The Orioles ended the month of April in first place despite missing two quality starters. With the duo set to return, how will Bradish and Means bolster the first-place squad?
It’s the first day of May and the Orioles are in sole possession of first place. Baltimore contending hardly qualifies as a surprise after the Birds won the division last season, but the club’s hot start is impressive on multiple levels
This team entered 2024 with high expectations for the first time. The Orioles caught everyone off guard last year, but the young club has everyone in baseball paying attention right now. To make matters more difficult, every team in the division is either hovering around or playing above .500 baseball. It’s nothing new, but the AL East remains one of the most competitive divisions in baseball.
Baltimore knew it couldn’t fly under the radar after exceeding 100 wins last season, and nobody expected the AL East to roll over. Still, there’s one factor that makes this strong start even more impressive. The Orioles finished the first month of the season in first place despite missing two quality starters from their rotation.
Now, with John Means and Kyle Bradish set to return at some point this week, Baltimore is tasked with finding a way to fit two talented pitchers back onto the roster. The Orioles’ ability to develop young hitter after young hitter shows the health of this organization, but the increased pitching depth might be the greatest sign of progress in Birdland.
I spent years attempting to manifest anyone from the Mike Baumann, Alexander Wells, Bruce Zimmermann and Cody Sedlock group developing into a successful pitcher. It never happened. It still feels a little funny that the Orioles boast enough depth to generate talks of a six-man rotation, but the type of talent that requires the top starters to take the ball as often as possible.
So, uh, how exactly did this happen? Obviously acquiring one of the best pitchers in baseball helped. Bradish felt like an Opening Day starter before the Orioles traded for Corbin Burnes. Burnes’ arrival immediately allowed each pitcher to slide down a spot. Grayson Rodriguez may already possess “ace” level stuff, but the Orioles shouldn’t need the 24-year-old to carry the club through a playoff series.
Dean Kremer took a step forward with a 13-5 record and a 4.12 ERA last season. He remains a quality option for the back of the rotation with the ability to shine any given night. Kremer stepped up last night with seven strong innings against a Yankee lineup that had been cruising before it arrived at Camden Yards.
Cole Irvin delivered seven shutout innings against the A’s after blanking the Royals for 6.2 innings last week. Irvin flashed improved stuff early but failed to yield positive results in his first three starts. Now, all of a sudden, he’s pitching like a guy that can’t come out of the rotation.
Two guys do need to come out of the rotation though. Means and Bradish are going to start when healthy, and the bullpen should receive a fresh injection of stretched out arms.
Albert Suárez feels like a lock to join the bullpen after making three starts for the Birds. The 34-year-old came out of nowhere to make a pair of strong starts before struggling last week. Brandon Hyde made sure to credit the organization’s advanced scouting department after Suárez pitched well in his first appearance. Good teams go and find guys. They help players get the most out of their abilities, and they squeeze every ounce of talent in an effort to win baseball games.
Suárez posted an extremely impressive 35.2 Whiff percentage in his first three appearances. He could reach the high 90s when working in short stints, and he likely represents an upgrade over recent waiver claim Yohan Ramirez and Baumann. Tyler Wells should return at some point, and a healthy Bradish and Means would allow Wells to manage the potential for arm fatigue in the bullpen.
Speaking of depth and the bullpen, Baltimore’s relievers pieced together back-to-back gutsy performances against New York. With Craig Kimbrel unavailable, recently activated Cionel Pérez, Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe completed a shutout in Game 1. Cano pitched in three different innings, and Coulombe tallied the first three-out save of his career. A day later, with both Kimbrel and Cano unavailable, Keegan Akin and Jacob Webb shut the Yankees down after Kremer went seven strong.
The return of Bradish and Means will indirectly improve the club’s so called “weak spot” in the bullpen. Neither pitcher is guaranteed to remain healthy all season—that’s what the depth is for—but a first place team is about to get even better with both the rotation and the bullpen getting a shot in the arm.