Heading into the 2021 season, just about anyone connected to the Orioles or Orioles fandom would have been happy with some advance knowledge that Ryan Mountcastle would finish the season with 33 home runs, leading both the team and American League rookies. You could hardly hope for better than that from a 24-year-old prospect who snuck into the back end of top 100 lists as he entered his first 162-game season.
Whatever else can be said about Mountcastle, this much should remain true: If he is capable going forward of hitting at least as well as, or better than, the way that he hit in 2021, there should be a place for him as the Orioles rebuild phase transitions into what we all hope will be an Orioles success phase.