They started from the bottom, now they're here! The Baltimore Orioles have had a stunning turnaround over the last few years. After being the laughingstock of the league, the team made a stunning turnaround in 2022, barely missing out on the playoffs. Now, the Orioles are not only the leaders in the AL East, but they are firmly on top of the American League.

A big part of their turnaround is the performance of their young stars. Catcher Adley Rutschmann, outfielder Anthony Santander, and shortstop Gunnar Henderson lead an elite hitting group that's been on a tear this season. As the season starts to wind down, the Orioles awarded Henderson with the Most Valuable Oriole award.

It's hard to believe that Gunnar Henderson is still just a rookie. The Orioles' star shortstop has been excellent this season. He's tied with Santader for most home runs on the team this season with 28, while posting a .818 OPS on the season. There's a strong case for Henderson to win AL Rookie of the Year this season.

As mentioned, it's not just Henderson that's been firing on all cylinders this season. Santander parlayed an excellent World Baseball Classic performance into an elite season. Rutschmann continues to be a hitting machine… all while playing great defense from the hardest position in baseball.

It will certainly be interesting to see how far the Orioles can go this season. They have a relatively young and inexperienced roster, but having the top seed also brings a lot of high expectations. Can Baltimore deliver on the hype surrounding the team?