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The season ended in disappointment once again for the Baltimore Orioles as they were swept out of the MLB playoffs for the second-straight year. The offense stumbled and was virtually nonexistent in the AL Wild Card Series as Baltimore's bats forgot to show up. It left a sting in the Orioles' clubhouse, perhaps worse than last year's.
It's never easy to leave a season with regrets. The Orioles lost a year in their championship window though, a tough pill to swallow for any team. Baltimore expects to be back in the MLB playoffs yearly for the foreseeable future. There are no guarantees in sport, especially one as unpredictable as baseball.
The Orioles entered the season with World Series aspirations. A second-straight trip to the playoffs was a good start to reaching the Fall Classic, but a lot had to go Baltimore's way for the O's to represent the AL in the World Series. Still, not winning a single playoff game is hard to fathom for a team as talented as the Orioles.
The O's have to go back to the drawing board this offseason and try to figure out how to fix their roster and personnel. The goal is to not only get over the hump and win a playoff series but to challenge for the AL pennant. Who needs to look in the mirror the most?
Baltimore's stars nowhere to be found
It's hard to win when you don’t score runs. The Orioles scored a total of one run in two playoff games making winning a game, let alone a series, almost impossible. It was the entire offense that faltered, but a few key bats whom Baltimore relies on were silent in those two games.
Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and Gunnar Henderson were a combined 1-for-22 at the plate. Henderson reached base twice via walk, but the trio had 10 strikeouts.
It was a stark difference from the regular season when Henderson led the O's with an .893 OPS. Mountcastle had a .425 slugging percentage with 30 doubles and 13 home runs, while Rutschman ranked fifth among qualified catchers with a .250 batting average.
Rutschman admitted that his body wasn’t right after the Orioles were eliminated. Still, his lack of productivity along with the rest of Baltimore's offense is alarming given the circumstances.
Baltimore's offense was struggling to score late in the regular season, ranking 17th in runs and OPS across the last 22 games. There was hope the Orioles could change their woes in the MLB playoffs, but they only got worse. Baltimore's stars have adjustments to make in the winter.
O's front office searching for answers
There aren’t many upgrades the Orioles can make and feel like they’re a better team. Certain personnel can be brought in to change the culture of the franchise, perhaps one that is lacking the fire and grit to win in the playoffs.
There are cries for Baltimore to hit it big in the offseason and try to make a splash deal. The Orioles have more trade capital than anyone in the league and could acquire close to any player. Why they haven’t done that yet is surprising.
The trade for Corbin Burnes was a good start, but more was expected from general manager Mike Elias in the season, especially after Baltimore dealt with several injuries.
The O's made moves before the trade deadline, but none of them particularly moved the needle. Zach Eflin was the biggest name they acquired, unable to secure the likes of Garrett Crochet, Tanner Scott and other star players.
The Orioles have built their roster uniquely and methodically in a way that few organizations have been able to pull off. Elias and his staff should be proud of the work they've done but hopefully have the competitive edge to want more than a division title and a few playoff berths.
Baltimore can become much better on paper if the front office works the phones and makes a trade or two. The free-agent market isn’t the only place a team can upgrade in the offseason.
The Orioles could lose their ace Corbin Burnes on the open market and have the chance to replace him with their strong prospect pool. They can do a lot more if they're aggressive enough and find a few game-changers to add.
