Corbin Burnes Reveals Feelings for ‘Honor’ As Baltimore Orioles Game 1 Starter

The Baltimore Orioles ace understands how big of a deal it is to get the ball in Game 1.

Sep 20, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) throws a third inning pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

What the Baltimore Orioles have been waiting for is finally here, as they'll take on the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card round.

While the regular season didn't always go as planned, the Orioles need to put that behind them. At the end of the day, they managed to make the postseason, and if they win the World Series, no one would remember their rough showing at times throughout the 162-game season.

It all starts at the top. The guys regarded as stars simply have to show up. If not, Baltimore has a big problem on their hands moving forward, as it'll be two postseasons in a row they didn't play well.

Still, this team is young, so anything is truly possible in October. The Orioles simply need to hope their youngsters don't fold under pressure, and there's reason to believe they won't.

Game 1 will be the biggest game of the series. With Corbin Burnes toeing the rubber, they have to feel confident in getting a win.

Burnes has struggled a bit since the All-Star break but has looked excellent recently, a very promising sign as Baltimore needs him to be elite. The Orioles traded for him with the idea that he'd be their ace during the playoffs, so he can't let them down.

He spoke about their decision to start him in Game 1, and while it didn't come as a surprise, he's still thankful for the "honor."

"It's an honor," Burnes said, according to Field Level Media. "To get the ball on Opening Day (and) Game 1 of the postseason, not many guys get to do that in their career. I've been fortunate to do it a couple times, and to do it my first year here in Baltimore is special. This is a great group of guys, and they accepted me from Day 1."

If there's one player on Baltimore's roster with valuable postseason experience, it's Burnes. However, even he doesn't have much.

"Postseason baseball is a different monster," Burnes said. "... (It) isn't necessarily about going out there and trying to score the most runs. It's about controlling the momentum."

The right-hander has appeared in eight playoff contests, but has started in just two of those games.

In his eight appearances, he's posted a 2.84 EA in 19.0 innings pitched.

He allowed four earned runs in 4.0 innings in his last postseason start, so the hope is for him to be better this time around.

It's time for him to show the baseball world why he's worthy of a $250 million deal this winter.