Last year was the warning shot for the Baltimore Orioles, who, after losing 110 games in 2021, improved their win total by 31 games.

With a young, rapidly-improving core, this fun team was expected to continue on its upward trajectory in 2023, and maybe even challenge for a playoff spot. But to be second place in the AL East, ahead of the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, and have the third-best record in baseball? No one saw that coming.

The young talents at the center of this renaissance have transformed their potential into All-Star-level play. Following promising rookie seasons, Felix Bautista and Adley Rutschman have established themselves among the elites at their respective positions.

Which other Orioles players have impressed this season, and how many Baltimore ballplayers can be considered locks for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle this July? Voting might be subjective, but these four Orioles deserve to be All-Star game locks.

Orioles: 4 players who must be All-Stars in 2023

Felix Bautista

After a strong rookie season in which he had 15 saves and a 2.19 ERA in 65 games pitched, Felix Bautista has followed it up by solidifying himself as one of MLB's dominant relievers. The flame-throwing right-hander has a 1.16 ERA through 30 appearances so far in 2023 and more than two-thirds of his outs have come via strike out. He has even struck out the side in 10 of his appearances.

Bautista is an All-Star Game lock if ever there was one.

Adley Rutschman

How many MLB catchers hit for power and average? Very few. How many can hit well while also playing exceptional defense? Maybe one or two. Now, how many can do all of that while leading the Majors in walks at 25 years old? Only Adley Rutschman.

Rutschman finished 12th in AL MVP voting as a rookie last year and has improved in every facet of his game in 2023. Is it too early to call Adley Rutschman a Hall of Fame catcher? Probably. But it is certainly not too soon to say that Rutschman will be an All-Star in 2023.

Yennier Cano

All the focus in the bullpen early in the year was on Yennier Cano, as the right-hander as he did not allow a baserunner during his first nine appearances and kept opponents scoreless through his first 17 showings. The excitement quickly dampened as he allowed earned runs in three of his next five outings, and his ERA rose all the way to 1.06.

Cano does not strike out batters at the same rate as teammate Felix Bautista, but he has also given up just four walks in 34 innings pitched. Cano is the Robin to Bautista's Batman, and arguably the best set-up man in the league, he is more than deserving of joining his battery mate in Seattle for the All-Star game this July.

Cedric Mullins

After an All-Star-level campaign in 2021, Mullins' batting average dropped by almost 30 points and his home run numbers were almost cut in half. The outfielder is not quite back to his 2021 levels of production, but he has demonstrated better power this season and has greatly improved his on-base percentage by nearly doubling his walk rate.

Mullins is still a strong base-stealing threat too, with 13 steals in 15 attempts to open up the 2023 campaign. He may not hit .290 with 30 homers and 30 steals, but Mullins was on pace for a 25-homer, 40-steal year with .263 average before ending up on the injured list.