What Will It Take For Baltimore Orioles To Win AL East?

Here's what the Baltimore Orioles must do to fend off the New York Yankees.

Jul 14, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (25), Austin Hays (21) and Jorge Mateo (3) celebrate a win. / James A. Pittman-USA TODAY Sports

After helping the American League to a 5-3 victory over the National League in the All-Star Game, the Baltimore Orioles get back to work on Friday. Their first test of the second half will be a three-game road series against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers, who have lost three of four games to the Orioles this season.

Baltimore exits the All-Star Break with a slim one-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East standings. Were it not for last Sunday's miraculous walk-off victory against said Yankees, the two teams would be tied for first place.

The Orioles are 20 games over .500 and have been in first for over three weeks now, but their situation remains precarious. They lost five of six at home before the All-Star Break and have benefitted from New York's recent collapse, which can't last forever.

Baltimore won the AL East last year, beating out the 99-win Tampa Bay Rays by two games. This year is shaping up to be another photo finish.

According to the MLB Tonight crew, here's what the Orioles need to do to fend off the Yankees and repeat as division champs for the first time in 50 years.

Fill in the blank:

The Baltimore Orioles will win the AL East if _____.#MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/Xh8eKtIEnb

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 18, 2024

Former third baseman Mike Lowell, who spent five years in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox, says Baltimore just needs to stay healthy. "Barring some devastating injury, I think they're the most talented team in the AL East. If they stay healthy, they will win," Lowell said.

The Orioles have enjoyed good health for the most part, with only a few key exceptions like Kyle Bradish and John Means. That's one of the benefits of being a young team, as younger players tend to be less injury-prone than older players.

However, Lowell's colleague Yonder Alonso thinks Baltimore could be in trouble if New York adds another hitter at the trade deadline later this month. There's nothing the Orioles can do to prevent that, but they can help their own cause by beefing up their bullpen with a premier reliever like Tanner Scott or Mason Miller.

Ultimately, Baltimore needs to keep its foot on the gas. There are still two and a half months of baseball to go, so the race is far from over. The Orioles have a pretty difficult schedule in the second half, so getting some reinforcements at the deadline could help them stay in front of the Yankees and finish the season strong.