This was supposed to be the year that Heston Kjerstad finally broke out on the big league stage. He made the Orioles’ Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, and although the team’s outfield was packed with options, he was still poised to get plenty of opportunities. Instead, the 26-year-old struggled mightily and now his entire future is up in the air.

Kjerstad has not had an easy path to this point. Drafted in 2020, his professional debut was delayed until 2022 due to a battle with myocarditis. Despite that, he would eventually show why he was once the second overall pick, rocketing through the Orioles farm system and making his big league debut late in 2023. He entered 2024 as a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball, and finally got an extended opportunity in late June. The n

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