The Baltimore Orioles came out of nowhere in 2022 and emerged as a postseason contender.
Though they missed the postseason, they finished 83-79 on the heels of a 110-loss season in 2021 and were just three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the final American League Wild Card spot.
As a result of their surprise season, their manager Brandon Hyde appears to be in line for a major award this offseason.
Hyde is one of three finalists for the American League Manager of the Year Award.
Hyde joins Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais and Cleveland Guardians skipper Terry Francona on the list of finalists for the AL Manager of the Year Award.
It was a big season with Hyde at the helm 💪
Brandon Hyde has been named as a Finalist for the BBWAA AL Manager of the Year Award! pic.twitter.com/T1Esfmvl8c
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) November 7, 2022
Hyde A Finalist For AL MOY
Preseason projections were not kind to the Orioles after an abysmal 2021 season.
However, baseball is rarely that simple.
The Orioles didn’t start off well, but clawed their way back into contention in July and found themselves right in the thick of the postseason chase come September and above the .500 mark for the first time since 2017.
2022 also ended up being Baltimore’s first winning season since 2016, when they won 89 games and captured the second AL Wild Card.
Baltimore had lost over 100 games in each of their last three full seasons prior to their turnaround in 2022.
Young stars such as Adley Rutschman, Austin Hays, Anthony Santander, and Cedric Mullins helped guide the Orioles on their way to an 83-win season.
Hyde, once a bench coach for the Chicago Cubs, helped transform the Orioles into a surprise contender and ignite hope for the future.
NEXT: Orioles Fans Are Focused On A Drastic Turnaround Continuing