Back in 2003, a Poly Prep senior thanked his parents in the Polyglot yearbook. He listed his activities: captain of the varsity baseball and wrestling teams, Blue Key Society, Umoja, Peer Leadership, Senior Buddy. And then, he closed out his paragraph with a quote:

“This is not the last time you’ll see my name, before it’s all over you’ll see it in lights.” 

From Brooklyn to Baltimore

Twenty-three years later, that kid from Brooklyn fulfilled his own prophecy this fall, reaching one of the top jobs in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jared Banner ’03 was named general manager of the Baltimore Orioles. The team announced the hire on October 19, and officially welcomed Jared in a press conference on October 27.

A Poly Prep Athlete Turned Baseball Executive

A four-year varsity baseball player at Poly, along with wrestling team MVP and team captain of both sports, Jared went on to play varsity baseball at Amherst College. He graduated in 2007, and began his career in professional baseball that same year, earning a fellowship to work in the Red Sox baseball operations department. He worked his way up through scouting and player development in Boston, before joining the Cubs in 2020, where he was eventually promoted to assistant general manager.

A Historic Hire

Now, he’s the general manager of the Orioles, one of MLB’s oldest franchises. His hire in Baltimore comes after 18 years in baseball operations, and it is a historical one. Jared is the first Black general manager in Orioles history, and just the eighth in MLB history. The importance of that is not lost to him.

“I think representation matters,” Jared said. “If there is some little kid in Baltimore that sees me up here and thinks they’re capable of something they might not have thought otherwise. That’s a big responsibility, and something I take a lot of pride in.”

Building for 2027 and Beyond

In Baltimore, Jared will work alongside president of baseball operations Mike Elias, overseeing players, coaches, player development, performance, and healthcare. Elias made clear how highly he regards him.

“Jared has been one of the rising talents in our league for some time now,” Elias said in a statement. “He has demonstrated success running multiple different departments and has worked alongside some of the best people and front office talent in the league across multiple stops. He is a perfect fit to grow, evolve and improve the Orioles’ baseball operations, and I look forward to working with him very closely as we build for 2027 and beyond.”

Leading with Discomfort

Jared spoke candidly about the challenge ahead. The Orioles finished 79-82 in 2026, their second straight season out of the playoffs. He also described his approach to leadership, one that echos the Courageous Leader ethos from Poly’s Portrait of a Graduate:

“I think if you talk to people around the game, they will tell you that I’m always willing to challenge others,” Jared said. “And I am always willing to get uncomfortable. [We] are going to have to have some uncomfortable conversations at times, and there is going to be some tension. And that is what you need to do. You need to challenge all your processes in order to get better.”

The word Jared kept returning to was discomfort, and he said it the way some executives say “opportunity.” He plans to question deeply, listen broadly, and examine every assumption the organization holds, including his own. That posture, more than any single trade or signing, may define his tenure. The Orioles are looking for answers, and a fan base that has waited a long time for them deserves someone willing to persist through the hard conversations and keep closing the distance between what the team is and what it could be. By his own account, Jared is ready to do exactly that.