Held Together With Scotch Tape

 

So. We have arrived at a version of the 2025 Orioles that features all of Kyle Bradish, Colton Cowser, Ryan Mountcastle, Cade Povich and Albert Suarez, active and in good health.. Though, granted, we had to lose Felix Bautista, Zach Eflin, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Tyler O'Neill and Brandon Young to get there.

Look, if the Orioles had any sense of injury luck this would be a different story. They've had so many great pieces having great performances, but none of them lined up together. There have been very few constants this season. Dean Kremer, of all people, has been one of them, making 26 starts and posting a 4.52 ERA, 128 Ks and a 9-10 record. With the rotten luck that this team has had, Kremer has been a perfectly acceptable baseline arm, and has provided stability where it hasn't completely existed. Yes, Trevor Rogers has had the more traditional standout season, but that came after a month or so of injury. To be fair, a 5 WAR, an 8-2 record and a 1.39 ERA is nothing to sneeze at, and I really hope Rogers is this useful in a season where the team is actually good. Because Kyle Bradish is proving that the capability to exceed is there, it's just difficult when Rodriguez and Eflin aren't around and you have to wear out Brandon Young and Cade Povich waiting for them.

What has been nice, though, is seeing the emergence of even more young O's that hopefully aren't being rushed. Dylan Beavers has been up, and seems pretty ready for prime time, hitting .333 with 16 hits and 6 RBIs in 15 games. Samuel Basallo, a rare young Oriole that gets extended, has shown early promise, with 8 RBIs in 13 games. Jeremiah Jackson came up around the deadline and has been an underrated low-lineup presence, hitting .337 with 15 RBIs and 3 homers in 27 games. With Henderson, Cowser, Mountcastle and Holliday acting as a core, and with the hope of Rutschman, O'Neill and Westburg back and healthier next year, you can see a much better team forming, and a much more hopeful future arriving soon.

I hate to say it, but I think a year like this was necessary to keep the Orioles from getting too all-in on their own BS. They needed a taste of 'all of this can go wrong and you won't be able to stay in it', and that'll help if something like this happens again. Now that the team is willing to keep its prospects, and now that there's a possibility that Rutschman might be better off as trade bait, you can see a path forward, and a way back to competition. 

Coming Tomorrow- He got off the IL and went right into a hitting streak.