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 Santander 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…