One of the fun aspects of writing about the Baltimore Orioles is that our fandom gets to grow. We get to research, dive into and watch the Orioles on a daily basis.
The other enjoyable part is that we are writers, so we have to create unbiased articles that highlight the good and, unfortunately, call out the bad. We do it to bring you the best aspect of each game, player and outcome to the best of our ability.
As the season closes and we prepare for the club’s first postseason appearance since 2016, we at The Baltimore Battery have each picked our Most Valuable Oriole from the 2023 season.
Let’s see who each of us picked and if there is a consensus top pick:
Stephen Heckman: Adley Rutschman
My reason for this pick is that Rutschman’s demeanor and attitude was always a calming and guiding direction for the team. Even when things weren’t going well, he never waivered. Rutschman also produced a strong season offensively, as he led catchers in walks and extra-base hits, broke Cal Ripken’s extra-base hits record [for the Orioles] and guided our pitching staff to a surprising season. He’s a leader and the heart and soul of this team.
Zack Bucklew: Austin Hays
While Hays is not the obvious pick, he has consistently been both an offensive and defensive machine for the Orioles this season. Between making game-saving catches and clutch hits, Hays being an All-Star also helps his cause. Overall, he has not missed a beat all season.
Jason Benowitz: Félix Bautista
Even though he has missed time with injury, the worst kept secret is the back end of the Orioles bullpen. The 2023 season has put Bautista on the map as the most dominant closer in baseball, and it hasn’t been particularly close. Currently, with almost being out for a month, Bautista is still third in the AL in saves and top-five in reliever ERA. Whether or not we hear “Omar’s Whistle” in October (and I think we will), Bautista has been almost robotically dominant in 2023. Without him, I’m not so sure the Orioles win 100 games.
Lauren Brock: Gunnar Henderson
It’s hard not to pick Gunnar. They let him get hot, and he became a blue flame. Henderson has created some of the greatest plays at both short and third, becoming an absolute staple of the O’s infield. Entering the last regular season series, Henderson has launched 28 home runs and is now tied with Cal Ripkin Jr. for second most homers in a season by an Oriole rookie. Maybe this is also my justification to the league for Henderson to be AL Rookie of the Year, but Gunnar is my Most Valuable Oriole.
Justin Sutphin – Félix Bautista
Yes, it may be cliche to pick Felix as Most Valuable Oriole for this year. But there is a reason for that, and the reason is simply because it’s true. Coming into this season, it’s safe to say we all knew Felix would play a large role, just how large was the question. For a team that has won as many one-run games as the Orioles have, there are a lot of things that need to happen. But you have to have a closer who can shut down any lineup multiple days in a row. That is exactly what Bautista was for the Orioles this year. The reason those one-run games were so winnable. At one point this season, Bautista was flirting with a K/9 of around 18, which is absolutely astounding. That’s about two strikeouts per inning. To me, what really sticks out in terms of how important Bautista is to this team is the way you hear the rest of the team, and the bullpen itself, references Bautista. Every bullpen arm, who are all pretty darn good themselves, knew and understood that bullpen peeped through the clouds this season because of The Mountain.
RJ Diliberto – Gunnar Henderson
When you win 100 games, you’re bound to have several team MVPs. While that is certainly the case with the O’s, I think Gunnar Henderson stands out above the rest. Henderson ranks first on the team in WAR (4.7), OPS (.818), HR (28), R (99), 3B (9) and SLG (.492). In his 148 games played this year, the Orioles are 93-55. His young energy has kept a fire burning for the team all season long, and he’s come up big countless times, as reflected by his .283/.350/.592/.942 slashline with runners in scoring position. To put the icing on the cake to his MVO campaign, in a few short weeks, he’ll be the AL Rookie of the Year.
Which Baltimore player is your Most Valuable Oriole for the 2023 season? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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