NEWSLETTER
If you’re looking for something to root for this month, the Baltimore Orioles are probably the best place to begin your search.
Gunnar Henderson Makes MLB Debut
The Baltimore Orioles are the gift that just keeps on giving for me this summer. Their surprise season has given me plenty of enjoyment and plenty to write about in this column. Wednesday was no exception, with another top prospect making his debut for the team.
The Orioles promoted their top-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline on Wednesday and shared this cool moment in which he learned the news.
Of course, Henderson rewarded the Orioles on Wednesday with a strong performance. Henderson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Baltimore’s victory over the Guardians.
It’s fitting that the O’s have been rewarded by their youngsters this season. They’ve done things right and brought them up when they were ready. We’ve seen youngsters make their debuts earlier this season than they might have in the past, with the new CBA aiming for just that, but the Orioles have led the charge.
Baltimore opened the season with Kyle Bradish on the roster and then called Adley Rutschman up in May. Rutschman has put together quite the AL Rookie of the Year case that can be topped only by Seattle’s Jose Rodríguez. Kyle Stowers and Tarin Vavra followed Bradish and Rutschman in July. They’ve all done their part in making the Orioles a Postseason contender here on September 1 for the first time in a very long time.
Even with the Orioles showing a commitment to the future by trading All-Star closer Jorge López and fan favorite Trey Mancini at the trade deadline, Baltimore has stayed competitive due mainly to the youth infusion this year.
With the addition of Henderson, veteran first baseman Jesús Aguilar, and southpaw DL Hall, the Orioles have their sights set on their first taste of October baseball since 2016. Baltimore is 68-61 and two games behind the Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot in the American League with a month to play.
Shohei Ohtani Makes More History
Like the Orioles, I’ve written plenty this summer about Shohei Ohtani and his marvelous feats at the dish and on the hill. Ohtani isn’t done making history this season. This time he became the first player in AL/NL history to hit 30 home runs and record 10 wins on the mound in the same season.
Ohtani accomplished the feat when he hit a three-run homer off of Yankees ace Gerrit Cole on Wednesday.
Ohtani’s go-ahead blast also made him the first Japanese-born player to log multiple 30-home run seasons.
“I’m simply honored, happy, and humbled to hear that,” Ohtani said through an interpreter when told of his feats after the game. “But I just want to stay healthy and finish strong.”
As Ohtani continues to rewrite the record books, the Angels continue to play the spoiler card. After sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, Los Angeles took two-of-three against the Yankees this week. The Halos have a night off today before a weekend tilt with the Astros in which they’ll have another chance to make an impact in the AL Postseason picture.
No Conforto This October
Speaking of the Astros, there was some chatter on Wednesday night that they might be in the market for an October addition in the form of outfielder Michael Conforto. According to Pat Ragazzao of SI, the Astros were among multiple teams to show interest in the former Mets outfielder ahead of Wednesday night’s deadline for Conforto to be eligible for the Postseason.
“According to sources, free agent Michael Conforto was recently offered a two-year, $30 million contract by the Houston Astros.
But while several playoff-bound clubs have had recent dialogue with Conforto’s camp, there has been no indication that a deal is close. If Conforto does not sign on with a team by the end of the day, he will not be eligible to play in the postseason. “
In the end, no deal was struck, and Conforto will not be Postseason eligible this year, making it highly unlikely that he’ll sign at all before the offseason when he’ll look for a new deal after missing 2022 with a shoulder injury.
