{"id":125454,"date":"2026-07-09T18:01:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T22:01:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=125454"},"modified":"2026-07-09T18:01:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T22:01:46","slug":"blaze-alexander-breakout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/09\/blaze-alexander-breakout\/","title":{"rendered":"Blaze Alexander’s Breakout Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Baltimore Orioles certainly had a busy offseason this past winter, signing a marquee name in Pete Alonso<\/a> and adding veteran pitching options in both Ryan Helsley<\/a> and Chris Bassitt<\/a>. Alonso has recently taken off<\/a> after a rough start in Birdland, but the O\u2019s best between-the-margin move came during a trade in February. <\/span>Blaze Alexander<\/a>\u2019s career did not get off to the start he would have liked. Joining the Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> after their World Series run in 2023, the high school prospect struggled to find his footing in Arizona, accumulating just 1.7 total WAR in 135 games split over the two seasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blaze Alexander Enjoying Breakout Campaign with Orioles<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Move<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The criticism of Orioles general manager Mike Elias had been his unwillingness to spend and his stubbornness about opening the checkbook. He finally decided to spend a little. The second most important move came when he decided to go get Alexander on the trade block for right-handed reliever Kade Strowd<\/a> and prospects Wellington Aracena<\/a> and Jos\u00e9 Mej\u00eda.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The 27-year-old was taken in the 11th round of the 2018 draft, and after making his way up through the D-Backs farm system, Arizona decided it was time to move on from the IMG Academy alum. <\/span>This decision could not have come at a better time for an Orioles lineup that has been largely underwhelming while also dealing with the injury bug.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Light Expectations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Alexander was expected to be a nice bench bat for an Orioles’ lineup that projected to be at the top of the American League, but a season-ending injury<\/a> to infielder Jordan Westburg<\/a>, injury trouble<\/a> for young stud Jackson Holliday<\/a>, and inconsistent play for new addition Leody Taveras<\/a> have given Alexander a spot in Baltimore\u2019s lineup that he has not given up.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his first full major league season, Alexander has already accumulated 1.3 WAR before the All-Star break, similar to that number in two seasons in Arizona. Despite ranking eighth on the team in at-bats, he is fifth in hits with 64, while slashing .309\/.363\/.430, good for an OPS<\/a> of .793. <\/span>The Orioles’ nine-hitter has found a very nice role in that slot, becoming one of their best on-base guys, and doing his part in setting the table for a top of the lineup that features much more power.<\/span><\/p>\n

Home Sweet Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Not only has Alexander seemed more comfortable in an Orioles uniform, but the welcoming atmosphere of Camden Yards has treated him well, with 35 hits in 104 at-bats, good for a .337 average and .837 OPS. <\/span>Since Alexander became a regular in the lineup in early May, he has hit safely in 30 out of 47 games, including 15 multi-hit games, with eight of those being three-hit games.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Blaze Alexander leads ALL hitters in AVG since May 1st, min. 125 AB \ud83d\ude2e pic.twitter.com\/z8TZvm6J9w<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n