There is no questioning what Cal Ripken Jr. meant to the Baltimore Orioles franchise. One of the true legends of the game, Ripken will be forever immortalized by his consecutive game streak and his stature as one of the greatest shortstops in the history of the game.
That did not matter on Thursday. With one swing of the bat, Ryan Mountcastle surpassed Ripken as the franchise’s rookie home run leader.
The greatest power-hitting rookie season in Orioles history belongs to Ryan Mountcastle. pic.twitter.com/XvY5TxpBrx
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 16, 2021
Ryan Mountcastle having quietly solid rookie season for Baltimore Orioles
It did not appear as though Ripken’s mark was in any danger earlier in the year. Mountcastle had struggled coming out of the gates, producing a .198/.229/.286 batting line with just one homer through April. It was a disappointing start to the year considering his strong showing in 2020.
However, Mountcastle has bounced back from that slow start. He has a .261/.311/.496 batting line with 29 homers and 23 doubles over his 521 plate appearances heading into Friday, solidifying his place as one of the building blocks for the Orioles’ future.
Mountcastle is actually having a season similar to Ripken’s rookie campaign. The 1982 AL Rookie of the Year had posted a 115 OPS+ with 28 homers and 32 doubles in his 160 games to begin his Hall of Fame career.
Obviously, this does not mean that Mountcastle will have that type of career. 163 games is far too soon to say that a player is going to match a Hall of Famer. But it is a good sign for Mountcastle’s future that he has not only overcome that slow start, but has also been able to surpass Ripken for the rookie home run title.
Ryan Mountcastle has passed Cal Ripken Jr. as the Baltimore Orioles rookie home run leader. His career is off to a strong start.