The Baltimore Orioles have managed to push themselves through some struggles, becoming the first major league team to reach 70 victories.
It didn’t come easy, and it didn’t come without struggles. But it’s another reason why the Orioles’ persistence should not ever be doubted.
The Birds completed their week going 3-3 between the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. During the week, the Orioles wrapped up the season series against the Jays (7-6) while remaining in a tie with the Yankees atop the AL East.
Let’s see which players made our list this week in this edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly.
The Great: Eloy Jiménez
It’s interesting how many negative comments were seen after GM Mike Elias traded for Eloy Jiménez. Personally, we saw another Aaron Hicks type bat coming to help a young team with nothing but upside.
Jiménez is starting to show Birdland exactly what Elias saw in the veteran and former Silver Slugger Award winner.
Jiménez played in five of the six games this week and went 7-for-15 (.467) with a double and two RBIs.
Since joining the Birds, Jiménez has slashed .500/.520/.583/1.130 with two doubles and four RBIS. This is an eight-game sample size, but the initial beginning is definitely looking like a smart move.
The Good: Albert Suárez
With the starting rotation beset by injuries this season, the Orioles have had to get creative and found a gem in the rough.
After playing abroad for the previous seven seasons, Albert Suárez is proving he is still capable of being a strong member of a rotation.
Though Suárez failed to pick up a win this past week, he was not the reason for that, as he combined to pitch 11.2 innings across two games and did not give up a run. He allowed a combined six hits, walked three and struck out 11, putting his team in position to win both games.
Big Al is now 5-4 through 24 games (16 starts) with a 3.39 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 90.1 innings. Opponents are batting .247 against Suárez, who has struck out 72 batters while walking 33 and making three quality starts.
The Ugly: Coby Mayo
The Orioles and Birdland have waited patiently and anxiously for the arrival of Coby Mayo. Along with Jackson Holliday, the hopes were sky high, as were the expectations.
It is too soon to rush to judgment, but after his first week, Mayo is in need of making adjustments at the big league level.
Through Mayo’s first six games, he has not collected a hit in 15 at-bats and has struck out 10 times, walking twice and scoring once.
Mayo’s track record speaks for itself, and there is a reason he is the Orioles’ No. 3 prospect. It’s just a matter of time before he starts mashing and proving all naysayers and doubters wrong.
The Orioles are off on Monday before they return home. They play six games this week, with the Washington Nationals coming to town for two games and the Boston Red Sox for a four-game series.
Will Jiménez continue his strong start with the Birds? Will Mayo take off and showcase his talent? Tune in next week and see who makes our list in the next edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly.
Which Oriole stood out most to you this past week? 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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