The 2023 Orioles season is a day away, and we are just as excited as most in Birdland for a campaign that feels different and special for our Birds.
One fun thing fans like to do is predict certain things about their team heading into the upcoming season. We at The Baltimore Battery are no different.
Our writing staff each has predicted three outcomes for the Orioles’ 2023 season: the team’s offensive MVP, the team’s best pitcher and overall 2023 team record.
Let’s see what our staff thinks heading into the O’s 2023 season:
2023 Orioles Offensive MVP
Justin: Adley Rutschman
Adley’s walk ability and plus power potential means he’s likely to be near the top or leading the league in OPS, RBIs and runs scored. He’s all around the best guy on the field night in and night out.
Stephen: Ryan Mountcastle
Mountcastle is poised to have a breakout year. Expected by many to surpass 30 home runs, he will even be in MVP discussions for the American League this season.
Zack: Adley Rutschman
After completely changing the direction of the O’s season last year, I’m predicting a 40-double, 30-home run season for Adley. I also see him having an OPS of .950 or higher in 2023.
Kyle: Adley Rutschman
I’m usually one to make hot takes and pick risky, but I’m backing the obvious horse here. Adley is in the rankings for MVP favorites, and for good reason. He lit up the league and became a fan favorite very quickly in his time last season. He’ll build on that and put together an MVP-caliber season we’ll all be talking about for years to come.
Dakota: Adley Rutschman
Adley has one of the best batting eyes I have ever seen. His only struggle last year was hitting off left-handers, but during spring training, he seems to have improved in the regard. If he continues hitting well from both sides of the plate, he will put up MVP-caliber numbers this year.
Jason: Ryan Mountcastle
I know, I know, Adley Rutschman exists. Call this my hottest take, perhaps. Everyone around him feels like a known commodity (for better or worse) and will provide some lineup protection. I believe that in 2023, this team goes as Mountcastle goes. It’s also incredibly hard to get that unlucky two years in a row. Watch out for Mountcastle to unload this year.
2023 Orioles Most Valuable Pitcher
Justin: Dean Kremer
Dean showed a lot of growth and maturity last year. I chose him over Kyle Bradish since he also became a reliable strikeout guy last year while having the edge in maturity and experience over Bradish. Also, he gave up a lot less hard contact last year, and that’s going to continue this year.
Stephen: Kyle Bradish
Bradish will take a big step forward this year, winning 14 games. He will pitch around 185 innings, striking out around 120 with an ERA of about 3.65.
Zack: Dean Kremer
I’m predicting a sub-three ERA, double-digit wins and tripe-digit strikeouts for Dirty Dean this season. He will surprise a ton of people.
Kyle: Cole Irvin
This should come as no surprise if you read my articles. I’m the conductor of the Swirvin’ Irvin train. The man has nasty movement and solid control. Irvin has the experience and talent to be an ace. I know that’s a little bit excessive to say, but I see so much upside for him this season. I think he puts up the best season on the mound for the Birds and really impresses and surprises people.
Dakota: Félix Bautista
If Bautista stays healthy, he is going to put up monster numbers on the mound. He had a 2.19 ERA in his 2022 campaign, but I see it dropping to around 1.50 or lower in 2023. His fastball and splitter combination is going to put a lot of batters away this year, and no one will want to face him down in the ninth inning.
Jason: Félix Bautista
I mean, it has to be, right? I got to see him pitch a couple of spring outings in person, and the sound of his fastball hitting the glove might have hit louder than before. The splitter is the kind of thing you laugh at out of pure joy. The Mountain dominates again in 2023.
2023 Orioles Overall Record
Justin: 89-73
The O’s will continue to build on last year, while the balanced schedule will help this group a lot. I kept it at 89 because I’m just not quite ready to say we will win 90 games.
Stephen: 88-74
The O’s take a step forward in 2023, thanks to their young guns. They drive the team with their fun and exciting play right into the postseason.
Zack: 89-73
The bullpen will be a huge reason the O’s win, especially if Cionel Pérez and Dillon Tate have big years locking down games in the late innings. Plus, the offense will be solid as we start to see a core lineup shape out.
Kyle: 91-71
The team finished last season just on the outside of the postseason looking in. They showed a huge amount of heart and just kept clawing away. In the end, it wasn’t quite enough, and the dream fell short. Now they come in with some more added depth, a few upgrades and even more young, promising studs. These factors should bolster the overall record and finally bring this team back into the postseason.
Dakota: 85-77
The Orioles are going to have breakout years from multiple players, including Henderson, Rutschman and Rodriguez. This young talent combined with veterans who know what it’s like to play in the postseason, on both the pitching staff and position players, will lead us to a slightly better year than 2022.
Jason: 82-80
I am a believer in this team but also a realist in knowing lightning struck early. I wouldn’t call this regression. I would call it pulling the slingshot further back before launching. This year is still going to be incredibly fun to watch.
There you have it. Those are our staff 2023 Orioles season predictions.
This is going to be one of the most exciting seasons Birdland has seen in quite some time. Will it be enough to get the Birds back into the postseason?
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What do you think of our predictions? What are your predictions for the 2023 season? Let us know in the comments below! And make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Follow our staff on Twitter: Justin – @orioles4life96, Stephen – @SRJHeckman, Zack – @Zackattack8211, Kyle – @BMoreBeats_, Dakota – @oriolesko, Jason – @jbenowitz1831
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