The Baltimore Orioles are on the cusp of a historic turnaround, with much of the future yet to show!
Baseball is finally back in Baltimore! After a seemingly endless off-season, the Orioles look to end a postseason drought that dates back to 2016. And the way things are shaping up so far, there is a really solid chance that they will make it happen.
For the past 5 years, going to Orioles games has been more of a way to kill time than anything, but now these games have meaning, and the city is starting to understand it once again. This is especially thanks to help from General Manager Mike Elias.
Elias took over the position of General Manager in November of 2018 and has had no major errors in his tenure so far. His first draft class as GM back in 2019 was arguably one of the best ever, including both Adley Rutschman (who will be discussed later) and Gunnar Henderson who both became top prospects in the league. He also has made many trades that people originally disliked, but have paid off greatly, with players like Kyle Bradish, a solid second-year starter who was traded for Dylan Bundy, who struggled greatly after being traded to the Los Angeles Angels. In case you need more examples of how this team came from nowhere, here is a list of notable players and how they got to Baltimore:
Ryan Mountcastle: The 36th pick in the 2015 draft, Mountcastle was picked when Chris Davis was on a tear (before he had one of the worst seasons in MLB history) and in 2020 was regarded as the number 96 prospect in baseball. Mountcastle got called up in the short season of 2020 and almost won Rookie of the Year for the American League. So far this year, he has a batting average of .239 and 36 RBI.
Cedric Mullins: The saying “every pick counts” is one that people don’t really take too seriously, but Cedric Mullins is actively proving that statement correct. Drafted 403rd overall in the 2015 draft, Mullins had little to no expectations to be anything special, but nobody could have been any more incorrect. In 2021, Mullins made history as the first Oriole to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season, and although he has slowed down since then, he is a great fielder and is more than capable of doing damage at the plate
Cionel Perez: a 26-year-old pitcher from Cuba, who had gone undrafted and signed internationally. Perez bounced around with the Astros and Reds for a few years before signing with the O’s. Prior to joining the club, he was a mediocre relief pitcher at best. However, last season he had put up a 1.40 ERA, meaning that he was pretty much lights out all year and one of the most reliable arms for later in the game.
Yennier Cano: Who is this guy? Seriously, who is he? Arguably the best and most reliable arm in the bullpen this year legitimately came out of nowhere and is on pace to have a historic season as well as fitting the Baltimore theme of turning things around. In 14 appearances so far, he has thrown 18.2 innings, he has only given up THREE HITS, ZERO WALKS, and has an opponent batting average of 0.054! UNREAL. And what’s even crazier about this historic start is the fact that last season he put up an 11.5 ERA with the same amount of appearances… huh? What is even more impressive is that he was a throw-in for a trade from the Orioles’ former star closer Jorge Lopez. And to make things even crazier, he was banned from playing baseball for over a year!
Felix Bautista: “Get ready to set your clocks back to mountain time!” said Orioles legend, Ben McDonald before every Bautista appearance. Felix is another great story about how the Orioles have “struck oil” with young players getting second opportunities. Bautista was originally an international signing for the Miami Marlins, but was released after a season due to his lack of command. However, Orioles scouts and executives couldn’t not give the 6’8 flamethrower another shot. They worked lots on his command and mechanics, and in 2022, was added to the 40-man roster; and boy did he not disappoint. With a 2.29 ERA, he was one of the most reliable relief pitchers in the entire league last season. And had also won AL relief pitcher of the month in April!
Elias has also made many phenomenal smaller moves for the Orioles in the past seasons, and completely fixed our farm system. From having one of the worst in baseball when he arrived, to having by far the strongest for almost three years. The Birds now have eight prospects in the top 100, and two in the top 10! But what is even more impressive about this feat is that the O’s are keeping up with top teams like the Rays, Braves, Dodgers, and Blue Jays, all while still having the best future set up for them.
