Turnarounds can happen with dizzying speed, hurling the White Sox into the playoffs after they lost 102 games in 2025 and making the Blue Jays plummet to the bottom of the division standings after they won the American League pennant. It works both ways.

Jared Banner was hired as Orioles general manager to assist in turning the team back into a winner after consecutive sub-.500 finishes. He shared some of his philosophies and beliefs at Tuesday’s press conference but wasn’t ready for a deep dive into the roster after only a week on the job.

That wasn’t going to prevent questions about the core group of players who have stalled or regressed after attaining top prospect status. After they were counted on to carry the club and also, quite unfairly, provide leadership beyond their years and experience.

Bringing in an executive with a deep background in player development isn’t a coincidence. Pete Alonso can only carry the Orioles so far. And the young core isn’t getting any younger.

Gunnar Henderson’s name came up Tuesday despite Banner’s lack of familiarity with the shortstop’s history. Banner was asked for an evaluation of Henderson – yes, too soon – but also what must be done from a player development standpoint to get him back to the 2024 form that made him an All-Star and fourth-place finisher in American League Most Valuable Player voting.

Banner offered an unsolicited comp to the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, a player that he recommended as a trade acquisition from the Mets at the 2021 deadline. The deal has become a steal. But most important now is that Banner knows how PCA, which also stands for the Players Choice Award that the outfielder won yesterday as the MLBPA’s Player of the Year, elevated his game to greatness.

Being an All-Star and finishing ninth in NL MVP voting in 2025 only scratched the surface. He finished with 37 doubles, four triples, 31 home runs, 95 RBIs and 35 stolen bases in 157 games, but also a .247/.287/.481 line, 29 walks and an unacceptable chase rate, worst in the league. He also faded over the last two months.

“He wasn’t satisfied with that,” Banner said, “and we talked about never being satisfied.”

Crow-Armstrong is the heavy favorite to be named MVP after slashing .280/.372/.570 with 31 doubles, eight triples, 45 home runs, 107 RBIs, 41 steals, 83 walks and a 9.8 bWAR in 162 games. He also remained an exceptional center fielder.

“He went back to the drawing board and we supported him in that, and he became a 10-win player and the presumed National League MVP. So the sky’s the limit,” Banner said.

“We’re not putting any ceilings on any of these guys. We are going to raise the standard, protect that standard and get after it.”

OK, that wasn’t too specific in regards to the plan for Henderson, but having Banner reference Crow-Armstrong can be taken as a sign that he believes they share the same ceiling and that the Orioles can bring out the absolute best in their shortstop.

It’s in there.

The Orioles can’t go far unless Henderson and other teammates take a giant step forward. They need a lot more from Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg – starting with good health – and Dylan Beavers. They need Samuel Basallo to be durable and as dangerous at the plate as he appeared at times.

Analytics will remain an important tool in the organization. Mike Elias didn’t go to the trouble of building the department, a priority when he arrived in November 2018, to suddenly perform a demolition. The belief in its benefits is strong. Banner aligns with Elias in terms of usage. But there’s more flexibility with some older-school instruction, with hands-on tutelage from someone like Cal Ripken Jr., who is much more than just a name in the staff listing.

“I just think we want to make information-based decisions,” Banner said. “We want to gather as much information as we can. That can be in data, that can be in scouting reports. It can be in a lot of other things. And then collate that information and then compare that to our short- and long-term goals and make good decisions.

“Ultimately, this is all about decision-making, and that’s what we’re gonna focus on.”

Banner’s crash course on the organization extends to the minors, an obviously important area for someone with his player development background.

The farm system attained a No. 1 ranking from the middle of 2021 to mid-2024. Graduations and trades lowered it, but the draft and selling the past two seasons elevated it to No. 2 with FanGraphs and tied for second ESPN, No. 5 with Baseball America and seventh with MLB.com.

“I think it’s a top five farm system in the league,” Banner said. “I think there’s a ton of talent down there and most importantly, it’s fairly close to the major league level. It’s not talent we’re gonna have to wait a long time on. We should see some of that talent in the major leagues this season.”