Baltimore Orioles outfield Tyler O'Neill is making a strong impression
There is a new power hitter in Baltimore.
Outfielder Tyler O'Neill signed with the Orioles in the offseason and made an immediate impression on fans the moment he arrived at spring training with his muscular physique.
"You know it takes a lot of dedication and effort in the offseason, over multiple months, to see gains, you know? Noticeable gains," O'Neill said.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has noticed.
"He's obviously really strong and he likes to wear tight shirts, so it's noticeable," Hyde said.
"For the record, these are larges, so I am trying to fill those out well," O'Neill said. "I could knock it down to a medium, but I'd probably have to cut the sleeves off."
O'Neill gets his strength from his father, Terry, who was named Mr. Canada in 1975, an honor given to the nation's top bodybuilder. Tyler O'Neill started powerlifting in high school.
"I didn't necessarily do it to become a better baseball player," O'Neill said. "I wanted to be naturally more fit and in better shape. It translated, obviously."
O'Neill hit 31 home runs last season with the Boston Red Sox, which was the second most homers he has hit in a season in his career. In 2021, he hit 34 home runs playing for the Cardinals.
And now he is ready to produce in Baltimore.
O'Neill says the Orioles decision to modify the left field wall was an appealing factor in his decision to sign with the Orioles.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what that looks like in person and I'm looking forward to trying it out when we dive the ball deep into the ballpark, so we'll see what kind of results we can get," O'Neill said.
