Baltimore Orioles - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)

Baltimore
Home
Click
on Logo

2020

2023

101

Decade

110

Click

on Logo

Titles:

Top Orioles Players of the Twenty Twenties

2023 - AL East Champs; Lost ALDS (Texas)

2024 - Lost WC to Kansas City

Pitchers:

Dean Kremer (6) - 26

BallPark:

Felix Bautista (7) - 20

Camden Yards

Corbin Burnes (3.4) - 14

Kyle Bradish (6) - 11

Team Name:

Kyle Gibson (0.9) - 11

Orioles

Grayson Rodriguez (2) - 10

Jordan Lyles (0.98) - 9

Owner:

Jorge Lopez (1.65) - 8

Peter Angelos (2020-23)

Tomoyuki Sugano (1) - 7

David Rubenstein (2024-25)

Trevor Rogers (5.5) - 6

Tyler Wells (3.69) - 6

General Managers:

Alex Cobb (1.13) - 6

Mike Elias

John Means (4.69) - 6

Keegan Akin (2.09) - 6

Managers:

Brandon Hyde (2020-2025)

Catchers:

Craig Albernaz (2025)

Adley Rutschman (14.64) - 33

Pedro Severino (1.9) - 5

No Hitters:

2021 John Means (Seattle)

First Basemen:

Ryan Mountcastle (7.56) - 30

Hall of Famers:

Ryan O'Hearn (5.2) - 18

None

Second Basemen:

Rookie of the Year:

Jordan Westburg (5.1) - 12

2023 - Gunnar Henderson

ShortStop:

MVP:

Gunnar Henderson (21.73) - 29

Jose Iglesias (1.15) - 5

Cy Young:

None

Third Base:

Ramon Urias (10.26) - 14

Notable Events:

Outfield:

The 2024 Orioles run totals projected a 90-72 mark. The 2025 run totals projected

Cedric Mullins (15.38) - 53

a 70-92 mark. That's a twenty game drop folks! They scored 109 less runs in '25.

Anthony Santander (9.73) - 32

They gave up 89 more runs in '24. A swing of well over a run a game.

Jorge Mateo (4.73) - 17

After years of losing, the Orioles drafting high every year, looked like they were

Austin Hays (8.75) - 16

embarking on a dynasty. They won 101 games in '23 anchored by a talented

Trey Mancini (2.82) - 10

youthful lineup. Nobody knows what the hell is going on as it has all collapsed.

Colton Cowser (2.3) - 7

Baltimore is one of the game's biggest question marks coming into 2026.

Their pitching ain't great but should be OK.The team on the field, talentwise,

Notable Events:

should be moving towards being pretty awesome, but that would need a lot of

high talent young guys to reverse a disturbing downward trend.

2020 - The Orioles enter the decade on a downer having finished last in the

The offense is going to have to carry this team, if it can.

Division three years running. The poor play would continue for the first two

years of the new decade, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel as

Starting Pitchers:

GM Mike Elias was amassing young talent through high draft picks and trades.

□ LHP Trevor Rodgers, 29, '24 trade deadline from Miami, '25 9-3 1.81

□ LHP Shane Baz, 27, '26 trade from Tampa, '25 10-12 4,87

Draft Picks and Acquisitions:

