Early in the abbreviated 2020 season, the Orioles attempted to make 30-year-old rookie Cole Sulser their closer based on little more than a hunch that he could do the job. It did not go particularly well, as he struggled with control and experienced a stretch in August in which he blew just as many saves as he completed. Nearly a year later, Sulser is no longer the closer, but he has turned into one of the most reliable arms in a deep Orioles bullpen.
It wasn’t always clear Sulser was going to be trusted with important innings for Brandon Hyde’s team ever again.