The Baltimore Orioles went from a 52-110 record in 2021 to an 83-79 mark this year.
That has to be one of the highest and most unexpected leaps from year to year by an MLB franchise in recent memory.
It also takes down the myth that year-to-year growth is necessarily slow an incremental: when a team finds the right conditions to compete, hires the right people, and develop their own players, these types of step forwards are not impossible.
There is no denying that Orioles fans are ecstatic with the way this season went down.
They probably didn’t expect to compete in 2022, but did it in style: until late September, they were very much involved in the race for the last Wild Card spot.
They couldn’t qualify, but Baltimore earned back the respect of baseball analysts and fans.
Baltimore Earned The Respect And Admiration Of Fans
They had lost it a while ago, with so many losing seasons since last making the postseason in 2016.
But now, a new era is brewing in Baltimore, and the team made sure to thank their fans for a thrilling campaign.
Thank you 🧡 pic.twitter.com/CFHpPckrCB
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) October 6, 2022
You can read in the replies that the O’s fans, in general, feel happy and grateful for a great performance in 2022.
The home run chain, the walk-offs, the post-game hugs between Adley Rutschman and his pitchers, the mascot, and the young core are the things fans will remember the most.
Rutschman had a brilliant year and surpassed the 5.0-WAR threshold, Cedric Mullins cemented his place as a very good centerfielder, and more stars appeared on the way: Gunnar Henderson, Keegan Akin, Spenser Watkins, Tyler Wells, Felix Bautista, Dilllon Tate, and several more.
This is going to be an exciting team to watch in 2023.
NEXT: The Orioles Only Have Reasons To Celebrate This October