Orioles’ patience with their pitching staff seems to be finally paying off

While the Baltimore Orioles boast one of the best young lineups in all of Major League Baseball with the likes of Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, and Heston Kjerstad, it's been the pitching staff that has been on fire of late.

The Orioles most recent domination of the Cincinnati Reds can be attributed to the stingy trio of Cole Irvin, John Means, and Dean Kremer. The O's didn't even need the services of the team's ace, Corbin Burnes, or Grayson Rodriguez, who is on the IL.

The Reds are widely regarded by many to have some of the best young hitting talent in the league, but the Orioles pitching staff made short work of the Cincinnati bats over the weekend. Is the Orioles' patience finally beginning to pay off?

Orioles’ patience with their pitching staff seems to be finally paying off

While holding the Reds' hitters to just two runs over three games is quite impressive, the Orioles pitching staff has been a roll for about a week. The Orioles held the New York Yankees to just six runs over the four games against their AL East rival last week en route to taking three of four games from the Bronx Bombers.

Irvin and Burnes came to Baltimore in different ways, as did Albert Suarez. But Means is as homegrown as they come, and Kremer's major league career began with the Orioles. The hope is, of course, that Rodriguez will make his triumphant return from the IL very soon and help to fortify the Baltimore rotation even more.

The Orioles have the bats to get the job done. The question entering 2024 was always whether or not Baltimore had the pitching to back up its offense. Through the first month-plus of the season, the answer is a resounding yes. The Orioles pitching staff ranks sixth in all of baseball with a 3.31 ERA and has allowed the fewest walks (85) this season.

Though health is always a concern when it comes to pitching, it would appear as though Baltimore has finally developed the type of depth necessary to make a deep run this season. While Henderson and O's bats definitely deserve the fanfare they've received, Baltimore's successful run in 2024 will hinge on its pitching staff. So far, the results speak for themselves.

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