Baltimore Orioles Star On Verge of Doing Something Not Seen in Nearly 20 Years

A Baltimore Orioles star is on the verge of doing something that hasn't been done in almost 20 years.

Jul 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander (25) stands at bat during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / James A. Pittman-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles were able to pull off a win on Tuesday against the New York Mets by a final score of 9-5. That win moved them to 74-53 on the season and they are beginning to show signs of being the elite World Series contender again that they were earlier this year.

While they still need to figure out the consistency aspect of it, at least the signs are there.

Anthony Santander has been a huge part of the success that the team has had this season. Now, he's on pace to do something that the league hasn't seen in nearly 20 years.

As shared by Jon Morosi of MLB Network, Santander is closing in on becoming the first switch hitter with a 40 home run season since Lance Berkman did it all the way back in 2006.

Santander is poised to be the first switch hitter with a 40-homer season in @MLB since Lance Berkman in 2006. @MLBNetwork https://t.co/RNyWLU2FcN

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 21, 2024

Those numbers show just how good Santander has been throughout the course of the 2024 MLB season.

He has played in 121 games this year, batting .239/.306/.528 to go along with 37 home runs and 82 RBI. His production will go a long way towards getting him a big pay day this offseason in MLB free agency.

At 29 years old, Santander has been playing at an elite level offensively for the last three years. That is a long enough stretch of time to believe that he's going to continue hitting at such a high level.

It will be interesting to see what ends up happening with him during the offseason. There is a long list of teams that is expected to have interest in signing him. Of course, the Orioles would likely prefer to be the team that ends up landing him.

All of that being said, the season he has been putting together has been special. Santander has been hitting at an unbelievable level this season and hopefully that continues forward for the remainder of the year.

Assuming he is able to do so, he will reach the milestone listed above. That would be a huge accomplishment for him.

Expect to see Baltimore pick up their level of play in the next couple of weeks. The MLB postseason is coming up quickly and they will need to bring their best in order to reach the goals that they have in place.

Santander is going to be a big part of the team's hope of winning a championship.