The All-Star break is behind us, the final stretch of the season has begun and with the trade deadline approaching, the Orioles are expected to be pretty active.
Already trading for right-handers Zack Eflin and Seranthony Domínguez, the Birds have ended the week on a high note, including a victory in the series finale against the Padres.
The Orioles are 4-5 since the All-Star break and have a one-game lead over the Yankees as they welcome the Toronto Blue Jays to town to start off the new week.
Let’s take a look back at who has been turning heads, whether for the good or the bad, since the second half has started on this edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly.
The Great: Anthony Santander
Anthony Santander is fresh off his first All-Star appearance and continues to show why he was a finalist in the voting.
Since the break ended, Tony Taters has stayed one of the hottest hitters in baseball, collecting 10 hits over his last nine games. Of those 10 hits, five have gone for home runs, as he’s also collected 10 RBIs and has scored 10 times.
Since the start of June, Santander went from slashing .218/.300/.440/.740 to slashing .240/.307/.520/.827, adding 20 home runs and 39 RBIs to his name.
The Good: Corbin Burnes
All-Star Corbin Burnes has not skipped a beat since the break ended.
Pitching in two games to start the second half, Burnes has picked up a victory and two quality starts, as he has combined for 13.1 innings and 2.75 ERA while striking out 11 versus five walks.
Burnes has pitched six or more innings in 16 straight starts, has allowed more than three earned runs in just one of his 21 starts and has struck out five or more batters in 12 straight starts.
For the season, Burnes is now 10-4 with a 2.45 ERA across 132 innings with 121 strikeouts and has 17 quality starts.
The Ugly: Craig Kimbrel
Kimbrel continues his roller coaster of a season, and since the break ended, has been struggling to regain his form.
For the season, Kimbrel is now 6-3 through 42 games while converting 23 of 29 saves and four holds. He has compiled a 3.32 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP.
The future Hall of Fame closer has appeared in three games since the break and has gone 0-1 with a blown save. He has totaled 2.2 innings, allowing five hits and five runs (three earned), walking three and striking out three.
The Orioles will play eight games this week, two on Monday, as the final week of July comes to an end and the trade deadline approaches.
Who will make our list next week, and who will step up in a big way? Tune in next week for the latest edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly.
Who has stood out to you the most to start the second half? 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!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on X – @SRJHeckman, and listen to the official podcast of The Baltimore Battery, The Final Strike, anywhere you get your podcasts!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment