Baltimore Orioles: How has the team found sudden success?

Following yesterday’s 7-1 win over the Chicago Cubs, the Baltimore Orioles not only extended their winning streak to 10 games but they also became a club that is playing over .500 baseball (45-44).

The question is, what is the difference between last year and this year? How have the Baltimore Orioles been able to find sudden success following their horrible season last year, where they finished 52-110?

To begin, there were only three additions that the team made in the offseason during free agency — the signings of Jordan Lyles, Roughned Odor, and Robinson Chirinos. As of July 14, Lyles is 6-7, with a 4.37 ERA in 105 innings pitched. Roughned Odor is batting .202 in 78 games, with nine home runs and 33 RBI. Robinson Chirinos has had time off lately due to the Baltimore Orioles calling up Adley Rutschman, but Chirinos is only batting .164 in 45 games, with a pair of home runs and 15 RBI.

While the statistics may not show it, Chirinos and Odor have played a sizable role in the Orioles being able to find sudden success with their leadership. Lyles has not only been able to be a veteran presence to the pitching staff, but also has been the staff’s workhorse. He has nearly 26 innings pitched more than the next closest pitcher. The leadership brought by these guys has been one of the reasons that the Orioles have been able to string together a huge win streak.

The next reason that the Orioles have found success is their rookies, specifically Adley Rutschman. Rutschman has been known to be a generational talent, with incredible defense and a plus bat, but he has made quite the difference since being called up on May 21. The Orioles are 29-20 since Rutschman was called up, but that record includes games he has sat out. The team has a different energy, and a lot of that has to do with finally looking competent in all parts of the field.

There are also many other people on the team that are reasons for winning, but the biggest reason is that the pitching is finally putting it together, mainly due in part to the changes that the Orioles made to left field before the season started. Because of this, their bullpen went from the worst ERA in baseball last year (5.71) to the fifth-best bullpen in baseball this year (3.19). There are other reasons behind the bullpen doing well too, including former starters Keegan Akin and Jorge Lopez being able to transition to the bullpen extremely well, with Lopez becoming an All-Star for the first time this year due to his dominance in the bullpen.

Those are some of the many reasons that the Orioles are finally starting to put it together in a year that was thought to be another losing season. There are still many prospects waiting in the wings, including Grayson Rodriguez, DL Hall, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and many more. With the Orioles finally finding success in 2022, even if they aren’t able to sustain it, there is still much for them to look forward to for the future.