Two Kyles and a Dream

 

Two of the people who've thrown 125 innings or more for the Orioles are named Kyle. One of them is Kyle Gibson, the 10-year vet who recently won his 100th career game, and has pretty much succeeded as the designated veteran arm to help the younger guys come along, much like his former Rangers teammate Jordan Lyles did last year. 

The other one is someone I never considered would be the O's most consistent pitcher of the year.

Kyle Bradish burst onto the scene last year and was more known for his strikeout abilities than for his overall dominance. Though he pitched 117 innings in 23 games, the same he's pitched thus far in 2023, Bradish struggled to keep runs down, and left with a 4.90 ERA despite 111 Ks. This year, though, he's delivered the closest thing to an ace performance in Baltimore, with an 8-6 record, a 3.03 ERA and 122 Ks. It's not only an improvement on last year, but it's a more confident, better-realized version of his previous innings-eating attempt last year.

The Orioles have been very unlucky finding an ace type to build the rotation around. Obviously if John Means were here it'd be him, but Means is still hurt from last season. For a while we thought it might be Tyler Wells, but he fell off extremely quickly last month. The assumption was also that Grayson Rodriguez would grow into things and lead the rotation, but Rodriguez's ERA is still over 5. The thought in bringing Jack Flaherty to Baltimore was that he'd string the rest along, but he's gotten lit up in his last two starts. It could be the case that at this stage, they really don't need a designated ace. If enough guys like Bradish, Dean Kremer and Gibson are just solid mid-rotation guys that can be relied upon at the front, that works too. Obviously it'd be better if the first guy in the depth chart was healthy or consistent, but that could turn around going forward. 

And besides, as long as they continue to deliver solid enough starting innings, the O's are still a force to be reckoned with in the AL. Yes, the Rays have now moved to two games behind them, and they have the easier week schedule-wise, but the Orioles have 3 guys with 60 or more RBIs, an incredibly complete lineup that still has Ramon Urias and Jordan Westburg as excellent extra pieces, and some of the most lethal contact hitting in the league. Even if the Rays lap them, the Orioles are still playoff favorites with a lot of advantages and a lot going for them. I am thinking they'll get my rooting interest in the AL, as it's not looking like my Yankees will be there in October and the O's are extremely likable. 

Coming Tonight: Last year he won the Rookie of the Year award, and he's no slouch this year either..