Felix Bautista's dominant 2023 season for the Baltimore Orioles ended in disheartening fashion. But the closer got a nice pick me up on Wednesday, when he was named winner of the 2023 Mariano Rivera Award, given to the American League's top relief pitcher each season.
The Orioles were quick to celebrate the achievement for the man affectionately known as “The Mountain” on the team's official X (f/k/a Twitter) account.
Bautista followed up a promising rookie season with a dominant sophomore campaign. He finished his year with a record of 8-2, sporting a 1.48 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in 56 appearances, all in relief. No relief pitcher had more strikeouts than Bautista's 110, and he finished third in the American League with 33 saves.
The O's closer likely would've have even better numbers had injury not struck.
Bautista's season ended on August 25 after a partial UCL tear in his right elbow was discovered. The club announced in late September that Bautista was undergoing Tommy John surgery. The procedure and recovery will cause him to miss the entire 2024 season.
Despite his season ending early, Bautista played a massive role in the Orioles' hugely successful 2023.
Orioles ahead of schedule
After six seasons of last or next-to-last place finishes in the AL East, a Baltimore team powered by an impressive group of prospects defied expectations by winning the division with a 101-61 record. The Orange Birds were swept by the eventual World Series winners, the Texas Rangers, in the ALDS.
Bautista is the latest member of the Orioles to earn some hardware for his part in the team's successful season.
Infielder Gunnar Henderson was named the AL Rookie of the Year after a unanimous vote. In addition, Brandon Hyde captured Manger of the Year honors for guiding the upstart Orioles to a first-place finish.
Although Baltimore fans won't be seeing Bautista for a while, he at least received recognition for his superb 2023 season.
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