The success of the 2023 season for the Baltimore Orioles came as a surprise to many in the world of baseball. For Birdland, we always knew the talent that was coming together was better than most gave credit for.
After winning 101 games and the AL East Title, the first since 2014, the Orioles are getting recognition for the talent that has helped create the new darlings of the American League.
The season ended in the divisional round after the eventual World Series Champion Texas Rangers swept the Birds. It was a learning experience for the young guns and the first for some of the longer tendered players.
Because of the success of the team, the Orioles have six players who have been nominated for the 2023 All-MLB Team.
The All-MLB Team is voted on by the fans and panel experts who split the votes 50/50. Voting is open until November 19, with fans able to vote once every 24 hours. The winners will be announced on December 16.
Let’s see who was nominated for the Orioles.
FÉLIX BAUTISTA
Bautista was putting up a historical season before an elbow injury cost him the last 34 games of the year. Eventually requiring Tommy John Surgery, Bautista was an intimidating presence on the mound, armed with a triple-digit fastball, a nasty slider and one of the best splitters in the game.
For the season, The Mountain appeared in 56 games, tossing 61 innings while compiling an 8-2 record. He converted 33 saves and struck out 110 batters to just 25 walks. The first-year All-Star pitched to a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and held opponents to a .144 average.
YENNIER CANÓ
A stand-out rookie on this Orioles team, Canó came out of nowhere and forced his way into a key role for the Birds during the 2023 season.
Canó started his season pitching 25 straight scoreless and hitless innings. Armed with a sinking fastball that touches the upper 90s, it was the slider that Canó developed as the season went that made him one of the top set-up men in the game.
For the season, Canó appeared in 72 games, pitching 72.2 innings. He would go 1-4, but had 31 holds and converted eight saves. He struck out 65 batters and allowed just four home runs for the year, finishing with a 2.11 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.
KYLE BRADISH
Bradish became the undisputed ace of the Orioles staff this season, his second as a full-time starter.
Bradish would start 30 games this season and impressively would allow more than three runs only four times while finishing fourth in MLB in ERA (2.83). Armed with one of the best sliders in the game, Bradish was the most reliable starter during the regular season.
Bradish showed flashes of a strong starter in 2022 but took a big step forward in 2023. He improved his batting average against by .040 points (.215 BAA), dropped his pitches per inning 1.3 points (15.65) and walked two fewer batters in 51 more innings of work.
Bradish finished the season 12-7 with 18 quality starts under his belt. He compiled a 2.83 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP across 168.2 innings of work and would strike out 168 batters while walking just 44 and keeping his pitchers per plate appearance at 3.9.
GUNNAR HENDERSON
Gunnar Henderson is easily one of the biggest MLB superstars in the making. The former top prospect was a major part of the Orioles’ success this season.
Playing both shortstop and third base, Henderson led all rookies in bWAR (6.3), fWAR (4.6), home runs (28), triples (9), extra-base hits (66), RBIs (82) and runs scored (100).
The now-22-year-old became the first Orioles rookie to hit 20+ home runs, 20+ doubles, five triples and 10+ steals in a single season. He ranked third in defensive runs saved (DRS) at shortstop (10) and had a DRS of three while playing third.
Henderson, who has added his first Silver Slugger to his already impressive resume, is the front runner for the BBWAA AL Rookie of the Year honor. He received the Sporting News Most Outstanding Rookie Award and became the second Orioles player (AL Brumby) to win the Baseball Digest/eBay AL Rookie of the Year Award.
ADLEY RUTSCHMAN
The first building block of the Orioles rebuild, Rutschman has already established himself as one of the top catchers in all of baseball.
The 2019 first overall pick and former top prospect made his debut with the Orioles in May of 2022. Since then, the Orioles have gone 168-116 while not getting swept in a regular season series since. Rutschman earned his first All-Star nod and is the winner of the Silver Slugger for AL catchers this season.
Rutschman played 154 games, leading all catchers with 163 hits. He slashed .277/.374/.435 with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs (second among catchers), finishing in the 92nd percentile in expected weighted on-base percentage (.373).
Defensively, Rutschman threw out 22% of would be base stealers (above league average) while finishing in the 85th percentile in blocks (7), 79th percentile in framing and 81st percentile in pop time (1.91 seconds).
ANTHONY SANTANDER
Anthony Santander is one of the unquestioned leaders for the young Orioles. In his seventh season, Santander has been through the tear down, quietly becoming one of the best power hitters in the game.
After hitting 33 home runs in 2022, Santander followed that up with an even better season, hitting 28 home runs but becoming a better all-around disciplined hitter. He saw a career-best 4.2 pitches per at-bat, helping set a career-high in on-base percentage (.325).
Tony slashed .257/.325/.472 while driving in a career-high 95 runs, also setting career-highs in games played (153), hits (152), total bases (279), doubles (41), BABIP (.299) and stolen bases (5).
These six members of the Orioles all had strong seasons that helped pave the way for the team to win an AL-best 101 games. Each player was integral towards the team’s overall success and now has an opportunity to take home some hardware that recognizes their accomplishments.
We look forward to seeing who wins and hope that each player will earn the honor of being a part of the 2023 All-MLB Team.
What do you think of the Oriole representatives for this honor? 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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