□ LHP Chris Bassitt, 37, '26 trade from Tampa, '25 11-9 3.96

□ 2013 C Chance Cisco, 18, 2nd round - never made it

□ RHP Zach Elfin, 32, '24 Trade from TB at deadline, '25 6-5 5.93

□ 2015 1B Ryan Mountcastle, 18, 1st round - never reached expectations

□ RHP Dean Kremer, 30, '18 Trade from LA, '25 11-10 4.19

□ 2015 OF DJ Stewart, 21, 1st round - never made it

□ RHP Kyle Bradish, 29, '20 Trade from LA, TJ Surgery, '23 12-7 2.83

□ 2015 CF Cedrick Mullins, 20, 13th round - became a star

□ RHP Tyler Wells, 32, '21 Rule 5 draft from Twins, '23 7-6 3.64

□ 2016 OF Austin Hays, 20, 3rd round - solid big league career

□ LHP Cade Povich, 26, '22 Trade from Twins at deadline, '25 3-8 5.21

□ 2016 OF Anthony Santander, 21, Rule 5 draft from Cleveland - became a star

□ LHP Trey Gibson, 24, '23 undrafted free agent, '25 AAA 5-8 4.26

□ 2016 Closer Felix Bautista, 21, signed as a minor league FA - became a star

Allowing Corbin Burnes to leave as a free agent was one of the dumbest moves

□ 2017 LHP DL Hall, 18, 1st round -traded to Milwaukee

in baseball history. Not only because of the loss of his skills, which are considerable,

□ 2017 RHP Mike Baumann. 21, 3rd round - never made it

but the psychological affect on a young team. What does that tell youngsters who

□ 2018 RHP Grayson Rodriguez, 18, 1st round - became a star

play with a lot of emotion that management does not have your back? That

□ 2019 C Adley Rutschman, 21, 1st overall pick - became a star

management is not willing to be there for you in your quest to win. Orioles

□ 2019 SS Gunnar Henderson, 18, 2nd round - became a star

management found out, the hard way. Trevor Rogers has ace stuff. His problem

□ 2019 SS Joey Ortiz, 19, 4th round - traded to Milwaukee

is that he is always hurt. If he stays healthy, the Orioles have an ace to anchor the

□ 2020 OF Heston Kjerstad, 21, 2nd overall pick - a bust

staff. Kyle Bradish is coming back from TJ surgery but can be quite good.

□ 2020 2B Jordan Westburg, 21, 1st round pick- becoming a star

There are three refugees from the middle of the Tampa Bay rotation - Shane Baz,

□ 2020 3B Coby Mayo, 19, 4th round pick - top slugging prospect

Chris Bassit and Zach Elfin. They are all middle to bottom of rotation guys. As

□ 2021 OF Colton Cowser, 21, 5th overall pick - looking like a bust

are Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and Cade Povich. The Orioles will have to win inspite

□ 2021 RHP Tyler Wells, 26, Rule 5 draft from Minnesota - still a prospect

of this group not because of it.

□ 2022 SS Jackson Holliday, 18, 1st overall pick - jury still out

Relief Pitchers:

□ 2023 OF Enrique Bradfield, 19, 17th overall pick - not hitting in minors

□ Closer Ryan Helsley, 30, '26 FA from Mets, '25 3-4 4.50 21 saves

□ 2024 OF Vance Honeycutt, 21, 22nd overall pick - not hitting in minors

□ Closer Felix Bautista, 31, '16 FA from Miami, '26 TJ Surgery out for the year

□ 2025 C Ike Irish, 21, 19th overall pick - early days

□ LHP Keegan Akin, 31, '16 2nd round, '25 5-4 3.41

□ RHP Andrew Kittredge, 36, '26 FA from Cubs, '25 4-3 3.40

Peter Angelos is the owner and after suffering heart problems in 2017, his

□ RHP Yennier Cano, 32, '22 Trade from Twins at deadline, '25 3-7 5.12

son John has been running the club. John has deferred the day to day

□ LHP Dietrich Enns, 35, '26 FA from Cubs, '25 2-2 3.14

operations to GM Mike Elias in 2019 and the O's have been in good hands.

Closer Bautista is out for the year with TJ surgery. The Orioles picked up Ryan

Elias had helped orchestrate a similar rebuilding process in Houston prior to

Hensley who was one of the top closers in the game for several years with the

coming to the Orioles where they dealt away all their valuable veterans

Cards, was dealt to the Mets at the trade deadline in his walk year and sucked.

and then proceeded to build a competitive roster from scratch.

He's not hurt, and the Orioles are hoping it was just the Mets Free Agent curse.

If Helsley can forget what happened with the Mets, Baltimore has a closer.

Elias brought in Brandon Hyde as his manager. Again, so far, so good.

The rest of the bullpen is mediocre, at best. Akin and Kittredge look decent enough.

