Two or three years in the past, your entire league smiled when the calendar confirmed the Baltimore Orioles awaiting.
The tables have turned, nonetheless, and the O’s at the moment are a powerhouse.
On Monday, they accomplished a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, and that confirmed us two realities: one, Baltimore is actually a top-five group in MLB in the mean time, and two, the Rays will not be the group they was once.
After the four-game sweep, Tampa is now on the backside of the AL East standings with a 31-35 file.
Baltimore, however, is 43-22.
Solely the 47-21 New York Yankees have been higher within the American League.
Baltimore is now engaged on a four-game profitable streak and has gained seven of their final eight contests.
Regardless of a couple of accidents on the pitching facet, they nonetheless have Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and Corbin Burnes main an elite rotation.
Maybe much more spectacular is their steady of younger, high quality hitters: Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, and Jordan Westburg all have an OPS over .800.
Henderson, particularly, has been a drive to be reckoned with, hitting 21 dwelling runs and boasting an elite .974 OPS as of Tuesday afternoon.
Essentially the most spectacular half is that the O’s have but to characteristic gifted younger hitters reminiscent of Jackson Holliday, Kyle Stowers, Coby Mayo, Connor Norby, and Heston Kjerstad.
Most of them – aside from Mayo – have gotten their probability within the majors, however alternatives have been restricted and the O’s, having a lot depth, don’t give them a lot of a leash.
When two or three of that group pan out, this lineup could possibly be unattainable to navigate.
The O’s, for all their latest success, nonetheless haven’t hit their ceiling.