Around a year ago I wrote an article describing why the Baltimore Orioles were the worst team in baseball, as well as my least favorite team. However, just like the weather, people’s opinions can change, too. This is extremely evident in how my opinion on the Orioles has changed, because now, the Orioles are one of my favorite teams in all of the MLB. “Why the sudden change of heart” you may be asking. Well, let me tell you about one of the best up-and-coming teams in baseball and my change of heart.
First, let me address why I hated the Orioles in the first place. The first and foremost reason was the sheer incompetence that they exhibited for so many years. The Orioles were known as the ideal underdogs in the MLB. In the 2021 season they held a staggering 52-110 season, and three years prior held a historical 47-115 season. These stats alone simply turn many avid baseball fans such as myself away from supporting such a pitiful team.
The next reason I despised the Orioles was because of the game in which they gave up the most runs ever. On August 22nd of 2007, the Baltimore Orioles gave up 30 runs while only scoring 3 in the process. For perspective, the second biggest baseball blowout was 57 years prior, when the Red Sox lit up the St. Louis Browns with a score of 29-4.
Lastly, the fact the Orioles didn’t have any depth didn’t help my longstanding negative opinion of them. With Cedric Mullins being the biggest piece on the board for the Orioles, and no real immediate prospects on the rise, there simply didn’t look like there was a future for the O’s. Little did I know this would all change within only two years!
So, what’s changed since then? Well, the Orioles decided that being a bad baseball team wasn’t an option. There was a new energy in Baltimore that wasn’t there in the previous years. Following a stretch of six straight losses in =two2 series against the Yankees and Tigers, they decided losing was for suckers, and the Orioles ain’t no suckers. They then went on the win 10 straight games, making this the longest stretch winners of the regular season that didn’t go to the playoffs in 2022 season.
Another big change for the Orioles were the positions that got big upgrades during the offseason. The Orioles 2019 first pick of the draft, Adley Rutschman, paid off big time, as he was not only a consistent hitter bolstering an impressive .254 average, but was also a defensive wizard, showing off his impressive arm strength and game knowledge. Next was closer Felix Bautista. This guy seemed to fall out of the heavens and into the bird’s arms, as he wasn’t afraid to showcase his insane 100+ mph fastball and nasty splitter for a one-two punch that placed him in the top 6% for expected batting average against–and in the top 3% of strikeout rates. Not only did Bautista make an impact, but Gunnar Henderson also made a statement about the future of the team. In his first major league at-bat, Henderson pimped a home run off Guardians. His helmet fell off, and he strutted the bases with his golden locks freely waving in the wind. If this isn’t a sign of new greatness, I don’t know what is.
So, the Orioles now have a good-looking team — so what? Well, this is a team that’s become bigger than baseball. For years, the Orioles were shot down and regarded as a joke. From their fall from grace from the time where they had Brooks Robinson to the catastrophic seasons of recent times, people have simply brushed them off as nobodies, the underdogs that never got their comeuppance.
This change is massive for a team like this. In a division such as the AL East with super teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays being their competition, being a good team can change the status quo of who the top dogs are in the running. Even posting a single winning season after being the team that no one pays attention to is making a huge statement in the baseball world. But this reinvention is bigger than sports, as it shows that a team with a winning mindset can change their entire destiny. It’s up to everyone to forge their own path, regardless of their past, because if you’re always looking backwards, you can never realize what’s lying ahead of you until its already passed. I admit I was looking down at the Orioles, but both my opinion and the team are now looking up!
