There is no getting around that the changing fortunes for the Orioles bullpen are part of what led the team to ten fewer wins in the 2024 season and having to settle for a wild card berth. A year ago, the O’s had the fifth-best bullpen by ERA in MLB, at 3.55. This year, they were 23rd, with a 4.22 ERA. Keegan Akin was not part of this failure by any means, with a case to be made that he is the best Orioles reliever who pitched for most of the season.
This is as much a surprising (to me) statement of Akin’s quality as it is a reflection of how much some of the other relievers had seasons that did not live up to hopes for them.