Baltimore Orioles
2024 record: 91-71
Second place, AL East
Team ERA: 3.94 (14th in MLB)
Team OPS: .751 (4th in MLB)
What Went Right
Baltimore was able to make the postseason for the second-straight year while showing off some of the best young talent in the sport. Tops among those young bats was Gunnar Henderson who had a year that would be at the top of most MVP years (note: 2024 is not most years). He ripped 37 homers, stole 21 bases and accrued an .893 OPS in just his second full season of baseball at the age of 23.
He was far from alone in offensive plaudits. Anthony Satander belted 44 homers and will be one of the most sought after power bats on the free agent market. Colton Cowser showed that his struggles in 2023 were (mostly) put in the past while adding 24 roundtrippers and forging a .768 OPS. Jordan Westburg also impressed with a .792 OPS and 18 blasts, and solid offensive seasons from players like Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins and Ramon Urias helped Baltimore rank among the best in several offensive categories.
There were some solid pitching performances as well. Corbin Burnes gave the O’s 192 2/3 innings and a 2.92 ERA with a 181/48 K/BB in his first -- and possibly last -- season in Baltimore. Albert Suarez essentially came out of nowhere to become the second-most consistent starter for the club in 2024. And while they were limited by injuries, the team saw flashes of brilliance from arms Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish and John Means; among others.
What Went Wrong
It’s weird to say that this was a disappointing season for Baltimore considering just how young the core of the club is and just how awful they were a few years ago, but it was. Baltimore was on pace to win 100 games after the first 81 contests, but they went 40-41 over the second half of the season, lost the division lead and got swept in the Wild Card Series by the Royals. One of the key reasons was the limited usage by arms like Bradish and Means as the team had to use 13 starters during the season, and trades for starters Trevor Rogers and Zack Eflin didn’t pan out. The bullpen had some quality contributors, but Craig Kimbrel wasn’t one of them as Kimbrel not only lost his closing role, but lost his gig entirely after being designated for assignment late in the season.
The offense isn’t without blame, either. Adley Rutschman did not take a step forward in 2024, struggling mightily in the second half of the season and finishing with an OPS of .709; a figure no one would have signed up for. Jackson Holliday was horrendous after first being called up, and while things went better in his second time around, he still finished with a slash of .189/.255/.311. The offense was essentially a no-show in the playoff series against Kansas City, as they scored just one run -- a Mullins solo homer -- over 18 innings while slashing an ugly .167/.225/.242 in those two contests.
Fantasy Slants
- After finishing 2023 with an elite expected batting average of .292 and expected weighted on-base average (exWOBA) of .373, Rutschman came nowhere close to matching those figures in 2024. He was particularly bad against right-handed pitching with a .219/.290/.342 mark, and his OPS in the second half of the season was an ugly .585. He still showed a quality approach at the plate and remains one of the better receivers behind it, but Rutschman simply didn’t make enough hard contact to live up to lofty expectations in 2024. Because of his talent and previous success he’s a great bounceback candidate, but it’s fair to say he’s no longer the sure thing so many believed he was coming into the year.
- Holliday was widely considered the top prospect coming into the season, and the fact he made the majors as a 20-year-old is something that shouldn’t be ignored. It’s also worth noting that in his second stint with the club, he saw his OPS increase to a (still not very good) .650 OPS compared to the dreadful .170 mark he put up in April with the team. Holliday possesses enormous talent and has a chance to contribute in every possible fantasy category, and we’ve seen plenty of hitters go from being wholly ineffective to fantasy contributors -- even stars -- in their second season. Baseball is hard. Holliday is probably going to be just fine.
- The Orioles were without Felix Bautista for the entirety of 2024 after the man they call The Mountain underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of September 2023, and now’s as good of time as any to remind you just how good Bautista has been with the hopes that he’ll be ready for the 2025 season. In 2023, he saved 33 games, forged a 1.48 ERA, and struck out 110 batters in 61 innings. It goes without saying that there are few arms with as much talent, and even while acknowledging some risk because of the injury, there’s plenty of reason to believe he can be among the best stoppers in baseball next season; even if he isn’t ready for the start of the campaign.
Key Free Agents
Burnes, Santander, James McCann, Austin Slater, Means, Seranthony Dominguez ($8 million club option) Eloy Jimenez ($16.5 million club option), Ryan O’Hearn ($8 million club option), Danny Coulombe ($4 million club option), Cionel Perez ($2.2 million club option)
The option for Jimenez will certainly be declined barring something unforeseeable, while O’Hearn, Dominguez, Coulombe and Perez will likely be back.
Team Needs
Baltimore has a need in the rotation whether they re-sign Burnes or not, but that should obviously be priority one for Mike Elias and his staff. There’s not many holes on this roster outside of the starters and maybe a reliever or two -- particularly if Bautista opens the year on the shelf after his operations -- and even while acknowledging that the 2024 season didn’t go as well as expected, it’s fair to say that few teams can say they have a better long-term outlook than the Orioles have right now.
