The Baltimore Orioles had themselves yet another winning week. This week, the O’s went 3-2 including a split with the Toronto Blue Jays after game 2 was postponed due to inclement weather, and a series win over the Seattle Mariners. What started out as another slow week offensively for the O’s, the bats were finally able to find some consistency and explosiveness against the Mariners, as they averaged 6 runs a game in the 3-game series.
Pitching continued to look solid for the Orioles this week. If the team can continue their stretch of strong pitching, and add consistent offense to the mix, the O’s could see some great results during one the most grueling stretches of the season through the next 1.5 months. Let’s take a look at this week’s who’s hot and who’s not:
Batting
Who’s Hot: Gunnar Henderson
The 2023 AL Rookie of the Year, and potential 2024 MVP frontrunner, Gunnar Henderson, continued his strong start to the season. After a slow start to the week against the Blue Jays, Henderson homered in 3 straight games to end the week. Those 3 home runs helped catapult Henderson into a tie for the major league lead in that category.
Henderson continues to prove that he is a cornerstone player for the Orioles and arguably one of the top players in the entire league. A true 5-tool player, Gunnar continued to impress on the defensive side of the ball too, turning double plays on a nightly basis and making tough plays look routine. At this rate, Henderson can expect a big pay-day in the near future, as O’s fans continue to call for the team to make one of the best young stars in the game a household name for many years to come.
Weekly Stats: .263 Avg / 3 HR / 4 RBI / 3 BB / 3 K / 0 2B / 0 3B / 14 Total Bases / 1 SB
Who’s Not: Ryan Mountcastle
There were high hopes for Ryan Mountcastle coming into the week, as he has completely dominated the Blue Jays in recent years. Some could say that Mountcastle’s dominance over the Blue Jays trumps that of any other player against a single team recently. However, things did not go as planned for Ryan. He struggled to get on base all week, going just 1-16 and not walking a single time. The one bright side for Ryan was that he only struck out 3 times. Although he is putting the ball in play, he could not find a way to get on base this week.
Ryan has been a great part of this Orioles team and will continue to be for some time. Every player is bound to go through some cold spells, so there should be no room for concern here. Look for Mountcastle to bounce back next week.
Weekly Stats: .063 Avg / 0 HR / 0 RBI / 0 BB / 3 K / 0 2B / 0 3B / 1 Total Bases / 0 SB
Pitching
Who’s Hot: Corbin Burnes
There is no denying that Corbin Burnes is an established ace. Hands down a top 3 pitcher in baseball at the moment. However, in recent games, we have seen some frustration from Burnes. Not because of his own performance, but that of his teammates. Burnes has been dialing up some great starts recently but has not gotten the necessary run support to get the wins he deserves. This was the case again against the Blue Jays, as Burnes pitched 6 innings of 1 run ball, but was unable to register a win, as the O’s lost 3-2.
However, Burnes’ luck changed on Sunday as he, again, pitched 6 innings of 1 run baseball, but this time getting the necessary run support and getting a win against the Mariners. Burnes continues to pitch great this season and could be one of the missing pieces the Orioles have been looking for. With the return of Kyle Bradish, John Means, and now Grayson Rodriguez, the O’s have a plethora of starting pitchers who are playing lights out. This rotation has proved to be one of the toughest to beat in all of baseball, and that all starts with Corbin Burnes.
Weekly Stats: 12 IP / 13 H / 3 BB / 1.50 ERA / 13 K / 1-0
Who’s Not: Yennier Cano
It was not the best week for 2023 All-Star Yennier Cano. In just 1.2 innings, Cano managed to blow a lead and register a loss in two separate games. To his defense, he did record a hold this week, but it was not his sharpest stuff. Typically known to be one of the more reliable arms in the Orioles bullpen, Cano failed to have great control. He walked 2 batters, allowed 3 hits, and struck out none. All of which resulted in 3 earned runs over 1.2 total innings this week.
The Orioles bullpen has been the biggest question mark for the O’s so far this season. With Craig Kimbrel’s recent struggles, the O’s are hoping to rely on Cano in late-game, high-leverage situations. This week was a bit concerning in that regard; however, Cano has still been solid overall this season. To make a deep run this year, the O’s will need solid bullpen play, and Cano knows he plays a large role in that. Look for him to bounce back in a big way this week.
Weekly Stats: 1.1 IP / 3 H / 2 BB / 24.50 ERA / 1 K / 0-1 / 1 Hold / 1 Blown
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