The Baltimore Orioles are a team stacked with young talent. With names on the roster like Colton Cowser, Gunnar Henderson, Heston Kjerstad, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg, it may be easy to forget there are other players contributing to the team’s success as well.
While first baseman Ryan Mountcastle’s stellar performance may fly under the radar at times, MLB Network analyst and former big league first baseman Carlos Peña has taken notice. Peña believes Mountcastle is essential to the Orioles’ success now and in their hopes of winning a World Series.
Peña pointed out Mountcastle’s importance to the Orioles on MLB Network, stating that Mountcastle is the glue that holds the team together:
While there are many examples to cite regarding Mountcastle’s productivity, Peña pointed out how Mountcastle’s performance during a recent 7-2 win against the Yankees was just another example of the Orioles’ first baseman’s capabilities.
“I felt the need to make sure that we do not forget about how important Mountcastle is in this ballclub because it’s easy to overlook because we have so many stars that are just making a huge splash with a lot of hype,” Peña said on Glenn Clark Radio May 7. “Look, a lot of it is merited. They deserve all the hype in the world and all the praise in the world, but Mountcastle has been that steady force behind what’s happening over there in Baltimore.”
A first-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Mountcastle has been a fixture of the major league team since 2020. During his time in the organization, Mountcastle has made the transition from shortstop to third base to left field and ultimately to first base, where he starts for the Orioles today.
Mountcastle is a career .264/.319/.459 career hitter with 84 home runs at the big league level, but the 6-foot-4, 220-pound first baseman has turned into a quality defender as well. A former first baseman himself, Peña knows the challenges one can face at the position and he likes what he sees from Mountcastle.
Mountcastle makes the other Orioles infielders better, according to Peña.
“First base is a difficult position to play because it’s one thing is to just catch the ball at first base, and then another is to play that position the correct way,” Peña said. “A good first baseman makes everyone else in that infield better. … Go ask Gunnar Henderson what it means to have Mountcastle at first base to throw to. Just think about the footwork. It doesn’t matter where the ball is thrown. I worked so hard on making sure that every single throw that that came to me from the other infielders was secure. I had my systems. I would expect a bad row at all times and be surprised by the good ones, instead of the other way around. It seems that Mountcastle gets that very clearly.”
Peña furthered his point by explaining the mechanical aspects of Mountcastle’s defense that make difficult plays routine for Orioles infielders. Peña believes Mountcastle allows Orioles infielders to throw to first base with confidence and make “routine plays” the fans have grown accustomed to in the infield.
“You see the scoops? It’s so easy to take for granted. You see the footwork. You see him come off the bag, catch and tag,” Peña said. “Not anyone can do that. Think about what it does to the entire infield. So, the plays are being made even though you’re like, ‘Oh, that was a routine play.’ Well, it’s a routine play because every single infield or trusts who they’re throwing to. … Why do infielders feel confident throwing to a first baseman? Because the first baseman gives him assurance.”
Mountcastle is one of the many reasons Peña believes the Orioles have a real chance to win the World Series in 2024. While last fall may have been a disappointing turn of events for Orioles fans, Peña believes the team is better set up for success in 2024 due to the experience the team got during their brief stint in last year’s playoffs and how the group is meshing.
If the Orioles are going to be the championship team many think they can be, Peña believes it will take the sum of all the immensely talented parts the Orioles have to get it done. If these parts can be just as productive as Mountcastle has been, Peña likes the Orioles’ odds.
“I like the sum of all parts,” Peña said. “We talk about World Series, the sum of all parts needs to add up and give you a good result. It seems like if you go one through nine, you’re going to get good [at-bats], solid at-bats, everyone putting together a tough AB, no one’s an easy out. But you see the pitching, they’re going to give you quality starts. You could almost bank on that. So, the sum of our parts tells me this is a team that’s constructed and very capable of getting to the postseason and most definitely winning a World Series.”
For more from Peña, listen to the full interview here:
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