First, At Long Last

 

This is the kind of stuff you live to see in baseball scheduling. As the AL East race has gotten closer and closer, the Rays and Orioles have been volleying to see who gets first. As of now, we're tied again, but the other night the O's snuck out a win and got to be in first place for a good 24 hours.

But still, in a season which began with the Rays getting off to an overwhelming lead over the rest of the division, here we are. Two teams tied at first. The Rays...and the Baltimore Orioles.

Last year, when the O's rebuilding efforts stopped short of competition, I figured they'd be back in 2023 but bigger, a lot like what we assumed about the Blue Jays going into 2020. Unlike the 2020 Jays, the Orioles' rebuild was ready almost immediately, and not only are the O's competitive, but they're very close to a first place team. Not only has the gradual roll of prospects worked, with Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez now fully acclimated to the bigs, but further call-ups, like Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser, have added to the overall effect. Admittedly the team still has another year or so to go before Jackson Holliday can comfortably join the brigade, but Adley Rutschman, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells have all been excellent signs of the accuracy of the team's draft picks.

Even more satisfying is Austin Hays, a 2016 draft pick, who has gone from a reliable mid-lineup guy with defensive perks to starting in the outfield for the All-Star team. Hays has always been a handy guy to have around, but I never considered him All-Star material, and part of that makes me happy he was chosen. The ASG squad is meant to honor not only the big guns, but the smaller names that are just as volatile. Hays is the team's sole Opening Day starter to maintain a .300 average, and has 94 hits and 37 RBIs. I feel like O's fans have wished Cedric Mullins was healthier this year, but Hays having a star-making year is certainly a plus. It's also provided room for Anthony Santander to lead the team in home runs with 17, and for Aaron Hicks of all people to provide a solid backup center-field presence for a fanbase that doesn't hate his guts.

What I love about this team is that despite all of its great hitters, their highest WAR performer is a relief pitcher. Felix Bautista now has a lower ERA than Yennier Cano, which...says something. The 26 saves helps as well, but Bautista has been damn near untouchable this year, and I love that it's happening. I also love that as it stands now Kyle Bradish, who always struck a lot of people out but also gave up too many home runs, has the lowest ERA in the rotation with a 3.05. Great character growth.

I love so much of this Orioles team this year, and I hope their good luck continues. I don't know if they're gonna leave this series as the victors in the AL East, but considering that their next series' are against struggling teams...it could happen.

Coming Tonight: His team's been skidding since the break, but at least he's still pitching well.