Predicting the Orioles' leaders in every key pitching statistic in 2024

With Opening Day right around the corner, which pitchers are going to lead the staff in the major statistical categories?
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WHIP: Corbin Burnes

The highest WHIP that Corbin Burnes has had in the last four seasons was 1.07, and he recorded a WHIP below 1.00 in two of those seasons. Not to mention, opponents haven't hit over .200 against him in any of those seasons either. Pretty simply, Corbin Burnes doesn't allow hitters to get on base at a consistent clip.

If we are making this call purely based on past success, it's hard to argue for anyone else other than Burnes. However, one name I'll throw out there is Tyler Wells. He was leading MLB in WHIP for a substantial stretch last season before he was set back with arm fatigue.

Strikeouts: Grayson Rodriguez

If the aforementioned Grayson Rodriguez breakout does happen, it could result in some huge strikeout numbers. As previously mentioned, he has electric stuff that's only going to get better as he gains more experience at the major league level. Last season, Rodriguez struck out over 9.5 batters per 9 innings, resulting in 129 strikeouts in total.

Grayson Rodriguez
Division Series - Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles - Game Two / Patrick Smith/GettyImages

It seems fair to expect the strikeout numbers for Rodriguez to only go up from here. If he racks up a lot of innings (which he showed he was capable of in the second half last season), he could record over 200 strikeouts.