The Baltimore Orioles surged at the right time during the regular season and took charge of the American League East just when the Tampa Bay Rays went into a bit of a freefall. While the Rays would emerge from the slump, the Orioles were more than ready to withstand the challenge and they earned the division title and the No. 1 seed in the American League.

The Orioles have had a few days to gather themselves and will start their American League Division Series Saturday against the Texas Rangers. That opponent took out the favored Rays in the first round, and while Texas may look like a somewhat easier opponent to beat than their American League East rivals, that assessment may be a mistake.

The Rangers are an up-and-down team that qualified for the playoffs as the No. 5 seed, but they are also a team that can string hits and runs together. The Rangers would have won the American League West title and the No. 2 seed if they had won their final regular season game at Seattle, but they lost that game and fell to the fifth spot.

That could have ruined the Rangers, but manager Bruce Bochy clearly has a resilient team on his hands and the Rangers registered 4-0 and 7-1 victories in sparsely populated Tropicana Field.

The Rangers are likely to be playing a free and easy brand of baseball and whatever disappointment they had at losing the division title has disappeared.

The Orioles will have their hands filled with the Rangers, but they can win the series and advance to the American League Championship Series. Here are 3 bold predictions for manager Brandon Hyde's Orioles.

3. Rookie shortstop Gunnar Henderson will rise to the occasion

Henderson is likely on his way to winning the American League Rookie of the Year, and he has established himself as one of Baltimore's leaders as the season has progressed.

Henderson slashed .255/.325/.489 during the season and he tied Anthony Santander for the team lead in home runs with 28 and he also drove in 82 runs while scoring 100 runs. Henderson's confidence has grown to the point where the Orioles and their supporters may want to see him batting in the most important situations.

Adley Rutschman would have been that player at the start of the season and he is an excellent choice, but Henderson hit 8 more home runs and also had an edge in total bases by a 274-256 margin.

It may be splitting hairs, but Henderson has shown he can handle late-game, clutch situations and he will provide the Orioles with leadership and production in this series. He is the pick to be the team's best player in the series.

2. Cedric Mullins has a veteran's ability to keep the Orioles on track

The Orioles had struggled badly for years prior to the 2022 season. They were a bottom-dwelling team in the American League East, and they regularly got drubbed by the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

A look at the American League East standings shows how the mighty have fallen and the previously meek have earned first place. Mullins has been with the Orioles since 2018, so he saw quite a few of those bottom-dwelling seasons. He survived those tough times and has become an integral part of this top-seeded team.

Mullins  is an excellent centerfielder who can range a great distance in either direction to rob opponents of extra-base hits. He is also a solid offensive player who belted 15 home runs, drove in 74 runs and also scored 51 runs. Mullins is an outstanding base runner who stole 19 bases while getting caught just 3 times.

If any of the Orioles deserve a chance to shine in the division series, it is the 29-year-old Mullins. Mullins will excel at the plate and in the field vs. the Rangers.

1. Kyle Bradish will dominate on the mound

Bradish is the best of the Orioles starting pitchers, and we expect Hyde to hand him the ball when the Orioles open the series.

Bradish has shown he can handle the biggest assignments and has emerged as a pitcher who can rise to the occasion in his second year. He mixes up his pitches and his breaking pitches have been nasty. Bradish finished the regular season with a 12-7 record, a 2.83 earned run average, 168 strikeouts and 1 .04 WHIP.

This is a pitcher who has exceeded all expectations and demonstrated remarkable improvement. He is not a superstar, but he is a pitcher who has shown he can be very effective when his team needs him most. Look for an excellent postseason from Bradish, and he will start by shutting down the Rangers hitters.