Baltimore — In 2022, the young Orioles showed promise by winning 83 games and making a run at the postseason. They made their full appearance in ’23, capturing the American League East with 101 victories.
But after a pleasant season, everyone connected to Baltimore—general manager Mike Elias, manager Brandon Hyde, players, coaches, and others—left with a bad taste in their mouths. This is due to the O’s three-game loss to the Rangers in the American League Division Series during their first postseason trip since 2016.
Most Orioles players, if you ask around, probably still haven’t really moved on from it. It didn’t sit well with them to not even win one postseason game since they genuinely thought they were World Series candidates.
Baltimore will be searching for more in 2024. The Orioles aim to continue playing well into October and the first few days of November.
Taking the next step and making progress in the postseason is what’s important to us right now, Hyde stated at the Winter Meetings in early December. “I believe that our soldiers will arrive quite hungry. Our guys are going to be incredibly driven this year, based on our limited conversations with a few of them during the offseason thus far. We had a terrific time there, but we want to do even better.
As we approach a new year, let’s speculate about what the Orioles might experience in 2024.
Elias has stated time and time again that he wants to improve Baltimore’s rotation for the 2024 campaign by bringing in a starting pitcher of major league caliber. Although free agents are still being signed, Baltimore has not seen much success this summer.
Because so many teams have been offering big contracts, the starting position has become somewhat of an expensive market. That’s why it still appears more likely that the Orioles will make a deal to acquire a new rotation piece. Their stacked farm system is full of great position-player prospects that they can utilize as trade pieces, and there are still whispers circling starters like Dylan Cease of the White Sox and Corbin Burnes of the Brewers.
Throughout the 2023 season, Rodriguez—who saw two very different big league stints this year—improved more than any other pitcher on the Orioles’ staff.
A first-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, Rodriguez made a good Major League debut on April 5 against the Rangers, giving up two earned runs in five innings. However, he struggled in his first ten starts, compiling a 7.35 ERA, which resulted in his demotion back to Triple-A Norfolk in late May. Rodriguez pitched to a 2.58 ERA in 13 second-half starts after arriving back in Baltimore on July 17. He has significantly improved since then.
The 24-year-old right-hander, who was once a top prospect, has amazing pure stuff and ace potential. In 2024, he might make a noteworthy sophomore performance.
The 20-year-old Holliday is the top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and he has a good chance of breaking camp with a major league team during Spring Training. Elias stated that there is “definitely a very strong possibility” that Holliday will be added to the Orioles roster for Opening Day during the Winter Meetings.
Holliday, who is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, rose quickly through Baltimore’s farm system in 2023, appearing in 18 games at Triple-A Norfolk after playing at all four of the team’s full-season Minor League affiliates.
The son of former All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday is about to make his big league debut despite only having played in 145 Minor League games. It is anticipated to occur in 2024, possibly even on March 28 at Camden Yards on Opening Day.
With five teams in the AL East, the division is formidable, and by 2024, all five will have realistic hopes of making the postseason. Even though the Orioles are the current champs, the Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees are always tough opponents to beat.
But Baltimore’s young core, which includes players like infielder Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman, is just going to grow better. The O’s seem destined for long-term success, so it would be shocking to see them go from being the best team in the AL to missing the postseason.
Will it be the Orioles’ next over 100-game winning streak? That might be difficult. Given that four clubs have won the AL East championship in the previous six seasons, it’s also possible that they won’t win the division again. Baltimore, however, will make consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 1996 and 1997 because it has too much skill to miss October.