ARLINGTON, Texas – The voting is done. The results are in. And Ryan O’Hearn will get less time to rest at the All-Star break.
He couldn’t be happier.
O’Hearn finished first at designated hitter for the American League by receiving 78 percent of the votes, placing ahead of the Yankees’ Ben Rice. He won the Phase 1 balloting to reach the two-man final and held his ground.
Second baseball Jackson Holliday finished behind the Tigers’ Gleyber Torres but still can make the team as a backup.
Pitchers and reserves, totaling 23 for each league, are determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections coming from the commissioner’s office. The rest of the rosters will be announced Sunday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
O’Hearn is the first Orioles designated hitter to start in an All-Star Game since Nelson Cruz in 2014. He’s having a career year with a .295/.383/.471 line, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and 31 walks in 72 games.
What a story. The same guy surrendered by the Royals in a January 2023 cash transaction, designated for assignment two days later and outrighted is heading to the Midsummer Classic. And it’s happening one year after a snub that disappointed his teammates as much as him.
“I’ve been trying not to get my hopes up for the last month or so as all this has been going on. Just because of last year, similar thing,” said O’Hearn, who smiled for most of his interview.
“To finally get the news today and get to be a starter, I mean, I’m over the moon. Insane.”
Interim manager Tony Mansolino gathered everyone in the clubhouse and broke the news. O’Hearn sat at his locker later and watched the video on his phone.
“Had a nice little story about me, and cool to get recognized like that in front of your teammates, kind of feel the love and give my own little of a speech,” O’Hearn said. “Yeah, I’m blown away.”
“It means a lot for everybody,” Mansolino said. “I think a good indication for me is we were able to announce it to the room a little bit earlier, and to see the joy and the happiness on the whole room’s face, the staff, the players, all different types of players. The veterans, the young guys, the American guys, the Latin guys. People really support him and are really happy for him.
“I think that probably tells the story of Ryan O’Hearn as much as the story itself.”
The first call went to O’Hearn’s mother. His dad made the trip – fathers were invited for the series – and found out later in person.
“Like I said, I’m over the moon,” O’Hearn said. “I can’t wait to tell my dad. My mom’s freaking out. It’s been such a journey in my career, and for the majority of it, I never thought something like this was in the cards, so still kind of in shock. Just humbled.
“I never thought it was going to happen. I thought that was probably a pipe dream and something that just wasn’t in the cards for me. And I was completely OK with it. I think that’s why I’m shocked right now. I spent a lot of time just trying to keep my head above the water in the big leagues and just stick around as long as I possibly could. To be able to say I’m a major league All-Star, I’m blown away.”
As if the day couldn’t be more perfect, the announcement came in the state that O’Hearn calls home.
Who penned this fairy tale?
“I wish we weren’t leaving after the game so I could celebrate with them tonight,” O’Hearn said. “I’m comfortable here. It feels good to be at home. Got to stay at my house the last few days and spend time with my dog and stuff like that. It’s been a fun trip, and just very thankful for the people around me, to have such a great support system and amazing family and teammates and the whole nine yards.”
O’Hearn used to joke about having a statue build on the Royals bench because of his sparse playing time. He hit .262/.353/.597 with 10 doubles and 12 home runs in 44 games as a rookie in 2018 and went into a rapid decline that threatened to kill is career.
The Orioles trusted their hitting program to fix him, and he’s batted .280/.342/.455 in 326 games since the trade.
“The statue could still be built. I spent a lot of time on that bench over there,” said O’Hearn, a former eighth-round draft pick out of Sam Houston State.
“Coming to Baltimore, I’ve said many times, has been life changing for me. So many people in the organization that I have a lot of gratitude for. Players, coaches, front office. All over the map. People who work at Camden, the clubhouse guys, welcomed me with open arms since the day I got here, and it’s been life changing. I’ve been comfortable. I got to play on a consistent basis and be a part of some really good teams. Met some amazing people and got great relationships.
“Just extremely grateful. That’s it.”
O’Hearn’s .295 average, .383 OBP and .471 slugging rank first on the club. His 11 homers are second to Cedric Mullins’ 12, and his 72 hits and 30 RBIs are third. But it’s the man behind the numbers that teammates really embrace.
“That’s unbelievable, the path that his career’s been on and it ultimately leading to this, I couldn’t be any happier for a guy like that who’s just been awesome ever since he came over here,” said Gunnar Henderson, who started at shortstop for the AL last summer.
“Really happy for him and super stoked that it’s in Atlanta. I think that’s the last ballpark that he needs to check off, so it’s pretty cool.”
“It’s an incredible story,” Mansolino said. “As you kind of chronologically go through year to year and see what his track has been, it’s really incredible. Last year, he almost got there. He was close last year. I think a little bit of the sting of not getting there last year probably bleeds a little bit into joy for him getting it this year.”
Holliday is batting .255/.307/.405 with 12 doubles, two triples, 10 homers and 33 RBIs over 78 games in his first major league season. He was the first-overall pick in the 2022 draft and formerly the No. 1 prospect in baseball, and he’s still got a chance to be an All-Star.
His father, Matt, was a seven-time All-Star.
The 2025 All-Star Game will be played July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta. The Phillies host the 2026 game at Citizens Bank Park.
* Mansolino said Keegan Akin’s left shoulder discomfort surfaced “probably pretty recent.” Akin went on the 15-day injured list this afternoon with inflammation.
“Probably last couple outings it’s something he’s been working through a little bit. We don’t see it as super serious. Probably more likely closer to the minimum than anything, but it’s something we probably needed to take care of and get out in front of.
“He’s throwing the ball actually OK during the time, but just kind of talking to him and communicating with him, a lot of smart people got together and decided to make that decision.”
* Gary Sánchez has some swelling in his finger after being hit last night while trying to block a pitch from Gregory Soto in the eighth inning, but he won’t go on the injured list. He’s the designated hitter tonight.
“Gary’s good,” Mansolino said. “Not a big deal by any means. Gary’s good to go.
“When it hit him, I didn’t think too much of it until he came in the dugout and he said, ‘You might need to get somebody to hit,’ at which point your heart picks up a couple beats. But yeah, I don’t think any of us want to bring up another catcher.”
* Reliever Yennier Cano made it back to the Orioles after two appearances with Triple-A Norfolk. His ERA grew to 4.73 and WHIP to 1.388 in 32 games, the worst damage coming against the Rays in Tampa when he allowed four runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning and the Orioles blew an 8-0 lead.
The Orioles didn’t keep Cano down for long. They needed a replacement for Akin.
“Not working on any specifically. Just going down there and it just being the process,” Cano said through interpreter Brandon Quinones. “But happy to be back home, so to speak, and feeling really good with where I’m at.”
The message to Cano before he reported to Norfolk was pretty basic.
“They needed a fresh arm and I was a pitcher with the most options, so that’s what they told me,” he said. “Just part of the process and went down, but just happy to be here.”
* Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer and Trevor Rogers are the confirmed starters for the weekend series in Atlanta.