Baltimore Orioles

Orioles shortstop Jorge Mateo has clobbered 19 career home runs, and four of them have come at Globe Life Field against the Texas Rangers.

Grayson Rodriguez, Baltimore’s top-ranked pitching prospect, will make his major league debut Wednesday against the Texas Rangers, the team announced.

Dylan Beavers, the Orioles’ No. 11 prospect according to Baseball America, came to the Orioles knowing that a rather unorthodox swing had taken him far but that adjustments would be required to reach the majors.

After opening the year without a hit during his first three games, Gunnar Henderson exploded onto the scene with that home run in the fourth inning of Baltimore’s 2-0 victory against the Texas Rangers.

Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish crumpled to the ground in the second inning after a 104-mph line drive struck his lower right leg against the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

The Orioles reliever worked his way up from independent ball and spent off-season months digging pools as he waited for his chance.

The Orioles’ starters have combined to pitch 12 innings thus far, and they’ve conceded 15 earned runs between them for an 11.25 ERA. Baltimore didn’t allow eight earned runs in three straight games throughout the entire 2022 season.

Jorge Mateo can’t stop running. Then again, neither can Cedric Mullins or the rest of the Orioles' baserunners. All that running has left its mark, both on Mateo’s finger and the Major League record book. Through the Orioles’ first two games of the season, they set a major league record with 10 steals.

The game looked like it was over. It should’ve been over. A lazy fly ball to Orioles left fielder Ryan McKenna from Matasaka Yoshida in the ninth inning appeared to be the Red Sox’s last gasp in Saturday’s game, but McKenna instead was left staring at his glove in disbelief after the ball bounced off of it and fell to the ground.

Built through discipline and tougher batting practice sessions, more Orioles are trusting a program introduced by the team’s hitting instructors that emphasizes forcing pitchers to throw more strikes.

“Can you draw it up any better? Opening day at Fenway Park in the big leagues,” Kyle Stowers said. “The buzz around it, being a spectacle, an event, it’s not just another game.”

They'll remember the win, most of all, but the Orioles have plenty to take from opening day. The positives: A potent, patient offense powered by speedy, daring runners. The negatives: Questions about the defense and relief pitching, which were solid on the way to 2022's surprising season.

It’s one game, but Rutschman had 5 hits — the most ever for a catcher on opening day — and 4 RBIs in a season-opener that will vault him into the discussion of best players in baseball.

“I want to be a guy who, when I take the mound, these guys know we have a chance to win. It’s not like, ‘We’re confident because you’re our teammate.’ No. Like, ‘We know you’re going to give up three or less, and we have a chance to win if we just put up four.’”

The Orioles’ rebuild is over. It truly is supposed to be “liftoff” now. Maybe. Because it’s not like the front office spent to upgrade, or used prospects to trade for established talent. All of which makes it almost impossible to predict how good this O’s team should be.

Terrin Vavra can play almost any position for the Orioles — and he gets on base. That makes him an invaluable part of a roster that needs flexibility.

Orioles leadership says the rebuild is over and the team expects to compete. Many prognosticators have the O’s finishing last in the AL East.

Any frustration anyone feels about Rodriguez not being on the opening day roster has nothing to do with the reason given, which was that he isn’t good enough right now. It has everything to do with how the Orioles under Mike Elias have operated.

The Orioles are pushing DL Hall to build up as a starter, and they want Jordan Westburg to get more at-bats in Triple A. But Mike Elias believes they'll earn a spot on the club this year.

Meoli covered the Orioles from 2016-2021, the launched a newsletter with the mission to write about the players, processes, philosophies and anything else that can help make the Orioles good again. Now, he’s bringing his insights and reporting to The Baltimore Banner.