The return of Orioles closer Félix Bautista created electric moments during spring training and in the home opener. The 2024 season provided quite an adventure in closing. Craig Kimbrel posted a -1.1 WAR, according to Baseball Reference, a far cry from Bautista’s 3.0 the year before.
There is a rich history of strong relief pitching in Orioles history. With Bautista on the cover of this month’s issue, it felt like a good opportunity to take a trip down memory lane and look back on “The 15 Orioles Relievers.”
This isn’t a ranking. The pitchers are listed in alphabetical order. I did not include relievers who were impactful but only in Baltimore for one season or less, like Hall of Famer Lee Smith and Andrew Miller. Oh, and Kimbrel. That’s the reason he didn’t make the list. You know, because he was only here for a year. That’s why.
Apologies as well to the likes of B.J. Ryan, Jorge López and Chris Ray for coming up just a bit short of making the list.
Félix Bautista (2022-present)
The team’s current closer put together one of the best seasons in relief history in 2023, as his 16.2 K/9 rate is the eighth-highest of all time. He was so incredible that he was named AL Reliever of the Year despite missing the final month of the season.
Brad Brach (2014-2018)
Allow me to admit that I’m as guilty as anyone else, but I’m not sure we ever gave Dan Duquette enough credit for trading Devin Jones (a pitcher who never made it above the Double-A level) for one of the most important players on a regularly contending team. Brach was outstanding as an Oriole, pitching to sub-1.20 WHIPs in all four of his full seasons in Baltimore, including an All-Star nod in 2016.
Zack Britton (2011-2018)
Britton’s struggles as a starter for the first three years of his career proved to be one of the most fortuitous events in modern Orioles history. After the team converted him to relief in 2014, he immediately became one of the best closers in baseball, picking up two All-Star nods and converting an AL-record 60 consecutive save chances from 2015-2017. The key to his success was an almost unhittable sinker, quite possibly the best individual pitch in franchise history.
Moe Drabowsky (1966-1968, 1970)
A Rule 5 selection before the 1966 season, the native of Poland (and Polish-American Sports Hall of Famer) proved to be seriously impactful for the Orioles’ first World Series-winning team. Most famously, Drabowsky replaced Dave McNally in the third inning of Game 1 of the World Series and proceeded to pitch 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out 11 Dodgers.
Dick Hall (1961-1966, 1969-1971)
In nine seasons across two stints with the Orioles, Hall pitched to a 1.005 WHIP and sub-3.00 ERA. The St. Louis native was an anchor for strong bullpens on teams that won two World Series and reached two others. He posted a perfect 0.00 ERA in 8.2 innings in five career postseason appearances.
Jim Johnson (2006-2013)
Johnson was a significant part of the Orioles snapping a 14-year playoff drought in 2012. He was an All-Star and won the AL Rolaids Relief Man Award with a league-high 51 saves. He followed it up with another 50-save season in 2013 and remains one of just two pitchers to record back-to-back 50-plus save seasons (Éric Gagné).
Tippy Martinez (1976-1986)
Martinez was a stalwart in the bullpen during his 11 seasons in Baltimore, including an All-Star nod in 1983. He recorded two saves in the 1983 World Series, allowing just one run in three innings against the Phillies. He is perhaps best remembered for picking off three Blue Jays runners at first base in one inning in an August game that season.
Stu Miller (1963-1967)
“The Butterfly Man” was written off by the Giants after a difficult 1962 season but found new life as the Orioles’ closer in 1963, when he led the league with 27 saves. He finished in the top 20 of MVP voting three times as an Oriole and pitched to a sub-1.00 WHIP in their 1966 World Series season.
Randy Myers (1996-1997)
Myers was already a three-time All-Star and two-time saves leader when the Orioles boldly acquired him to help put them over the top. Myers did just that, helping the Birds to the playoffs during both of his seasons in Baltimore. He led the league in saves (45) in ‘97, picking up a fourth All-Star nod and finishing in the top five in both Cy Young Award and MVP voting.
Darren O’Day (2012-2018)
Much like Brach, the acquisition of O’Day (a waiver claim in November 2011) didn’t seem consequential at the time but proved incredibly impactful. The sidearmer scraped his knuckles into becoming the team’s primary setup man during the ensuing years, earning an All-Star appearance in 2015. His 2013 season was actually even better, pitching to a brilliant 0.88 WHIP.
Gregg Olson (1988-1993)
“The Otter” was drafted by the Orioles with the fourth overall pick on June 1, 1988. Just one year later, he became the first reliever to be named American League Rookie of the Year. He followed it up with an All-Star appearance in 1990 and put together 41 consecutive scoreless innings across the two seasons. He went on to become the club’s all-time saves leader.
Pete Richert (1967-1971)
The Orioles wisely turned Richert, a two-time All-Star as a starter for the Washington Senators, into a reliever after acquiring him in 1967. Richert thrived in his new role, pitching to a sub-1.10 WHIP every year from 1968-1970. He didn’t allow a run or even a hit in four postseason appearances, including a save in Game 1 of the 1970 World Series.
Sammy Stewart (1978-1985)
Stewart was a solid reliever during his Orioles tenure, including an AL-best 2.32 ERA in 1981. But he’s best remembered for his playoff brilliance in 1983, working 9.1 scoreless innings. This included six strikeouts in five shutout innings in the World Series. Combined with 2.2 scoreless innings against the Pirates in the 1979 World Series, he didn’t allow a single run in 12 career postseason innings.
Eddie Watt (1966-1973)
Watt started 13 games for the Orioles at the start of his rookie season, the only 13 starts he made in his decade-long MLB career. Watt pitched to a sparkling 1.13 WHIP during the course of his Orioles career and was an important part of the ‘66 and ‘70 World Series title teams. He pitched in eight playoff games for the Orioles.
Hoyt Wilhelm (1958-1962)
Wilhelm was an exceptional starter for the Orioles after being acquired in 1958. He threw the franchise’s first-ever no-hitter against the Yankees in his first season and pitched to a 2.19 ERA in an All-Star 1959 campaign. By 1961, the knuckleballer had been converted to a full-time reliever and thrived in the role. He posted a 2.30 ERA in 1961 and a 1.94 ERA in 1962, earning an All-Star nod in both seasons.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
Originally published April 16, 2025