We have officially finished the second full month of baseball, and the Baltimore Orioles continue to be one of the best teams in the Major League Baseball.
The Orioles’ month of May was absolutely electric, going 17-9 and helping secure second place in the AL East behind the powerhouse New York Yankees.
The Birds were led by their pitching staff, which posted a 2.86 ERA in 236 innings during the month. They had one shutout, 10 saves in 14 attempts, gave up 75 earned runs, walked 95 batters, struck out 224 and held batters to a .198 batting average for the month.
The offensive side wasn’t as dominant, but they got the job done, slashing .234/.299/.416 with a .715 OPS. The bats collected 205 hits, 45 doubles, six triples and 34 home runs, along with 115 RBIs. The O’s also stole 15 bases in 21 attempts and walked 73 times.
Let’s review some individuals who stood out in the month of May:
Offensive MVP: Gunnar Henderson
When we say that Gunnar Henderson is a favorite for AL MVP, we mean it with no remorse. Henderson has put on a show this season, and after the month he had, we could have honestly put him as back-to-back overall MVPs for April and May.
In 26 games, Henderson slashed .211/.362/.526 with a .888 OPS. He tallied 21 hits, three doubles, a triple and a team-high eight home runs. He also knocked in 17 RBIs and stole a base.
But the big thing with Henderson is 21 walks and 25 strikeouts. For context, Henderson had a total of 56 walks in 2023, and he has 37.5% of his total walks last season in just 26 games.
Behind his 19 home runs and 59 total hits, Henderson is producing with a .957 OPS on the season, with eight stolen bases in as many attempts and 42 RBIs.
Pitching MVP: Albert Suárez
Yes, the ageless wonder of Albert Suárez had an incredible month of May.
Suárez was a straight stud on the mound in May, having a 0.95 ERA in nine games and two starts. He pitched 19 innings, gave up just 10 hits and two earned runs, walked seven and struck out 14.
Big Al has really turned his career around in Baltimore. After not pitching in the majors since 2017, Suárez has had a huge impact on the Orioles’ success this season. In 34.1 innings, Suárez has a 1.57 ERA, has only walked 10 batters while striking out 29 and has held batters to an average of .197.
Overall MVP: Kyle Bradish
Welcome back to the mound, Mr. Kyle Bradish. Boy, have we missed you.
After missing the entire month of April due to injury, Bradish finally made his 2024 debut in May, and he put together a great first month. In five starts, Bradish has a 1.75 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched, has given up just 16 hits and five earned runs and has walked 11 and struck out 34.
Bradish put together just one start where he gave up more than one run and went seven no-hit innings before being pulled due to a high pitch count against the Chicago White Sox.
The 2023 breakout star looks to continue his 2024 campaign as he ventures closer to a Cy Young Award.
Key Moments
- May 7: Despite losing the game, the Orioles participate in the first ever City Connect vs. City Connect game against the Washington Nationals
- May 8: The Orioles win a 12-inning thriller behind a Jorge Mateo RBI single
- May 11: Jordan Westburg collects his second walk-off to help the Orioles beat the Diamondbacks
- May 15: Adley Rutschman hits a two-run walk-off homer to beat the Toronto Blue Jays
- May 17 – May 21: Gunnar Henderson has four-game home run streak, including two lead off home runs
- May 20 – May 22: The two-year streak of the Orioles not being swept is broken by the St. Louis Cardinals
- May 26: Kyle Bradish pitches seven no-hit innings against the Chicago White Sox
The Orioles now enter the month of June, when it will be 29 games of baseball in 30 days total. Let’s hope the Birds can continue this hot streak of great baseball as we move into the new month.
Who stood out to you in the month of May for the Orioles? 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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