It’s safe to say that August was a month that involved a lot of mixed emotions for the Orioles and their fans.
Between the scare of Félix Bautista getting injured to the thrill of holding first place in the AL East, the month of August was hands down the best month to be an Orioles fan.
So without further ado, let’s recap the month of August for the Birds.
OVERALL
The Orioles went 18-9 in the month of August, which is tied with April of this year for most wins in a month for the club. The O’s as a whole slashed .278/.332/.448 with a .780 OPS in 27 games. They had 258 total hits, 50 doubles, six triples, 32 home runs and 144 RBIs, and also went 23-25 in stolen bases.
As for the pitching, while lights out might not be the greatest choice of words, the staff put on a show, carrying a 3.49 ERA in 237 innings pitched and tossing four shutout games this month. The pitching staff gave up 202 hits, 97 earned runs, 26 home runs, 67 walks and struck out 236. They held batters to a .224 batting average and had a WHIP of 1.11.
In total, four players really stood out and deserved to be mentioned individually.
RYAN MOUNTCASTLE – 1B
Ryan Mountcastle was hands down the best hitter for the Orioles in the month of August. He played in all 27 games and slashed .360/.444/.540 with a .984 OPS in 100 at-bats. Mounty collected 36 hits, 17 runs, three doubles, five home runs and 19 RBIs and had a team-high 15 walks and one stolen base.
Thanks to the August Mountcastle had, it really helped turn his season around. He is now slashing .275/.375/474 with a .801 OPS in 102 games played, totaling 105 hits, 20 doubles, one triple, 18 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has also now walked 30 times and has three stolen bases in three attempts.
ANTHONY SANTANDER – OF
Santander was the most productive hitter for the Orioles in August, as he never disappointed the team when needed to drive in runs. Tony played in 23 games and slashed .296/.353/.417 with a .770 OPS, collecting 24 hits, four doubles, eight home runs and 21 RBIs. To put this into perspective, Santander struck out 21 times, meaning for every strikeout he had, he had an RBI, which is nuts.
Santander has been the most consistent everyday hitter for the Orioles this season. Playing in 125 games, Santander has 124 total hits, 32 doubles, one triple, 26 home runs and 79 RBIs. He’s also walked 48 times and has stolen three bases.
After his impressive month, Santander has a chance to be the first Oriole with 100 RBIs in a season since Jonathan Schoop in 2017.
KYLE BRADISH – RHP
Kyle Bradish is being put into AL Cy Young conversations after having a fantastic August. The 26-year-old right-hander started five games and went 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 29.2 innings pitched. He gave up 20 hits, seven earned runs, walked nine batters and struck out 35 while compiling a 0.98 WHIP and holding batters to a .189 batting average.
Bradish is actually getting respect from the outside world. He has started in 24 games and has a 9-6 record with a 3.03 ERA in 133.2 innings pitched. He’s given up 112 hits, 45 earned runs, 36 walks and has struck out 130. The New Mexico State product has a 1.11 WHIP and has held batters to a .226 batting average on the year.
This sophomore season has been a big improvement for Bradish. For a more in-depth look at Kyle Bradish, our very own Stephen Heckman (@SRJHeckman on X) has one available to read by clicking here.
CIONEL PÉREZ – LHP
The final spot could have gone to both Cionel Pérez or Yennier Canó. We, as a group, decided that Pérez was the guy to highlight, but it honestly could have gone either way.
Pérez appeared in 11 games and went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He pitched 7.2 innings, gave up four hits, just one run that was unearned, walked two batters and struck out 12.
Pérez had a huge breakout season last year and really struggled to begin this season, but recently has turned around his entire season. In 51 games, Pérez has a 4-1 record with a 3.65 ERA in 44.1 innings pitched. He has given up 47 hits, 18 earned runs, walked 23 batters and struck out 40.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
- August 1 – August 3: Ryan Mountcastle has an 11-hit series vs. Toronto
- August 3: Jack Flaherty makes his Orioles debut and strikes out eight
- August 4: James McCann has a five-RBI day against his former team, the New York Mets
- August 5: Orioles celebrate 1983 World Series Championship club, and Kyle Gibson grabs career win No. 100
- August 7: Ryan Mountcastle hits the furthest home run at Camden Yards in the Statcast era (472 feet)
- August 13: Cedric Mullins robs a game-tying home run then hits a go-ahead home run in extras to beat the Seattle Mariners
- August 20: Gunnar Henderson misses cycle by a single, instead choosing to collect a double (four extra-base hits)
What an August, as we now enter September. The regular season is almost over, and that means one thing. Postseason baseball is around the corner, and the Orioles are currently looking like a top contender.
Hopefully, in September, we can say that the Orioles are division champs and getting ready to make a World Series run.
What do you think of the O’s month of August? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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