After their 2022 season, it’s safe to say that the Orioles’ lengthy rebuild is nearing an end: the contributions of star backstop Adley Rutschman upon his call-up to the majors vaulted the O’s to a record north of .500 for the first time since 2016. With Rutschman in the minors, the club went just 16-24, but a strong 67-55 finish put them squarely in the playoff conversation up until the very last days of the regular season.
The O’s ultimately fell short of October. Whether due to the sheer magnitude of their leap — their year-over-year increase in winning percentage, at 19.