What is the Greatest Strength of the Baltimore Orioles?

With a strong 2024 season so far, what has been the greatest strength of the Baltimore Orioles?

Aug 18, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates with third base coach Tony Mansolino (36) after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

After reaching the playoffs last season, the Baltimore Orioles are continuing to improve, as they are battling with the New York Yankees for the American League East this year. 

The Orioles came into 2024 on a mission to continue to grow and compete with their talented young roster. In the offseason, Baltimore pulled off a massive deal to bring Corbin Burnes to town. As the true No.1 on the pitching staff, Burnes instantly legitimized the starting rotation, but it is the lineup that once again continues to be the backbone of the Orioles. 

In recent years, Baltimore has done an excellent job scouting and developing their young hitters. Now with the rebuild pretty much completed, they are starting to see these players shine at the MLB level. 

Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report recently spoke about the Orioles’ greatest strength being their ability to develop hitters. 

“Though Grayson Rodriguez has shown flashes here and there and Kyle Bradish was on the rise prior to having Tommy John surgery, the Orioles aren't exactly a hotbed for homegrown pitching talent at the moment.”

“But when it comes to bats, it's really no contest. Thanks to homegrown stars such as Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and now Jackson Holliday, the Orioles have gotten the most fWAR and offensive value from 25-and-under hitters over the last two seasons.”

As a team, Baltimore checks all the boxes in terms of offense, as they are second in the league in home runs, only behind the Yankees. Also, the Orioles are Top-10 in the league in batting average, as they don’t only rely on the long ball to generate offense, which will be important come playoff time. 

Gunnar Henderson is having his breakout season for Baltimore, as he is hitting .282 with 33 home runs and 78 RBIs. In addition to Henderson having a great year, the one player who might be having the best season for the Orioles is Anthony Santander. In 2024, Santander is hitting .235 with 38 home runs and 86 RBIs. 

Baltimore has certainly made the most of their draft picks when it comes to selecting hitters and that has helped them have a strong 2024 season. What is exciting for the Orioles is that players like Henderson will be under team control for quite some time, and they also have another super prospect in Jackson Holliday, starting to get a taste of the majors. 

The strong drafting and development of hitters for the Orioles will make them a threat in the American League for years to come.