What do you expect from Blaze Alexander this year?

A month ago, most Orioles fans probably had no idea who Blaze Alexander was. After all, how many of us pay close attention to the utility players on the 4th-place team in the NL West? Most Orioles fans’ interest in the Diamondbacks likely ended last season just after former friend Corbin Burnes tore his UCL in early June. And yet, the newly-acquired utility man is set to play a big role with the O’s in 2026.

Of all the trades Mike Elias & Co. pulled off in the offseason, the one for Alexander seemingly caught the fanbase most offguard. Trades for Taylor Ward and Shane Baz filled obvious needs. The trade for Alexander, however, saw the Baltimore weaken an already shaky bullpen by dealing middle reliever Kade Strowd (and minor leaguers Wellington Aracena and José Mejia) to Arizona. The fanbase started to warm to the idea of Alexander as we collectively realized that he’s a plus defender who can cover 2B, 3B, SS and CF.

Then the injuries in the infield started to pile up. Ten days after the Orioles acquired Alexander, it was announced that Jackson Holliday would likely start the season on the IL after breaking the hamate bone in his right hand. Nine days after that, Elias announced that Jordan Westburg will miss at least the first month of the season with a partial UCL tear—which would sideline him for the whole season if it requires Tommy John surgery. And so, in the span of three weeks, the newest Oriole infielder went from nice depth piece to likely Opening Day starter.

In his brief big league career, Alexander has been more about potential than actual production. In just under 400 career ABs, the 26-year-old has a triple slash of .237/.32232/.366 with 50 runs, 19 doubles, 10 HRs and 50 RBIs. His numbers at the plate mirror his power-over-hit profile as a prospect, as he had a 40-grade hit tool in the minors compared to a 50-grade power tool. His best tools, however, were his 55-grade speed and 70-grade throwing arm. We’ve seen both of those tools play at the big-league level, though the plus speed hasn’t translated into many stolen bases (seven in 14 attempts).

Once Holliday is healthy in April, Alexander’s long-term role will largely depend on two things: how well he hits left-handed pitching and how well Coby Mayo adapts to playing 3B. In 145 career ABs against LHPs, Alexander holds a .269 average and .800 OPS. His positional versatility means he could spell Holliday at 2B or Colton Cowser in CF against southpaws, depending on which of the Orioles regular starters struggles more against lefties.

Mayo’s ability to stick at 3B (assuming Westburg can’t avoid surgery) will ultimately determine if Alexander is a regular starter for the majority of 2026. The South Florida native Mayo undoubtedly has higher offensive upside than his fellow Floridian Alexander. Mayo finished last season hitting .301 with a .941 OPS in September, and has carried that hot streak into this Spring Training by hitting .500 with a 1.095 in Grapefruit League play.

The question that will ultimately decide Alexander’s playing time is whether the coaching staff is comfortable with Mayo’s defense at third. New skipper Craig Albernaz has used Mayo almost exclusively at 3B this Spring. And while the 24-year-old seems to be getting a little more comfortable at the hot corner as we get closer to Opening Day, his defense is still noticeably worse than what Westburg and Alexander offer. If Mayo continues to provide passable defense, Alexander returns to the super utility role he was originally intended to play. If not, Alexander could find himself as the regular starting 3B going forward.

FanGraphs and Baseball Reference both project Alexander to set career highs in games played and plate appearances with the O’s this season. Last year with the Diamondbacks, the 26-year-0ld played in 74 games and registered 266 PAs. FanGraphs projects Alexander to play in 117 games with 459 PAs. Baseball Reference is slightly less aggressive with its projections, projecting Alexander to compile 352 PAs in 2026—a number more in line with what we’ve seen from Ramón Urías the last two seasons. The full projections are as follows

• FanGraphs ZiPS: 459 PAs, .237/.322/.369, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 2.1 fWAR
• Baseball Reference: 352 PAs, .245/.326/.387, 9 HR, 39 RBI

The Orioles don’t need Alexander to become a completely different player than what he showed in Arizona. They acquired him to be a more defensively versatile Jorge Mateo and provide the O’s much-needed infield depth. If he can do that while providing some offensive value against LHPs, he’ll more than earn his spot on the roster. In fact, Baltimore would probably prefer that Alexander not be forced to assume a bigger role, because that’d mean either Mayo made a significant leap defensively or Westburg avoided surgery.

And yet, we can also hold out hope that Alexander will become the unexpected, unsung hero of the 2026 Orioles. We’ve seen players like Mateo, Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano all take advantage of unexpected playing time to carve out bigger roles on Orioles teams of yesteryears. There’s no reason Alexander can’t be that player for this year’s Orioles.