Notable players currently in the Orioles Farm System:
Jackson Holliday (2022): The number one overall pick in the 2022 draft was certainly the correct one. Regarded as one of the top draft prospects and top of his class, Mike Elias couldn’t help but jump on the opportunity to select first. A stellar fielder with a great arm, and a phenomenal bat. Holliday has already been called up to High A Aberdeen in the beginning of his first full season. He is also expected to cruise through the Orioles system and be in AA Bowie by the end of this year. Holliday is also listed as the number three prospect in all of baseball right now, and is showing his worth by hitting a career .361 in the minors so far.
Colton Cowser: Selected 5th overall in the 2021 draft from Sam Houston State, Colton Cowser was regarded as the best college hitter in the draft. Cowser is currently in AAA and proving his worth as the number 31 prospect in the game!
Jordan Westburg: the 50th overall prospect who has been on fire to start his year. The utility-infielder is slashing .323 with 12 home runs. He is also expected to be called up this year but not with guaranteed playing time, and here’s why.
The Orioles are remarkably deep: As previously mentioned, this team has the number one farm system. And they have that title with lots of room to spare. Top outfield prospect Colton Cowser is due for the call, but the O’s have such a loaded team in the bigs that there really isn’t any room for him. And when there wouldn’t be, the players on the bench become so reliable that they earn their spot to stay up longer. And for reference to how good the farm system is, the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles’ triple A affiliate, has put up THREE games this season with at least 20 runs scored, and are in first place by EIGHT GAMES!
As people are starting to realize that this team is on the right track it is going to end up having such a positive impact on the city of Baltimore as a whole as well. On March 28th, of 1984. John Irsay with a prominent Baltimore Colts team, left the city overnight to move to Indianapolis without warning. This left the charm city without a football team. Only the Orioles remained, meaning that for twelve years, the Orioles had established Baltimore as a baseball city, and created an iconic fanbase. This franchise has had its share of ups and downs, but they have found a major “up” in its newfound star, Adley Rutschman.
The first player that one would think of when talking about the Orioles this year would be Adley Rutschman, and with good reason too. In just his second season, and first full year, he is already hitting with a .276 batting average, a .400 on-base percentage, and a .827 OPS.
And those are only his offensive stats. Defensively he is also arguably the best fielding catcher in the league, per Baseball Reference, so trying to steal a base on him is certainly a bad idea. Along with his all-around play on the field, he has single-handedly changed the clubhouse culture and is drastically improving the projections of the Orioles. Prior to his debut last season, the team was 16-24, and since he got the call, the team finished the season at 83-79. A historic turnaround. But let’s not forget that he even made individual players even better, player’s individual stats were beginning to climb again, and you could identify players that fans want to keep on the team during their playoff years in the future. Winning is fun, and losing is not, and the birds seem to be having more fun than not recently. The teams dugout has also put that into almost a challenge. In recent years, teams across the league have a celebration that progressively gets more and more over the top, from the Angels’ samurai hat, to the Blue Jays’ jacket and sombrero, the team needed to find something that could top these all… WATER! The team decided that they would have water-themed celebrations for hits that they collect: Hitting a single, twisting the faucet to turn it on. Doubles/Triples: turning on the sprinkler system!
With the incredible addition of this unique celebration, it is only natural that the Orioles PR team dedicates a section of the ballpark known as “The Bird Bath” that gets sprayed with water after every extra-base hit. How can you not love the changing culture of Baltimore Baseball?!
My prediction for this season; the Orioles are finally good again, fans can have expectations, tickets will be sold, and games will be won. However, we shouldn’t get too excited about things just yet. This team is still incredibly young, and they still have the second toughest schedule in the league according to opponents winning percentage. This team is also one that is coming off of its first winning season since 2017. So people should definitely lower their expectations for this season and not expect to win a world series, but not count out a playoff run. With that being said, fans should not be upset if the Birds don’t go super far into the postseason, considering how far the team has come in recent years, as well as the blindingly bright future that lays ahead for the team.
MOOSE PRINTS 