The Baltimore Orioles are among the greatest stories of 2023 and beyond, according to one baseball writer.
One baseball writer thinks the Baltimore Orioles are one of his favorite baseball stories of 2023—from tanking to winning.
And according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, things will only get better in 2024, starting with the young players the Orioles have been assembling over the last few years.
“They’re a team to watch not just in 2024 but in the years to come with guys like Ashley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Anthony Santander,” Rosenthal stated on his program Fair Territory.
“They’re a team to watch not just in 2024 but in the years to come with guys like Ashley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Anthony Santander,” Rosenthal stated on his program Fair Territory.
The Orioles just had a 101-win season in which they defeated the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series but won the AL East.
However, it was a significant departure from the Orioles’ situation a few seasons prior.
The Orioles’ intention to “tank” and improve through player acquisition and the draft led to a steep decline in team performance in 2018. They had a 47-115 record that season, finishing 61 games behind the leaders in the AL West.
After hiring Brandon Hyde as manager in 2019, the Orioles saw very modest improvement over the following three seasons, going 54-108 in 2019, 25-35 in 2020, and 52-110 in 2021.
Still, he and Mike Elias, the general manager, adhered to the plan. The O’s had improved to 83-79 in 2022 before to this year’s breakthrough.
Rosenthal remarked, “This team has done some great things under Brandon Hyde and Mike Elias.”
These days, the Orioles have a youthful, talented club that includes AL Rookie of the Year Henderson, a Silver Slugger in the field, and pitcher Kyle Bradish, who finished fourth in the Cy youthful vote.
Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser, two of the best outfield prospects in the game, are blocked by Anthony Santander and his gang of outfielders, who are still under team control.
Additionally, shortstop Jackson Holliday, baseball’s top prospect, is sitting tight for the upcoming campaign.
The Orioles are here to stay, according to Rosenthal.
“The Orioles did a great job,” Rosenthal exclaimed. “It’s good to see Baltimore back to life.”