The Orioles found themselves back in the MLB Postseason for the first time in seven years in 2023 after Baltimore’s crop of young talent took major steps forward. And armed with a deep farm system, the O’s could be here to stay for the forseeable future. Here’s our recap of the Orioles’ 2023 season.
Related: 2023 MLB Season Recap: Atlanta Braves
The Offensive Numbers
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 807 | 7th |
| Home Runs | 183 | 17th |
| OPS | .742 | 14th |
| Whiff% | 25.0% | 13th |
| Hard Hit% | 40.8% | 8th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 3.91 | 7th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 3.55 | 5th |
| Strikeouts | 1,431 | 13th |
| Whiff% | 26.0% | 15th |
| Chase% | 29.0% | 15th |
The Good
The Orioles offense ranked among the top ten in the league in terms of runs scored. That was thanks to a deep lineup led by young stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, the latter of whom will likely win the AL Rookie of the Year.
Rutschman was a steady presence atop the lineup, as he posted a .374 OBP, hit 20 home runs and 52 extra-base hits, and played in 154 of 162 games. Henderson hit 28 home runs and 82 RBI for the Birds.
Aside from those two, Baltimore received a 28-home run season from Anthony Santander and even got good production from Ryan O’Hearn and Aaron Hicks — cast off from AL rivals prior to their arrival in Baltimore.
On the pitching side of things, the O’s received breakout campaigns from Tyler Wells, Kyle Bradish, and Grayson Rodriguez.
Wells had a strong first half but gassed out as the year went on. Bradish and Rodriguez, though, picked up the slack in the second. The two finished in the top six of MLB in ERA in the second half, and Bradish (2.34) finished second overall behind Blake Snell.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, rebounded from a tough opening act in the Majors to put up strong numbers (2.58 ERA, 73:21 K:BB through 76.2 IP) from mid-July onward.
Baltimore’s bullpen was also a significant strength. Left-handers Cionel Perez and Danny Coulombe both delivered strong results, while Yennier Cano morphed into an elite set-up man. Closer Felix Bautista proved to be an electrifying arm, as he recorded 33 saves and struck out an astonishing 110 batters over 61 innings.
Unfortunately for the Orioles, Baltimore won’t be able to rely on Bautista in 2024. The hard-throwing righty underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2023 and will likely be unavailable for all of next season.
The Bad
There weren’t a whole of negatives to take away from the Orioles’ 2023 campaign, aside from the team’s quick ouster from the playoffs.
However, the O’s didn’t get much in offensive production from either Ramon Urias or Jorge Mateo. Urias hit .264/.328/.375 with four home runs and 29 extra-base hits through 116 games. Mateo, on the other hand, posted a .472 OPS — worst among hitters with at least 250 PA — from May 1 onward.
Outfielder Cedric Mullins spent a good chunk of time on the IL this past year and hit just .233/.305/.416 with 15 home runs over 116 games.
On the pitching side of things, the O’s received mixed results (4.73 ERA, 4.13 WHIP, 157 K over 192 IP) from Kyle Gibson. Trade Deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty struggled in his time with Baltimore, as he gave up 26 earned runs over 34.2 IP.
What to Look For in 2024
Even though Baltimore ended 2023 with the best record in the AL, the Orioles failed to win the team’s first playoff games in nine years in the ALDS. Baltimore lost a close one in Game 1 before being outscored 18-9 in the final two contests by a powerhouse Rangers offense.
Baltimore will return a strong offense yet again, one that will likely include Jackson Holliday at some point in 2024. The superstar shortstop prospect rocketed up the Minors in 2023 and seems poised at some point to join Gunnar Henderson on the left side of the infield.
There are, however, some questions the O’s will need to answer this winter. One, will Baltimore look to add another starter for 2024. Aside from Bradish and Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, and John Means are all options for the rotation in 2024. Right-hander Kyle Gibson is set to hit the market.
This year’s free agent market does include a number of talented starters, but could Baltimore draw from a deep prospect crop to trade for a pitcher will controlability?
Second, would the O’s consider dealing a piece from the team’s lineup, particularly from the outfield? Baltimore has two premier prospects in Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad, the latter of whom can play first. Hays and Mullins have two years of control left, while switch-hitter has one more left before free agency.
It would be interesting to see whether the O’s would entertain the idea of moving one of those three to accumulate additional assets before Baltimore — a team that hasn’t traditionally had a high payroll — is set to lose them.