The Baltimore Orioles, yes the Orioles, have gotten the attention of all the teams in the league.
If coming off three 100-plus loss seasons is humiliating, finding themselves in the thick of a playoff spot is downright delightful.
We predicted this renaissance of one of the game’s proudest franchises, but few could have foreseen it happening so quickly. Now everyone’s taken notice.
After his team lost to the O’s on Aug. 19, Red Sox manager Alex Cora offered high praise. “They didn’t stop. They were relentless,” he said. “They hit everything. Fastballs, cutters, breaking balls, you name it. We called it, they hit it. They’re a good club. They’re a really good club.”
No one, it seems, is looking forward to playing the Orioles these days.
One can pull out all sorts of stats to build the case as to what makes this team not last year’s team. But as someone who actually watches and chats about this team daily, I’ll refer here to three key components (there are many more) that have allowed them to have one of baseball’s best records since May.
Adley Rutschman
It’s hard to overstate the emerging greatness of Aldey Rutschman, the game’s #1 prospect. His demonstrative enthusiasm for his pitchers when they succeed is utterly child-like—and infectious.
He’s already a superstar in the sport but perhaps more noticeable than his talent is his character. At the Little League Classic, an annual MLB game played before Little Leaguers in Williamsport, PA, throngs of children asked Rutschman for his autograph. Rutschman in turn asked them for theirs.
He is clearly excited less by his success than of those around him. And underneath his phenomenal focus is (one has to look for it) a really good sense of humor. The rare tone he sets is one of discipline and levity.
On the offensive side, an Adley at-bat is a spectacle. The switch hitter’s ability to work a count, including laying off borderline pitches early in the count (i.e., before two strikes) until he can get something to truly drive is phenomenal. The at-bat may end in a double, a walk or an out, but it is guaranteed to be a quality appearance.
On the defensive end Rutschman looks as good, and even better, than most in the league. Since being called up May 21 the catcher’s hands have softened and his pitch framing has gone from good to elite.
Adley Rutschman entered today 11th in strike rate, at 49.2 percent. That will go up with a frame like this one: pic.twitter.com/joUMrDZ6nO
— Zachary Silver (@zachsilver) June 29, 2022
In addition he blocks pitches as well as anyone I’ve seen. In the first inning of an Aug. 19 game against Boston last week, with a runner on third, I watched as Rutschman blocked a slider in the dirt with such calm and skill that the deflection off his chest protector placed the ball in front of him, about a foot up the third base line—in perfect position to greet the base runner should he wish to attempt to run to home plate. (The runner held and the O’s got out of the inning without giving up a run.)
With Rutschman there is never a loss in focus. That puts pressure on opposing teams and instills confidence in O’s pitchers that they can really trust their stuff and pitch aggressively.
Jorge Mateo
Originally drafted by the Yankees in 2012 and then waived by the Padres last year, shortstop Jorge Mateo has impacted the Orioles with his magnificent defense and electric arm. He’ll likely be a Gold Glove candidate and his elite base running has pressured defenses and leads the league in stolen bases. (Teammate Cedric Mullins is second).
How much do the O’s value Mateo? Consider that the current #1 prospect in the game, Gunnar Henderson, groomed as a shortstop and soon to be promoted to Baltimore, has been taking reps at other infield positions.
While Mateo’s season-long offensive numbers might not impress (.235 avg., .283 obp., and .412 slg at the time of this writing) he’s slashed .293/.342/.543 since July 1 and .316/.356/.582 since the All-Star break.
Brandon Hyde
Some of the best coaches in pro sports are not the superstars but the ones who toiled. Hyde, a 48-year-old former catcher and self-described “average to below average minor league player” is one of them. He understands how hard baseball is and what it puts a player through. Hyde and his players, of course, experienced plenty of failure together.
In simple terms, Hyde gets the human dimension of the sport and relates to his players accordingly. They trust him and his motivations. And as the team has grown in confidence (and it’s a very confident team these days) so has Hyde. He seems more comfortable at the helm and in the post-game press room.
He will receive votes for Manager of the Year when all is said and done. (Houston’s Dusty Baker and especially Seattle’s Scott Servais also seem highly deserving.)
Looking ahead, Hyde’s job may get easier. The team he manages will receive a steady flow of elite talent from within the the game’s best system, and GM Mike Elias has vowed to escalate payroll, including through trades and free agency.
The only apparent challenge for Hyde and his O’s seems to be high expectations.
(Featured Image by Ethan Gruber used under CC BY-SA)