The Orioles’ month of July is one that fans want to forget when thinking about recent history.
It’s the first time since May of 2022 when the Orioles had a losing month in a season. While it’s frustrating to see, the month wasn’t as bad as everyone seems to make it, as the O’s still went 12-13 in July.
Despite the team struggling, the Oriole offense really showed out in the month of July. They finished seventh in OPS (.760), sixth in hits (220), fourth in triples (7), and ninth in BABIP (.301).
The pitching side of things is where the struggles of the month came, as the Orioles finished 24th in ERA (4.97), eighth in hits allowed (223), seventh in earned runs allowed (122), tied for seventh in walks (81) and fifth in strikeouts (229).
While the pitching was a problem, it’s also hard to win games when you get outscored 115-134 for a -19 run differential. What also didn’t help was the team’s offense with runners in scoring position.
In their 12 wins, the Birds went 34-114 with RISP and left 96 batters on base. This averages to .298 and eight batters left on base. Their opponents would go 17-73 with 82 left on base, which averages to .232 and around seven left on base.
Overall, the Orioles went 47-for-201 with RISP for a .233 average, and their opponents went 59-for-208 for a .283 average.
With all this said, let’s discuss who showed out this past month for the Birds.
COLTON COWSER
The first of the two position players was very difficult to decide. Both Cowser and, believe it or not, Ramón Urías had amazing months. We ended up going with The Milkman for two reasons.
One, he played in three more games and collected eight more hits in those three games. Two, his time at the lead-off position towards the end of the month really helped skyrocket the team’s offense.
In 21 games and 73 at-bats, Cowser slashed .315/.378/.507 with a .885 OPS. He collected 23 hits, two doubles, four home runs and 13 RBIs while also stealing two bases in two attempts.
Cowser finished top four in qualified rookies in both average and OPS for the month, and for the season, he leads qualified rookies with 16 home runs and is currently third in OPS (.784).
As we continue into the dog days of August, let’s see and hope that Cowser is the true lead-off guy this team needs, especially as he is currently on a career-high 13-game hit streak.
CORBIN BURNES
While picking position players was difficult, picking a starter was actually quite easy. Corbin Burnes is the ace of this team for a reason and pitched 32 innings of damn good baseball in July.
In five starts, Burnes went 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA and gave up 25 hits, 11 earned runs, nine walks and struck out 29 batters while holding them to a .212 average.
Burnes has been the best starter for the Orioles in almost every statistical category. He currently has a 2.47 ERA, which is second in qualified pitchers behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. He has started 22 games and is holding batters to a .215 batting average while walking 33 and striking out 128.
Burnes is a favorite to win the AL Cy Young as we continue forward into the season. It will take a good month of August to really put him over the top, however.
ANTHONY SANTANDER
We saw many Tony Taters this past month, and they were truly amazing to see. Santander was hands down the best O’s position player in the month of July.
In 25 games, Santander slashed .303/.361/.626 with a .987 OPS in 99 at-bats. He collected 30 hits, three doubles, a triple and a team-high nine home runs. He also knocked in 18 RBIs and stole a base.
Santander has been a power machine this year. He is currently tied with Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani for second in home runs with 32 and is currently in sole possession of second in AL home runs behind New York’s Aaron Judge (39).
BURCH SMITH
When trying to find the reliever for the month, we never noticed how dominant Burch Smith was when he was on the mound.
Smith pitched in seven games this month and had a 2.16 ERA but also held batters to a .194 batting average and had a WHIP of 0.72. He only gave up two earned runs and didn’t walk a single batter while striking out 10.
In his first month with the Orioles, Smith made a big impact on a struggling bullpen, as he has the second lowest ERA behind newly acquired right-hander Seranthony Domínguez. Watch out for Smith moving forward in the season. It’s always nice to have that silent killer in the pen.
We had one major league debut this past month, as right-hander Chayce McDermott got to make his debut on July 24 against the Miami Marlins, when he would go four innings of five-hit, three-run, three-strikeout baseball in a no decision.
Below is a list of notable events that happened this past month:
- July 14: O’s score three runs in the bottom of the ninth against Yankees, including a Cedric Mullins walk-off single to remain in first place heading into the All-Star break
- July 15: Gunnar Henderson participates in his first ever Home Run Derby
- July 19: Anthony Santander has a two-home run night in a 9-1 victory over the Texas Rangers
- July 24: Chayce McDermott makes MLB Debut in a 6-3 loss to the Miami Marlins
- July 26: O’s trade former All-Star Austin Hays to the Philidelphia Phillies for reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache
- July 26: O’s trade prospects Jackson Baumeister, Matthew Etzel and Mac Horvath to the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Zach Eflin
- July 26: Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache make their O’s debut in a 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres
- July 28: Zach Eflin makes his O’s debut in a 10-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays
- July 28: James McCann gets hit in the face and stays in the game
- July 30: O’s trade Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to the Miami Marlins for starting pitcher Trevor Rogers
- July 30: O’s trade prospect Trey McGough to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Eloy Jiménez
- July 30: O’s trade cash considerations to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Austin Slater and infielder Liván Soto
- July 30: O’s trade prospects Seth Johnson and Moisés Chace to the Philidelphia Phillies for reliever Gregory Soto
- July 31: Jackson Holliday hits his first career home run, a grand slam onto Eutaw Street in a 10-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays
While July wasn’t the best by record, the Orioles still ended the month in first place by half a game over the Yankees. The month also provided two big injuries to infielders Jorge Mateo and Jordan Westburg. We hope they both recover well and get back on the field soon.
What moment or player stood out most to you this past month? 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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