A potential playoff run has not been too daunting for these Baby Birds.
Mike Elias’ rebuilding project has turned into a resounding success as some of the Orioles top prospects are leading the charge for a shot at an American League East title.
The Orioles finished the first half of the season at 54-35 (.607), their best winning percentage at the break since 1997. They trail the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by two games in the division.
The biggest question is whether GM Mike Elias will pull the trigger on a major trade to put the team over the top.
Here’s a breakdown of the first half of the season.
Midseason MVP: Austin Hays
Despite Hays missing five games with a recent hip injury, Hays was one of four Orioles to make the All-Star team, joining Adley Rutschman, Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano, and he will start in center field because of injuries to other players.
Hays has a slash line of .314/.355/.498 with nine homers, 36 RBIs, 45 runs scored, 22 doubles, two triples and two stolen bases through 78 games this season. He is also a plus defender in left field who has one of the best arms in all of MLB. While Colton Cowser is pushing for playing time, Hays will play a crucial role for the Orioles in the second half of the season.
Best Clutch Hitter: Gunnar Henderson
There was chatter that Henderson might not have been fully ready for the major leagues when he went through an early slump. However, manager Brandon Hyde maintained confidence in the young infielder and it has paid off in a big way.
Henderson has been one of the Orioles’ most productive hitters during the past six weeks. Henderson took home an American League Player of the Week honor in June after batting .526 with three home runs, six RBIs, two stolen bases and five runs scored across five games. He had a 1.053 slugging percentage. Henderson also hit a 462-foot shot, the longest-ever hit onto Eutaw Street in a game, against the Kansas City Royals on June 11. Henderson was also named the AL Rookie of the Month.
On the season, Henderson is batting .246/.342/.455 with 13 homers and 37 RBIs. In a 14-1 victory against the Yankees, Henderson became just the third Orioles rookie with four hits and five RBIs in a game since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920, joining Chris Richard in 2000 and Roy Sievers in 1949 as a member of the St. Louis Browns, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Biggest Surprise: Ryan O’Hearn
O’Hearn was expected to be a stopgap player when the Orioles were dealing with some injuries. The 29-year-old first baseman slashed just .219/.293/.390 in 342 games (five seasons) with the Royals, who traded him to Baltimore for cash considerations this past offseason.
O’Hearn made his first appearance on the Orioles’ active roster on April 13 and managed two hits and three RBIs in an 8-7 victory against the Oakland Athletics. O’Hearn was then sent back to Triple-A Norfolk on May 5 but was brought back up a few days later after Ramón Urías and Ryan Mountcastle went on the IL.
O’Hearn has started in 29 games since the promotion, becoming a mainstay on the roster. He has hit .302/.349/.518 with seven homers and 28 RBIs. O’Hearn could form a productive platoon at first base with Ryan Mountcastle with the latter back from the IL.
Best Starting Pitcher: Tyler Wells
The Orioles’ rotation has been mostly solid and Wells is leading the charge. Wells has already thrown a career-high 104.2 innings this season, surpassing the 103.2 innings he threw in 2022. Overall, he is 7-4 with a 3.18 ERA. Wells leads the league with a 0.93 WHIP and opponents are batting just .193 against him, second in the majors to Shohei Ohtani (.189).
Wells made his MLB debut in 2021 as a reliever, but last spring, the Orioles decided to move the right-hander into a starting role. However, the team wanted to be careful with his innings because Wells underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and did not pitch during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Despite those previous limitations, Wells has strengthened his pitching repertoire and now he is a bona fide major-league starter.
Biggest Disappointment: Cole Irvin
The Orioles expected Irvin to help anchor the bottom half of the rotation, but he struggled for much of the first half of the season. The 29-year-old is 1-3 with a 5.50 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 32:13 K:BB in 37.2 innings this season.
Irvin was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk to work on his command after just three starts, but he has pitched better since he was recalled on June 10. There is optimism that he will perform better in the second half of the season.
Jorge Mateo has also struggled in the past two months after a strong start to the season, but the Orioles have the infield depth to absorb that performance.
Biggest X-Factor For Second Half: Bullpen
Even though the team’s bullpen ranks sixth in the major leagues with a 3.68 ERA, the Orioles are going to need some of their relievers to revert back to their successful ways. Injuries have not helped with Dillon Tate, Cionel Pérez, Mychal Givens, Austin Voth and Keegan Akin all on the IL.
Yennier Cano has been a revelation, hence his nod to the American League All-Star team. Félix Bautista has been one of the best closers in the game despite a couple of hiccups. Bryan Baker, Mike Baumann and Danny Coulombe have been called on to contribute throughout the season, and each of those pitchers had their ups and downs. The Orioles are going to need the bullpen to thrive during the stretch run.
Prime Trade Targets
Starting pitching is the Orioles’ most pressing need. However, Grayson Rodriguez has found his groove in Norfolk and could be a viable option. Orioles GM Mike Elias could look outside the organization for help and pull off a major trade. Some of the most intriguing targets are Shane Bieber (Cleveland Guardians), Eduardo Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers) and Lucas Giolito (Chicago White Sox).
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen and Colin Murphy/PressBox