Hyde replaced fan favorite Buck Showalter.

After that the Orioles are thin.

Regulars:

2022 - The years of losing finally starts paying off. The Orioles go 83-79

□ C Adley Rutschman, 28, '19 1st overall pick, '25 9 29 .220

with a roster heavily laden with youngsters. The future is starting to look up.

□ 1B Pete Alonso, 32, '26 FA from Mets, '25 38 126 .272

It was a thirty one game gain in the standings from 2021 with most of the

□ 2B Jackson Holliday, 22, '22 1st overall pick, '25 17 55 .242 17SB

gains coming on the pitching side as they gave up 68 runs less than in 2021.

□ SS Gunnar Henderson, 25,'19 2nd round pick, '25 17 68 .274 30SB

□ 3B Jordan Westburg, 27, '20 1st round pick, '25 17 41 .265

2023 - The Orioles gain another eighteen games in the standings and

□ CF Colton Cowser, 26, '21 5th overall pick, '25 16 40 .196

finish 101-61 good enough for a Division title altho' they lose in the

□ OF Taylor Ward, 32, '26 Trade from Anaheim, '25 36 103 .228

first round of the playoffs to eventual World Series champion Texas.

□ OF Dylan Beavers, 24, '22 1st round pick, '25 4 14 .227

This time, it is the hitting that fuels the rise as they score a whopping 133

□ C Samuel Basallo, 21, '21 IFA, '25 4 15 .165

more runs than in 2022. The youngsters have come alive and the future looks

□ 1B Ryan Mountcastle, 29,'15 1st round, '25 7 35 .250

rosey in Baltimore. The lions share of the gain came from two youngsters

□ 1B Coby Mayo, 24, '20 4th round pick, '25 11 28 .217

IF Gunnar Henderson, 22, who went 22 82 .255; and C Adley

□ 2B Blaze Alexander, 27, '26 Trade from Arizona, '25 7 28 .230

Rutschman, 25, who improved from 42 RBI to 80 RBI.

□ OF Tyler O'Neill, 31, '25 FA from Boston, '25 9 26 .199

□ OF Heston Kjerstad, 27, '20 2nd overall pick, '25 4 19 .192

2024 - The Orioles are sold to Baltimore billionaire David Rubenstein for

There are ten guys in this lineup, all young, all high draft picks, all monumental

a relatively paltry sum of 1.7 billion. Rubenstein can't be any worse than

disappointments in '25. How the hell does that happen? And how the hell do you

Angelos in the financial support department. And, if Rubenstein is willing to

turn it around and fix it? Baltimore brought in two sluggers for the middle of the

open up the purse strings a bit, Baltimore is set to be a contender for years.

lineup to hopefully take some of the pressure off of the youngsters to produce.

At the moment, the management team of GM Mike Elias and manager

It's worth a try. So the hope is that with incoming sluggers Alonso and Ward,

Brandon Hyde has been retained. That is a good thing as they have both

the pressure will be off Henderson, Westburg and Rutschman and they will

done a good job.

play to their ability. They seem too good to let this funk continue. However,

after those three, it's a bit iffy. Mountcastle has gone from prospect to suspect

2024 - The Orioles regress surprisingly to 91 wins. They drop ten wins back into

long ago. Kjerstad and Cowser look like busts already - they're no longer kids and

second place. The young hitters didn't improve as was expected, but it was

have big holes in their games. And we still have to give the benefit of the doubt

the pitching that collapsed. Corbin Burnes was brought in as a free agent

to the four youngsters under twenty four years of age: Holliday, Basallo, Mayo and

or things would have been much worse. The Orioles lost lights out closer

Beavers. They're still young enough to fix what ails them. Holliday can't get

Felix Bautista to injury and could not replace him.

around on a fast ball, Basallo has no plate discipline, Mayo struggles making

contact and Beavers has to produce more at the big league level

2025 - The Orioles unexpectedly drop 16 games to 75-87. A young team

that expected to be contenders dropped off a cliff. Everybody did much

worse than expected. It was a team effort.