3 players who nearly saved the Orioles from Wild Card collapse

For the second straight season, the Orioles came into the playoffs with home field advantage and as the favored team. And like 2023, home field advantage provided no actual "advantage" for the Orioles, who were swept out of the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Simply put, the Orioles bats failed to perform at the most important time in the season. They allowed only three runs in two games to the Royals (an ERA of 1.50) and still lost because they, themselves, could only muster one run. It came as no surprise then that the Orioles' three best hitters - Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Anthony Santander - shoulder most of the blame for this inexcusable sweep.

But, as was the case last season against Texas, a few Orioles shined bright in October and gave the team a chance when everyone else had seemingly packed it in. This article examines three of those players.

(3) Zach Eflin, RHP: 4 innings, 1 run, 3 strikeouts

When the Orioles acquired Zach Eflin from the Rays in July, they envisioned him as a veteran they could count on in October. Despite missing time with an injury in August, Eflin was at full health for the playoffs and gave the Orioles four innings of one-run ball in Game 2 against the Royals. After allowing a run in the first - an RBI single by Vinny Pasquantino passed a drawn-in infield - Eflin settled in nicely, allowing only two more hits and a walk to keep the score at 1-0.

Despite throwing only 75 pitches through four innings, Brandon Hyde removed Eflin from the game in favor of a leaky bullpen, which allowed KC to load the bases in the fifth before scoring the go-ahead run in the sixth. It's anyone's guess whether Eflin would have kept putting zeroes on the board; however, the usually reliable Jacob Webb, Cionel Perez, and Yennier Cano allowed the Royals take the lead for good while Eflin could only watch.

A small silver lining: Eflin will be back in 2025 to help anchor the Orioles' rotation.

(2) Cedric Mullins, CF: 3-7, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI

The Orioles' offense was an absolute disaster in the 2024 Wild Card playoffs. Five of their best hitters (Henderson, Rutschman, Santander, Colton Cowser, and Ryan Mountcastle) combined to go 2-37, and the rest of the offense was not much better.

That is, of course, except for Cedric Mullins.

Mullins' first go-round in the playoffs did not go well: he went 0-12 in the 2023 ALDS sweep against the Rangers. But Mullins provided a rare bright spot for the Orioles this year, smacking a team-leading three hits and scoring and driving in their lone run of the series.

Aside from hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning of Game 2, Mullins was (or tried to be) a catalyst for the Orioles' ill-fated Game 1 rallies. In his first at bat, Mullins socked a leadoff double off of the out-of-town scoreboard, but was left stranded. In the bottom of the fifth inning of Game 1, Ramon Urias doubled with one out. Mullins then took a solid approach against fellow lefty Cole Ragans, serving a single into centerfield with a well-controlled swing and sending Urias to third. But maddeningly, the Orioles again failed to score.

The Orioles' offense shoulders a significant amount of blame for this year's playoff collapse. Cedric Mullins, however, does not.

(1) Corbin Burnes, 8 IP, 1 run

When the Orioles acquired Corbin Burnes prior to the start of the 2024 season, this is what Orioles fans pictured. A Game One starter, pitching like he'd been there before, outright dominating his opponent. Anyone who watched Game 1 of this series can attest to this: Corbin Burnes was locked in and in control. From the outset, he was painting the corners for strikes and just missing with pitches outside of the strike zone. Through five innings, Burnes allowed merely a flair single to Nick Massey and a single to Yuri Gurriel, who was subsequently erased on a defensive gem double play by Ryan Mountcastle.

For every pitch he threw, there was little to no margin for error. The Orioles wasted scoring opportunities in the third and fifth innings, and it seemed like one run for either team would be enough. With the score tied at 0 going into the sixth, Burnes made his first true mistake, issuing a one-out walk to number 9 hitter Maikel Garcia. Garcia stole second and advanced to third on a bounce out by Massey, and the stage was set: Burnes, the Orioles best pitcher, against Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals' best hitter. Witt won the battle, grounding Burnes' first pitch into left field for what turned out to be the game-winning RBI single.

Burnes proceeded to shut the Royals out for the remainder of the game, but with the Orioles' offense on an early vacation, one was enough. The Royals beat Burnes and the Orioles, 1-0.

Overall, the Corbin Burnes experience was a good one for the Orioles. However, with the righty expected to move on in free-agency this winter, one cannot help but feel that the Orioles squandered one of their best chances at a special season in 2024 with Burnes at the top of his game. A 1-0 loss, where Burnes did everything he could to help the team win, is a painful reminder of this.

Suffice to say, having only 3 of your 26 players play well in the playoffs will not get the job done. The Orioles now enter a long offseason with significantly more questions than answers.