Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman’s poor second half cost him 100 points on his season OPS year-over-year. What was .809 in 2023, when he finished ninth for the AL MVP, fell to .709 last season. His second-half decline (hitting .207 with a .585 OPS) puzzled a lot of people and there were a bunch of theories. “I always have confidence in myself,” Rutschman told the media during … [Read more...] about Sunday notes on Rutschman, the new skipper at Norfolk and the Orioles’ payroll
Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson: ‘My number 1 goal is to make a strong playoff push’
In his first two complete seasons, Gunnar Henderson has won American League Rookie of the Year, a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger and last year was voted the starting shortstop for the American League in the All-Star Game. He also finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player voting. But Henderson has fallen short of an important objective — to play for a team that’s made a deep … [Read more...] about Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson: ‘My number 1 goal is to make a strong playoff push’
Orioles’ 2025 draft could benefit the team in several ways
When free agency began after the 2024 World Series, the Orioles had hopes to retain ace pitcher Corbin Burnes, slugging outfielder Anthony Santander, or both. Now that both are gone, they did leave the team with one thing: a draft pick. The O’s got two compensation picks for losing those players. So, they have selections No. 19, which is their own first-round pick, and No. 30 … [Read more...] about Orioles’ 2025 draft could benefit the team in several ways
O’Hearn on ’25 Orioles: ‘Félix Bautista is back … a massive thing’
One of the best acquisitions made by executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias during his tenure was purchasing the contract of Ryan O’Hearn from Kansas City in early 2023. Though O’Hearn was soon dropped from the 40-man roster, fortunately for Elias, he wasn’t claimed, and despite starting the 2023 season at Triple-A Norfolk, quickly made his way to the Orioles and … [Read more...] about O’Hearn on ’25 Orioles: ‘Félix Bautista is back … a massive thing’
Can the Orioles beat the Yankees in the AL East? This projection system says yes
Here is something interesting. At a time when Birdland has been debating whether the Orioles added enough talent this winter to contend for an American League East championship and 2025 playoff berth, one projection system sees the Birds as rather formidable. The fact that it is the PECOTA projection system is a bit of a surprise. Over many years PECOTA’s algorithm has not been … [Read more...] about Can the Orioles beat the Yankees in the AL East? This projection system says yes