The Baltimore Orioles took a huge leap in 2022. While they did not make the playoffs and finished just fourth in the American League East Division with an 83-79 record, that was still the first time in years that the Orioles finished a season above .500.

Having established great momentum with that performance in 2022, the Orioles can't be faulted for dreaming of a return to the postseason in 2023. If they can pull it off, it would be the first time since 2016 that the Orioles would play in the playoffs.

” It’s a realistic goal. It’s going to be tough, but they will be disappointed if they don’t make the playoffs, Baltimore general manager Mike Elias said about the team's outlook during an appearance on the ‘The Show’ podcast hosted by Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. “There’s a lot of good teams out there, especially in the AL East. The rebuild was about setting the organization up for several years.”

The Orioles got a nice boost in 2022 with the arrival of then-rookie Adley Rutschman, who led the team with a 128 OPS+. He slashed 254/.362/.445 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI in his first season in the big leagues and the Orioles are definitely hoping that he not only sustains those numbers but surpasses them all in 2023.

Baltimore has also made some noteworthy additions to the roster during the offseason, including starter Kyle Gibson and reliever Mychal Givens. Rutschman also gets a new backup in veteran James McCann, who can also act as the young catcher's adviser to further expedite his progress in the big leagues.