Headed into 2023, there were few, if any, pundits, writers and analysts who could have predicted the season the Baltimore Orioles were going to have.
The Birds were projected to be in the cellar and lucky to win 65 games, at least the national media thought so. The only player many even considered talking about was former top prospect, catcher Adley Rutschman.
Outside of that, the pitching was supposed to be middle of the pack, the lineup just didn’t have the talent or experience, and the Orioles, despite their 2022 breakout, were simply lucky last season.
Here we are in November, and the Orioles not only won 101 games but won the AL East and the top seed in the AL postseason. Though they would lose to the eventual World Series Champion Texas Rangers, the season was a huge success.
Due to the success of the season, the young Orioles ended up gaining national attention. The media and fans alike were able to witness the talent that this young team possessed.
Now, with the season over, awards season has arrived, and the Orioles have players being recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to this past season’s success. The 2023 Silver Slugger finalists were revealed today, and the Orioles had three players named as finalists.
Let’s see who they are and why they are here.
ADLEY RUTSCHMAN
Being the Orioles’ undisputed team leader, Rutschman showed why the O’s selected him as the top pick in 2019.
The 25-year-old switch-hitter slashed .277/.374/.435 for the season while hitting 20 home runs and led AL catchers in average, on-base percentage, OPS (.809), runs (84), hits (163), doubles (31) and walks (92).
More impressively, Rutschman had an fWAR of 10.5 for the season. Earning his first All-Star appearance this season, Rutschman easily has shown how valuable he is on both sides of the ball, but his offense solidified how he is one of the top catchers in baseball.
GUNNAR HENDERSON
Henderson is the favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year honors, but the rookie phenom was also one of the best hitters in the game overall.
The 22-year-old struggled out of the gate, hitting just .201 through the end of May. Then, he caught fire, slashing .320/.354/.640 in June.
Going forward, Henderson displayed why he soared through the minors and was a superstar in the making. He would finish leading all rookies in home runs and extra-base hits, providing late-game heroics time and time again.
He finished the season slashing .256/.325/.489 and hit 28 home runs, 29 doubles and nine triples while driving in 82 runs and scoring 100 runs himself. Henderson would walk 56 times and steal 10 bases while playing both shortstop and third base at an elite level.
ANTHONY SANTANDER
The longest tenured Oriole, Santander is finally getting the recognition he deserves league wide.
Tony hit 33 home runs with 89 RBIs in 2022 but seemed to be overlooked. In 2023, he would hit 29 home runs with 95 RBIs, but it was his countless moments in big games that started to catch everyone’s eyes.
Santander had a .299 BABIP, seeing a career-high 4.213 pitches per at-bat. He hit .257 in a career-high 153 games while also setting career-highs in OBP (.325), slugging (.472), hits (153), including 41 doubles (second in AL), runs (81), RBIs (95) and stolen bases (five).
The winners of the Silver Slugger Awards will be announced on November 9 at 6 p.m. EST on MLB Network.
The last Oriole to win a Silver Slugger Award was outfielder Cedric Mullins in 2021, his historic 30/30 season. The last time the Orioles had multiple winners was in 2013.
We look forward to seeing who will win and wish all three finalists the best of luck.
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