Opening Day dawned bright for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024. With the Francis Scott Key Bridge in ruins and community severely hampered as a result, Baltimore needed a pick me up. And they got it that day behind new starter Corbin Burnes; the Orioles bludgeoned the LA Angels, in what they hoped set the tone for the season.
And in many ways it did. The Orioles for starters seemed to beat up on every team they saw. They did it with a lot of homers, but they won games. End of the day, that’s what’s important.
However slowly, injuries are away at the Birds. The likes of Kyle Bradish, John Means, and Tyler Wells – all gone. To Tommy John’s. This isn’t to say however that the season went down the pipes. The 2024 Orioles very much had a next man up sort of mentality. However the issue became what happens when the next man up gets hurt also?
Yet, as I said they did win some big games. True to form they took care of business in the AL East, as well as against eventual playoff teams. They took two-of-three from Philadelphia in June, and three-of-four from Texas. They also had a very successful west coast swing around the 4th of July that put them in a good spot going into the break.
However again, injuries are away. Dean Kremer had to spend some time on the IL, as did a few relievers. Closer Craig Kimbrell also struggled to find the strike zone, blowing numerous saves. Jorge Mateo, Ryan Mountcastle, Ramon Urias, and Jordan Westburg all went to the IL. The latter of that group was out for two months. Mateo missed the rest of the season (after the end of July).
The O’s did struggle at times down the stretch. When they went from all-star Jordan Westburg playing third, to Emmanuel Rivera, you thought they could maybe be in trouble. However the division remained close. While the Orioles couldn’t make it over the hump to win the division, they were able to qualify as the top wild card in the playoffs.
And as we know, the Birds were swept out of the postseason by Kansas City. As had happened several times over the course of the season, Oriole bats went silent. The pitching however was about as solid as solid can be. Which is all but pointless, given that they only put up one run in two games. But it was strong.
Where do the Orioles go from here? It’s pointless to wonder what happened, or think it can be fixed overnight. It’s equally as pointless to think there’s a quick fix. Injuries played a role for sure, however with the exception of pitchers the O’s were fairly healthy going into the playoffs.
I would simply tell fans not to lose faith. Look down the road to the Washington Capitals of the NHL. It took them years of having a championship-caliber team before the final made it over the hump. It’s tough to get to that point – the postseason. It’s even tougher to stay there.
This off season is huge for the organization. They’re going to want to keep the likes of Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, the latter of which hit over 40 homers this year. Both are free agents. The O’s can’t afford to lose them.
They also need to add to the roster they have. The fact that they have Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and others is great. But they need more. If Adley Rutschman can come out of his second half slump going into 2025, that’ll put a lot of things to rest.
The story of this season is that injuries took their toll. However hope springs eternal in a few short months. Overall, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that it was a terrible year for the Orioles. They thought it would end differently and in a more prominent manner, yes. But February, Sarasota…hope springs eternal.
Birdland Crush 