Adley and Gunnar are in. Which other O’s should join them in the Midsummer Classic?
Good morning, Camden Chatters, and happy Independence Day.
The fan voting results are in, and Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman have been elected as starters for the American League All-Star team. Now the question is: what other Orioles will join them?
The pitchers and position player reserves will be announced this Sunday, and the Orioles have a plethora of viable options. Among hitters, Jordan Westburg, Ryan O’Hearn, Ryan Mountcastle, and Anthony Santander — each of whom advanced to Phase 2 of the fan voting before losing out — can all make a strong case, especially the former two.
Westburg, who’s having a breakout year in his first full major league season, certainly deserves a bid. He has 13 home runs, an .833 OPS, and a 2.6 fWAR, tied for 12th best among American League position players. What he doesn’t have is one primary position; he was listed on the All-Star ballot as a third baseman but has actually played more second base than third. Still, that shouldn’t prevent him from making the team as an infield reserve, either voted in by the players or selected by the commissioner’s office.
O’Hearn, too, is doing all he can to make the team. He nearly got voted in as the starting DH, finishing just 4% shy of Yordan Alvarez in the Phase 2 voting. He entered last night’s game in Seattle slashing .289/.349/.466 with 10 home runs, and that was before he tagged the excellent Logan Gilbert for both a two-run double and a solo homer.
Among Orioles pitchers, Corbin Burnes should be a slam dunk to make his fourth consecutive All-Star team, and an argument could be made for Grayson Rodriguez, though as of now his numbers aren’t quite as eye-popping as a slew of other AL starting pitchers. And — as funny as this would have sounded in early May — there’s an outside chance that Craig Kimbrel could make it. The nine-time All-Star is second in the AL in saves (playing for a great team helps) and has pitched quite well other than that one-week hiccup that temporarily lost him the closer’s job.
What say you, Camden Chatters? Which Orioles do you think will join Rutschman and Henderson in the All-Star Game?
Links
Orioles advocate for Santander to join Henderson in HR Derby – The Baltimore Sun
Yes, please! Sign me up for watching some Santan-dongs in the Derby.
Adding more talent: What the O’s might do in the upcoming MLB Draft – Steve Melewski
MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis says this year’s draft is “kind of a mess” in the 20 to 40 range, with the O’s picking #22. But if any team can draft some unheralded player and turn him into an All-Star, it’s the Orioles.
Cionel Pérez plays a game of his own in bullpen – MLB.com
Not since the reign of Darren O’Day has an Orioles reliever proven so adept at catching home run balls. Keep doing what you do, Cionel.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only player in Orioles history born on Independence Day was the late Babe Birrer (b. 1929, d. 2013), a right-hander who pitched four games for the O’s in 1956. Longtime owner Peter Angelos was also born on this day, also in 1929. He passed away earlier this year at age 94.
On this day in 1964, the Orioles’ game with the Royals ended in a 6-6 tie after nine innings. The two teams had to stop playing because of an Independence Day fireworks show in Baltimore. What a world! Royals left fielder Manny Jiménez mashed three home runs in the game.
Random Orioles game of the day
For the second straight day, the random number generator has given me the number 1971. Weird. On July 4, 1971, the O’s won their second in a row over the Tigers, 3-2. Mike Cuellar followed in Pat Dobson’s footsteps the day before by throwing a complete game, giving up just two runs. Only one of Cuellar’s 27 outs came on a strikeout. Yeah, it was a different era of baseball. The win was Cuellar’s ninth in a row, improving him to an impressive 12-1. Tigers starter Joe Coleman threw a complete game himself, but gave up a two-run homer to Boog Powell and a solo shot to Elrod Hendricks that provided just enough offense for the Orioles.