Orioles' Young Star Sets Audacious Goal For 2024

Grayson Rodriguez is confident the Baltimore Orioles can do better after winning the AL East in 2023.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez has an audacious goal for 2024 — but not for himself.

Rodriguez was part of a contingent of players and team personnel that took part in the Birdland Caravan in Columbia, Md., on Thursday interacting with fans and signing autographs.

The right-hander is about to start his second season, this time with a firm hold on a spot in the Orioles’ young starting rotation.

When he earned his call-up last season, he knew he was joining a talented young team. But he and the Orioles took fans for a ride they had not experienced since 2014. The Orioles won the American League East. In doing so, they won 101 games, the first time the Orioles won at least 100 games since 1980.

Rodriguez told MLB.com that he knows exactly what his goal is for 2024.

He’s hoping to win 102 games, and he’s “confident” the Orioles will have more success this year.

It would be hard to top 2023. Along with the AL East title and the win total, Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson won Rookie of the Year, Brandon Hyde was named Manager of the Year and pitcher Kyle Bradish finished in the Top 5 of Cy Young voting.

Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman also won Silver Sluggers.

As for Rodriguez, he experienced some bumps in his first season but he came on in the season’s second half. He finished the season 7-4 with a 4.35 ERA with 129 strikeouts in 122 innings.

He and the Orioles lost to the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series.

The Orioles made Rodriguez their first-round pick in 2018 out of Central Heights High School outside of Nacogdoches, Texas. The O’s signed him for a $4.3 million bonus and he worked his way through the system before making his MLB debut in April of last season.