Baltimore Orioles: DJ Stewart will force his way into the lineup

Given the opportunity to play this year, DJ Stewart has finally found his groove and is going to force his way into the lineup next year for the Baltimore Orioles.

He began the year with seventeen hitless at-bats. His first hit of the season was a home run off of Gerrit Cole and for good measure, he followed that up with a long ball in his next at-bat as well. DJ Stewart may have taken a little while to warm up, though now he is showing the Baltimore Orioles what he is capable of.

The former first-round pick in 2015 has been in the big leagues for parts of the last two seasons, with middling success.

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This year is a different story. After the slow start, his bat has started to get hot and he is showing some pop. Take out the streak at the beginning of the season where he wasn’t hitting and he’d have a respectable average. As it is, he is hitting .230. His OPS is .988, on the strength of seven home runs and twelve walks in 75 plate appearances.

He has forced his way in the lineup with the power stretch he has put together. From September 5-9, Stewart hit five home runs in four games. He had eight hits and scored eight runs during that span as well.

Stewart went from hitting lower in the lineup to hitting in the three-hole. The showcase has allowed the Orioles brass to see him and what he can offer to the team in the future. Not only has he forced his way in the lineup, but he is also making a strong case to be on the roster when the team breaks camp next year.

Playing right field and blocked from the lineup by a healthy Anthony Santander, maybe DJ Stewart finds his way on the team as the designated hitter.

Regardless of where he plays, if he continues to smack the ball around like he has, finding playing time won’t be a problem for DJ Stewart.