BALTIMORE -- The upstart Orioles flashed potential in 2022, winning 83 games and flirting with postseason contention. They fully arrived in ¡®23, notching 101 victories and winning the American League East in impressive fashion.
However, everybody associated with Baltimore -- general manager Mike Elias, manager Brandon Hyde, players, coaches and more -- came out of a fun season with a sour taste left in their mouths. That¡¯s because in the O¡¯s first postseason appearance since 2016, they got swept in three games by the Rangers in the American League Division Series.
Ask around and most members of the Orioles likely still haven¡¯t entirely moved past it. They truly believed they were World Series contenders, so not even winning one postseason game didn¡¯t sit well with them.
In 2024, Baltimore will be looking for more. The O¡¯s want to play deep into October and into the early days of November.
¡°For us, now it¡¯s taking that next step and being able to advance in the postseason,¡± Hyde said during the Winter Meetings in early December. ¡°I think our guys are going to come in really, really hungry. Just talking to some of them briefly throughout this offseason so far, our guys are going to be really driven this year. That was a great experience for us, but we want to go further.¡±
With a new year on the horizon, let¡¯s look ahead to what 2024 could bring for the Orioles.
Biggest question to answer before Spring Training: How will the O¡¯s upgrade their rotation?
Elias has repeatedly made it known he¡¯d like to add a big league-caliber starting pitcher to upgrade Baltimore¡¯s rotation for the 2024 season. Free-agent pitchers continue to come off the board, but nothing has materialized so far this offseason for Baltimore.
The market for starters has been a bit pricey, as quite a few teams have been giving out lucrative deals. Because of that, it still seems more likely that the Orioles acquire a new rotation piece by way of a trade. They have a glut of talented position-player prospects in their stacked farm system to use as trade chips, and starters such as White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease and Brewers righty Corbin Burnes continue to be involved in rumors.
One player poised to have a breakout season: RHP Grayson Rodriguez
No pitcher on the Orioles¡¯ staff showed more improvement over the course of the 2023 season than Rodriguez, who had two vastly different stints in the big leagues this year.
Rodriguez, a first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, had a promising Major League debut on April 5 (two earned runs over five innings against the Rangers), but he struggled to the tune of a 7.35 ERA over his first 10 starts, leading to a demotion back to Triple-A Norfolk in late May. After Rodriguez returned to Baltimore on July 17, he was much improved and pitched to a 2.58 ERA in 13 second-half starts.
Rodriguez has ace potential as a former top prospect, and the 24-year-old right-hander has tremendous pure stuff. He could have a special sophomore showing in 2024.
Prospect to watch in 2024: INF Jackson Holliday
All eyes will be on the 20-year-old Holliday in Spring Training, as MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 1 overall prospect will have a legitimate chance to break camp with the big league team. In fact, Elias said during the Winter Meetings there¡¯s ¡°definitely a very strong possibility¡± that Holliday could make the Orioles¡¯ Opening Day roster.
Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, had a meteoric rise through Baltimore¡¯s farm system in ¡®23, playing at all four full-season Minor League affiliates and finishing the season with an 18-game stint at Triple-A Norfolk.
Despite having only 145 games of Minor League experience under his belt, the son of former All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday is on the cusp of his big league debut. It should happen in 2024 -- and maybe even on Opening Day on March 28 at Camden Yards.
One prediction for the new year: The Orioles will reach the postseason again in 2024
The AL East is a juggernaut division, and all five teams will have legitimate postseason aspirations heading into 2024. The Orioles may be the reigning champions, but it¡¯s never easy to compete with the Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees.
Baltimore¡¯s young core -- a group featuring catcher Adley Rutschman, infielder Gunnar Henderson and more -- is only getting better, though. It would be quite surprising to see the O¡¯s go from being the AL¡¯s top team to missing the postseason when they appear set up for long-term success.
Will the Orioles win more than 100 games again? That could be tough. It¡¯s also possible they won¡¯t repeat as division champions, considering four teams have won an AL East title over the past six seasons. But Baltimore has too much talent to not make it to October, so it will earn consecutive postseason berths for the first time since 1996 and ¡®97.