This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it frequently in your inbox.
BALTIMORE — From 2012-16, no group within the American League received extra video games than the Orioles. They went 444-366 throughout that span, reaching the postseason 3 times. However none of these Baltimore squads received 100 video games in a season.
The 1997 O’s went wire-to-wire within the AL East, main the division from Opening Day till the common season’s closing day. However they didn’t win 100 video games. They went 98-64.
Cal Ripken Jr., the best participant in franchise historical past, was a part of some particular Orioles groups throughout his 21-year profession (1981-2001), all of which was spent in Baltimore. He by no means was a member of a 100-game winner.
This 12 months’s Orioles went 101-61, the fifth-best common season in group historical past and the perfect since 1979 (102-57). They reached the century mark for the primary time since ‘80 (100-62).
Does Baltimore’s budding younger core understand how particular of an achievement it was?
“I really feel prefer it’s laborious to whenever you’re within the midst of it,” rookie infielder Gunnar Henderson mentioned. “However I’m certain the day that we retire and we are able to look again on the seasons, to have the ability to see how uncommon it’s will probably be fairly cool.”
Henderson, 22, isn’t retiring anytime quickly. Neither is 25-year-old catcher Adley Rutschman. Neither is 23-year-old right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. Neither is 24-year-old infielder Jordan Westburg. Neither is 25-year-old left-hander DL Corridor.
These rising stars have solely simply arrived. And with the Orioles within the postseason for the primary time since 2016 — topped AL East champs for the primary time since ‘14 — the kids will probably be spotlighted for a nationwide viewers.
For so long as Baltimore stays alive this October, a well-liked storyline is bound to be how the group reached this stage extra rapidly than many externally thought it will. All people knew normal supervisor Mike Elias and the O’s entrance workplace had been stockpiling younger expertise, however outsiders could not have anticipated all these outcomes as quickly as a handful of prime prospects reached the Majors.
It’s not a shock to the Orioles’ younger core, although. Rutschman, Henderson, Rodriguez and Corridor spent days on the alternate coaching website through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season speaking about what it will be like for them to all attain the large leagues and lead Baltimore to success, and every knew it was potential as soon as they bought there.
Since Rutschman arrived in Could 2022, the O’s haven’t been swept in a collection (an lively streak now at 91 multigame collection). Henderson, who debuted on Aug. 31, 2022, solely is aware of what it’s prefer to be in a postseason hunt — Baltimore fell three video games shy of a Wild Card berth final season.
Coming into 2023, the Orioles knew extra younger expertise was on the way in which to assist. That’s why they may ignore the pundits who projected them to regress as a result of their offseason was “too quiet.”
The extra skilled prospects who opened the 12 months within the Minors — resembling Rodriguez, Westburg and Corridor — had been motivated to get known as up and be part of the enjoyable.
“Within the Minor Leagues, I used to be simply targeted on making an attempt to be part of this group,” mentioned Westburg, who debuted on June 26. “I wasn’t actually serious about something apart from, ‘Man, how unhealthy I wish to stand up there and the way unhealthy I wish to contribute and the way unhealthy I wish to be part of that group.’
“As a result of I may inform one thing was brewing. I may inform that the vitality was totally different in Spring Coaching and that everyone within the clubhouse was targeted on successful ballgames.”
However the purpose is to even be again within the postseason in 2024, after which the years past. As a result of that is the primary journey to October for the Orioles’ rising stars, nevertheless it’s unlikely to be the final.
“Now, there’s no going again,” Rutschman mentioned. “It’s like, ‘You’ve bought to achieve this, as a result of that is the brand new excessive.’”
Added Henderson: “That is what we’re going to anticipate for years to return.”