3 Keys to Orioles Earning Wild Card Berth
The Orioles made their long-awaited breakthrough last season, finishing with a winning record but out of the playoff picture.
With promising prospects on the rise and new talent added via free agency, Baltimore is poised to take the next step this season.
I’ve pinpointed three key factors that will help the Orioles reach the postseason, and you can get great value by betting on it thanks to a limited-time promotion from BetMGM Sportsbook.
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If you’re a diehard Baltimore Orioles fan, though, you’re going to want to stick around to hear why you should use this bet on your favorite team.
Three keys to the Orioles making the playoffs
The odds aren’t really in Baltimore’s favor this season. Several young Orioles players will have to adjust to the MLB level while also providing quality playing time AND they’ll have to do so in one of baseball’s best divisions.
That means this is the perfect chance for you to cash in.
Baltimore is +375 to make the playoffs, +2000 to win the AL East, and +6600 to win the World Series with a win total set at 77.5 with -115 odds.
Here are three reasons why it's a good idea to bet on those lines:
1. Young pitchers must produce
Baltimore added Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin this offseason to anchor the top of the rotation, but that won’t be enough to compete with the likes of the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays and Red Sox.
Young up-and-coming starting pitchers, namely Grayson Rodriguez, will have to supply the rotation with more valuable innings to rely on. Rodriguez might have debuted last season if not for a lat injury that cost him multiple months on the injured list.
As a consensus top-10 prospect in all of baseball, Rodriguez could prove to be one of Baltimore’s very best pitchers from the jump.
It would also be a HUGE help if Dean Kremer can build off a season in which he finished with an 8-7 record, a 3.23 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Even if he just replicates that performance, it will give the Orioles quality depth at starting pitcher.
2. Rutschman, Henderson must deliver
The emphasis of the Orioles’ rebuild has been on drafting and developing high-quality talent. Last season, we started to see some of those players begin to break through, highlighted by a breakout rookie campaign from Adley Rutschman.
Hopefully that was only the start of things to come.
Rutschman was impressive as a rookie, but his talent and pedigree suggest there is even more to come. If he takes another step forward this season, the Orioles could have one of the best backstops in all of baseball.
Meanwhile, Gunnar Henderson could be this year’s version of Rutschman.
The No. 1 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, Henderson doesn’t do anything poorly, but he’s especially well-regarded for his hitting, power and arm strength.
Last season, Henderson hit .297 with 19 home runs and 22 steals across Double A and Triple A before receiving a late-season call-up. In a small MLB sample size, Henderson had a .788 OPS with 12 extra-base hits in 116 at-bats.
If Rutschman and Henderson live up to their high prospect rankings, Baltimore could have two of the best young stars in the game on their hands.
3. Veteran outfield must stay healthy
Baltimore is such a mixed bag of talent. Some players are established major leaguers on the back end of their careers. Others are superstars just breaking through. The rest play the outfield.
Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander are essential to Baltimore contending for the playoffs.
Mullins and Hays provide quality defense – combining for nine runs saved last season – while also contributing steady, if not spectacular, offense at the plate, too.
While he isn’t a great fielder, Santander has been one of the team’s most reliable hitters with a career OPS of .754, including a 33-homer campaign last year.
These players will not only be relied upon for their steady productivity, but also their veteran leadership.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.