The Orioles shocked the world last season, cruising to their first winning record since 2016, going 83-79 and finishing ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East. The mid-season emergence of Adley Rutschman at the big-league level brought a much-needed spark to the fanbase. Rutschman posted a 133 wRC+ and accumulated a 5.3 WAR in 2022, and he has become the face of the franchise very quickly. Top SS/3B prospect Gunnar Henderson was also called up in 2022 and didn’t disappoint. Henderson slashed .348/.440/.788 in his 132 plate appearances with the Orioles last season. Baltimore has those two young phenoms under club control until at least 2028. Shocking enough, that is just the beginning of the influx of the new generation of Orioles. The organization still holds one of the best farm systems in the league. Starting with 23-year-old flame thrower Grayson Rodriguez who currently sits as a consensus top 5 overall prospects. Rodriguez struck out 109 batters in just 75.2 innings across the minors. He is almost certain to make the big league roster this season and perhaps very early. Infield prospect Jordan Westburg is also likely to debut this season, and the fans should be excited. Westburg slashed .355/.496/.851 across AA and AAA last season and hit 27 homers in just 138 games. He is certainly poised to be a cornerstone piece to this soon to be loaded team.
Not to mention, the Orioles hold the 2022 MLB Drafts #1 overall pick Jackson Holiday who is projected to be a superstar caliber player for the Orioles in a few years. Baltimore remains one of the bottom payrolls in the MLB, which might sound crazy for a contender, but that means there will be plenty of money available to make this team even better in the coming years. I am predicting a very special decade for the Orioles.
