The Baltimore Orioles are on the brink of an unbelievable accomplishment not many in the baseball world saw coming in 2023. The Orioles were expected to contend for a playoff spot, but few thought they would be atop the AL East and leading the race for the top seed in the American League with less than three weeks left in the regular season.

Baltimore holds a three-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East with 18 games left to play. The two play each other four more times before the playoffs, with those games being played in Baltimore this weekend. A series win would all but guarantee the Orioles win the division and put them within touching distance of securing the No. 1 seed.

The Orioles boast some of the best young talent in the league and have relied on that talent in a big way throughout the season. Several top prospects and other young stars have led the way for Baltimore, with the right mix of veterans contributing in ways both on and off the field.

The Orioles still have some other high-potential prospects who have yet to fully adjust to the big leagues. If they can correct that in them though, Baltimore becomes an even more dangerous team. One Orioles starting pitcher who has struggled lately can use a turnaround, and he could help Baltimore build some confidence in their pitching staff before the playoffs.

Finding another gear for Rodriguez

Grayson Rodriguez has put together a rookie season filled with literal ups and downs – he's been recalled three times from the minor leagues – but there seems to be something more inside of him. The Orioles have done a good job at limiting his innings this year, as they planned to do with such a young and lively arm, but Baltimore may be better off letting him loose for a couple of starts to close out the regular season.

Rodriguez has a firecracker of a fastball and has used it to fan hitters all season long. His 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings are impressive and he's generated double-digit swinging strikes in all 10 of his starts since the All-Star break. Those aren’t the only impressive numbers for Rodriguez in the second half.

The Orioles rookie has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in the second half, recording a 2.95 ERA in 10 starts. That includes six quality starts and six with at least six strikeouts. Compared to his 7.35 ERA before the All-Star break, Rodriguez is a completely different pitcher but the one the Orioles expected when they drafted him in the first round in 2018.

Stepping up in the clutch

The Orioles have relied on a very good starting rotation to get them to where they are at this point in the season. Behind that solid rotation is one of the best bullpens in the MLB, as evidenced by a 3.53 ERA for the season.

Injuries are a part of any team's season and they tend to pop up at the most inconvenient times. The Orioles are without arguably the best reliever in the league Felix Bautista, who landed on the injured list in late August with a partial tear in his UCL. Baltimore also sent down starter Tyler Wells to manage his innings.

In their absence, the Orioles need to lean on their other arms including Grayson Rodriguez. Baltimore's bullpen needs to be fresh for the stretch run and the postseason, so the starters have to grind it out late into games to save some bullets. The return of John Means helps the rotation, but a player like Rodriguez can carry a staff for a two-week stretch.

If he's able to do that for the Orioles the rest of September, Baltimore will be in great shape heading into the postseason. Having a reliable, young arm that knows how to make hitters miss is such an advantage in the playoffs. The Orioles hope to have that in both the rotation and the bullpen in October.

Grayson Rodriguez was projected to be a front-of-the-line rotation pitcher when he was drafted five years ago. He hasn’t quite gotten there yet, but the Orioles can rally behind him for the rest of the regular season and he can start to show that elite ace potential that so many expect from him.