was on waivers. With his time in the O’s organization now up, he will presumably catch on elsewhere on a minor league contract this offseason.