2023 Was A Job Well Done, Orioles
The Orioles were swept by the Texas Rangers in the ALDS this week. Texas exposed Baltimore’s inexperience and demolished them; in fact, the whole AL East was pretty bad in regard to the postseason.
However, I will not slander this Orioles team; 101 wins is an achievement. Now, did they overachieve? Yes. Will they regress? Probably. Will they be back? Yes. The building blocks they have will keep them competitive for years to come. Texas, on the other hand, set its sights on the ALCS versus the Houston Astros.
Baltimore was swept for the first time all season in this ALDS. It was the first time they’ve gotten swept in a series with Adley Rutschman on the roster since his call-up in 2021–91 straight series. The Orioles were the No. 1 team in the American League and went winless in October. How did this happen?
Postseason Pain
Baltimore was absolutely amazing all season. Furthermore with production from Rutschman, who had a really good first full season in the big leagues, becoming an All-star. Anthony Santander led the team in home runs and RBIs, and Gunnar Henderson became the favorite to win AL Rookie of The Year after a tremendous first year. Besides Santander and Henderson, the rest of the offense went quiet all series. Some flash-in-the-pan performances like Aaron Hicks had a five-RBI game, and Jorge Mateo had a four-hit game in October; otherwise, main guys like Rutschman went 1-for-12, Cedric Mullins 0-for-12, Ryan Mountcastle, and Austin Hays went 1-for-11. Those four combined for 15 strikeouts through the three-game series.
The pitching, mainly the back-end bullpen, was what put the Orioles into the next gear. Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano were nails this season, being that 8th- and 9th-inning duo every team would love to have. Unfortunately, 2025 will be the next time we see that duo together again with Bautista going down before the postseason with Tommy John Surgery.
Quite frankly, Bautista may not have been a game-changer in this series, being that the Orioles led for only one inning this series. The pitching could not handle that elite Rangers offense with a team ERA well over seven. In addition, I will highlight Kyle Bradish’s nine-strikeout performance and Cionel Perez not allowing any runs for being the sole diamonds in that staff this series.
Discussing the Rangers for a second, they seem to be that team that’s got hot at the right time this October. Moreover, my early concerns for this team have been non-existent, and I am pulling for them to head to the World Series. An overall shaky bullpen is irrelevant if your offense can give you a five-plus run lead on a nightly basis. Will they keep it up? That remains to be seen.
But the main takeaway for the Orioles going into the offseason is that this team is ready for some outside help. This team has done a tremendous job with the rebuild; now it’s time for some moves. Starting pitching will be a vital part of their off-season strategy.
I hope getting that top-level arm to cement that top half of the rotation will work wonders. Also, signing some veterans with playoff experience to mentor the young core for more October runs. Most importantly, KEEP BUILDING THAT CORE, with the studs in Rutschman and Henderson already producing the way they are, and other top-of-the-line prospects like Jackson Holiday making their way up in the next few years. Baltimore may see more 100-win seasons than not for the next decade.
Altogether, the Baltimore Orioles have given fans a reason for hope and optimism again in Camden Yards with their turnaround from one of the worst to one of the best teams in baseball. While getting swept stings in the short term, the potential long-term success of this team going forward may very well outweigh this postseason result.
With the right moves, this team can be special for many years; hard to imagine they screw it up. Job well done Baltimore, well done indeed.
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