New arrival Corbin Burnes will anchor a rotation hoping to see Kyle Bradish and John Means return in the first half of the season.
The Orioles blew by projections in almost every facet last season, and the rotation was no exception. Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez developed into frontline starters, and veteran Kyle Gibson performed admirably while mentoring Baltimore’s young arms. Tyler Wells shined in the first half before running out of gas, and Dean Kremer flourished in a make or break type of season.
Of course, it wasn’t all roses on the mound. Rodriguez failed to make the Opening Day roster and struggled during his first stint with the team. Offseason acquisition Cole Irvin fell short of expectations, and trade deadline arrival Jack Flaherty disappointed for the duration of the second half.
Mike Elias rolled the dice with Irvin and Flaherty, but he made what should be a “sure thing” type of move last month. Baltimore brought in Corbin Burnes to anchor a rotation filled with talent. The move became even more significant after the Orioles announced a pair of presumed starters would miss the beginning of the season.
The New Ace on the Block
Burnes arrived in Baltimore with a Cy Young already under his belt. The former Brewer earned the award in 2021 after leading the National League with a 2.43 ERA and 1.63 FIP. He led the NL with 243 strikeouts in 2022, and posted a league best 1.069 WHIP as a starter last season. He’s unquestionably one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he represented the Brewers in the last three Midsummer Classics.
Burnes is the type of pitcher that Orioles fans have wanted for years. The Orioles surrendered DL Hall, Joey Ortiz and a first round pick for the righty despite his pending free agency in 2025. Burnes will aim to generate as much buzz as possible heading into the offseason, while the Birds hope to ride him deep into the postseason. Who knows, maybe the new ownership group will pony up for a new contract this winter.
The Injured Starters
Bradish would have had a case to start on Opening Day after finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting last season. Baltimore announced on the first day of spring training that Bradish would begin the season on the injured list with a sprained UCL. The simple mention of those three letters immediately generated concerns, but the righty has dodged Tommy John surgery to this point.
Bradish received a platelet-rich plasma injection to treat the injury, and the Orioles shared that initial results were positive. Elias said last week that Bradish remained on track. The 27-year-old will likely need at least a month to ramp up after returning to his baseline, but Memorial Day remains a reasonable target if he does not face a setback.
John Means finally returned last September after undergoing Tommy John in 2022. The lefty made four appearances but missed the ALDS with elbow soreness. Means complained of arm fatigue during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, so the Orioles are doing everything they can to set Means up for success this year.
Baltimore held Means back this spring in an effort to provide extra rest. Elias recently told reporters that he expects Means and Bradish to pitch in “the front end of the season.”
The Best of the Rest
With respect to Bradish, Rodriguez may hold the greatest long-term upside of the bunch. The 24-year-old made the most of his time in Triple-A last season and returned to the big leagues ready to pitch. He posted a 5-2 record, 2.48 ERA and 1.096 WHIP in the second half. Rodriguez struggled in his first postseason start, but it’s a safe bet that the flame thrower will be ready to perform this October.
Kremer posted an impressive 13-5 record and a 4.12 ERA over 172.2 innings last season. His 100 ERA+ was indicative of a completely average starting pitcher. That’s more than fine for a fifth starter, but the Orioles will need Kremer’s best while Bradish and Means work toward a return.
Tyler Wells gave his best during the first half with a 3.18 ERA over 104.1 innings. Wells hit a wall last season, and he suffered a pair of injuries during the second half of 2022. The former Rule 5 pick has consistently done whatever he can to help the team, but he’ll need a fresh arm to complement his healthy attitude in 2024. Originally destined for the bullpen, Wells will have an opportunity to prove he can hang in the rotation for the duration of the season.
Irvin will get another crack at the rotation after starting 12 games last year. His numbers improved as a swingman in the second half, but he’s another guy with a golden opportunity this spring. Irvin is out of minor league options and will likely return to a long-relief role if he struggles in the rotation.
The Prospects
Chayce McDermott, Cade Povich, Seth Johnson and Justin Armbruester could all debut at some point this season. Brandon Hyde referred to McDermott and Povich as “a phone call away” after the pair were optioned to minor league camp in Sarasota.