Baltimore Orioles Remain Among 10 Best Teams in MLB Despite Rough Week

The Baltimore Orioles have been in a downward spiral of late, but still find themselves among MLB's 10 best teams in the latest power rankings.

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The Baltimore Orioles enter play Wednesday with an 84-67 record, sitting four games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East and 2.5 games ahead of the Kansas City Royals for the first Wild Card berth.

While an 84-67 record with 11 games left in the season is nothing to scoff at, it has been a long road to ruin for the Orioles this season.

Baltimore entered play on July 7th with a 57-33 record, good enough for second in the American League, and holding a three game lead over the Yankees in the American League East.

Despite going just 27-34 in their 61 games since then, the Orioles still find themselves in the top 10 in Bleacher Report's latest MLB power rankings.

Not only is Baltimore in the top 10, they sit just one spot outside of the top five in sixth place.

"The more time goes by, the more it looks like July 7 may prove to be the pinnacle of the Orioles' 2024 season," writes Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report. "They're 27-33 ever since then, with contenders and non-contenders alike doing their share of damage against them. That their 3.0-game lead is now only a 3.0-game deficit feels akin to a small miracle."

It has been mostly pitching that has let the Orioles down of late.

Since the All-Star Break, the Orioles rank 21st in MLB in team ERA at 4.40.

Over the first half of the season, pitching was a key aspect of Baltimore's success, with a 3.71 team ERA ranking them sixth in MLB.

The offense, on the other hand, has fallen off in the second half as well, though it has not been as detrimental as the pitching.

In the first half of the season, the Orioles ranked second in MLB in team OPS at .765.

Since the All-Star Break, Baltimore's team OPS of .721 ranks 16th in MLB.

Gunnar Henderson has played a big part in the Orioles' offensive success this season.

Entering play on Wednesday with a .280/.365/.539 batting line with 37 home runs, 87 RBI, and a 159 OPS+, 2024 has been a breakout season for the young shortstop.

Henderson's .904 OPS has him ranked 11th in MLB for that metric and seventh in the American League.

While the bulk of 2024 has turned out to be a disappointment for Baltimore, they are all but guaranteed a spot in the 2024 playoffs, which would mark their second consecutive appearance in the playoffs, a feat they have not accomplished since 1996-1997.

With the young talent coming down the pipeline for the Orioles, and Henderson becoming one of the preeminent hitters in the sport today, the future is bright for the club and sixth place in power rankings could be a distant memory in the near future.