Baltimore Orioles General Manager Predicts One Player To Be of Big Help in October

The Baltimore Orioles starter has been a pleasant surprise throughout the season and will need to step up in the coming weeks.

Aug 30, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Albert Suarez (49) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

There are conflicting views on how the Baltimore Orioles season has gone. On one hand, going 84-67 and being 3.5 games behind the New York Yankees is a disappointment.

However, when factoring in all the injuries the starting rotation has dealt with for much of the campaign, it's tough to blame this ball club too much. 

If things hadn't gone the way they have, there's a good chance the Orioles would be in a strong position to win the division or would've already clinched it.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. With the postseason approaching, that won't change, either.

Baltimore has to be ready to go with the arms they have.

Corbin Burnes is the pitcher who truly needs to step up. If the past few months are any indication, as he's struggled in most starts since the All-Star break, things won't go as planned.

The Orioles traded for him to have an ace in the postseason, so he needs to be exactly that. 

Of the others who need to step up include Albert Suarez.

Suarez has had an impressive showing, and frankly, it isn't being talked about enough. 

However, Jim Bowden of The Athletic made sure to give him recognition, naming him the club's most "under-the-radar" player entering October. 

"The Orioles have dealt with significant injuries in their rotation this year, including season-ending elbow injuries to Kyle Bradish and John Means as well as losing Grayson Rodriguez, who has been out since early August with lat discomfort. They bolstered their rotation at the trade deadline by acquiring Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, but ultimately Albert Suárez, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2017, has stepped up and been their second-best starting pitcher behind Corbin Burnes."

Baltimore's general manager, Mike Elias, had big words for the right-hander. He agreed with Bowden's assessment of Suarez and added that he should be the Comeback Player of the Year.

“Our pro scouting department quietly signed him out of the KBO last fall and our minor-league pitching coaches helped him add velocity. Along with Corbin Burnes, he has held our pitching staff together and, in my opinion, should win Comeback Player of the Year.”

When unpacking the Venezuela natives' campaign, it's easy to see why he's viewed as such.

Throughout all the injuries, he's been a staple in the Orioles rotation, posting a 3.39 ERA in 119 1/3 innings pitched.

In his 29 appearances, he started in 21 of those games.

He'll be tasked with continuing this special stretch in October, and hopefully, the pressure won't get to the 34-year-old.