The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees are racing down the stretch for the American League East title. New York has taken a slight lead, going 7-3 since September 4, picking up 3.5 games on Baltimore. The Orioles' skid has put the spotlight on some struggling players, namely catcher Adley Rustchman. General manager Mike Elias told reporters that the blame should be directed towards him, according to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner.
“‘I put the roster together, I put the staff together, I put the personnel together. Results in this business, whether it’s this year or other years, it starts right here with me.' Elias said he didn’t ‘anticipate' the loss of depth this second half through injury,” Kostka posted on social media.
He continued, “But Mike Elias was also very vocal in his support of this group and their ability to turn this around heading into playoffs: ‘We’re going to figure this out and we’re gonna get out of it. I think it’s going to start tonight and I think we’re going to get right here.'”
Last season was the perfect year for the Orioles. They won 101 games and the AL East, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Gunnar Henderson has put together an MVP-caliber season and Corbin Burnes has been an ace but the Orioles have not been able to get past the Yankees. What needs to change for them to make a comeback in the division?
The Orioles' complicated path to the AL East title
The Orioles open up a three-game set against the Giants on Tuesday night. They will play the red-hot Tigers at home following that inter-league battle. After they close out their Camden Yards schedule, they'll head to The Bronx for a marquee matchup. Baltimore enters the Giants series three games back of the Yankees and must narrow that gap before the series.
The Yankees head out west to play the Mariners and Athletics to close out their road schedule. The schedule watching this weekend went their way, as the Orioles lost two of three against the Tigers and they took three from the Red Sox. According to Fangraphs, they have an 88.3% chance of winning the East, their highest mark of the season.
The Orioles player under the microscope the most is Adley Rustchman. The former number-one overall pick was one of the best catchers in baseball in 2023, with a 128 OPS+ and 80 RBIs. In his age-26 season, his OPS+ has dipped to 110 and he is hitting .254. Since the All-Star break, he has only 17 RBIs with a .207 batting average.
New ownership has Orioles fans excited about the future. In the past, the mid-market team would see their highly-drafted talent leave after their rookie deals. Now, David Rubenstein gives the team a chance to re-sign Corbin Burnes this winter. Gunnar Henderson and Rutschman should be in orange and black for the remainder of their careers.
The Orioles skid has taken them nearly out of contention for the American League East. They looked to start a dynasty in the division after a 101-win season last year. General manager Mike Elias says it is on him and he must hope they succeed in the playoffs this time around.
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