Irvin's emergence grants O's a wealth of riches

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BALTIMORE -- Two pitchers in the Orioles’ rotation have similarly strong numbers a little more than six weeks into the 2024 season.

Here are some stats for comparison:

Pitcher A has a 2.83 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in 47 2/3 innings over eight starts. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in five of his outings.

Pitcher B has a 2.90 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 40 1/3 innings over seven starts. He’s also allowed two or fewer runs in five of his outings.

Nobody would be shocked to learn that Pitcher A is Corbin Burnes. The 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner is among the top aces in baseball, and the 29-year-old right-hander has been as good as advertised since getting traded from the Brewers to the Orioles on Feb. 1.

However, some may be surprised to find out that Pitcher B is Cole Irvin -- a 30-year-old lefty with six years of big league experience who struggled to carve out a role on the O’s staff in 2023, his first year in Baltimore.

When the Orioles acquired Irvin from the A’s on Jan. 26, 2023, they hoped he could be a quality starter who would eat innings after recording a 4.11 ERA in 359 1/3 frames in 62 starts for Oakland over the previous two seasons. Instead, Irvin tossed only 77 1/3 big league innings last year, making 12 starts and 12 relief appearances and pitching to a 4.42 ERA.

The first month-plus of the 2024 season has been a stark improvement for Irvin, who even orchestrated a career-long 22 2/3-inning scoreless streak that ended during his outing vs. the D-backs on Friday night, when he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 frames.

“I think my stuff’s better. I think, overall, I’m just in a better position -- mentally, physically,” Irvin said. “This is probably the best I’ve felt in my career. Good time for it to pop up.”

It’s a great time, actually, because Baltimore’s rotation landscape may soon get crowded.

Many roster projections heading into the season had Irvin on the outside of the Orioles’ rotation, possibly ticketed for a bullpen role due to the lefty not having any Minor League options. But right-hander Kyle Bradish (right UCL sprain) and left-hander John Means (left forearm strain) opened on the injured list, so Baltimore needed Irvin to make starts.

Irvin has thrived, especially of late, pitching to a 1.19 ERA over his past five outings. Bradish and Means both returned last week, but Irvin still wasn’t in jeopardy of losing his rotation spot because righties Grayson Rodriguez (right shoulder inflammation) and Tyler Wells (right elbow inflammation) are now on the IL.

Rodriguez, who was placed on the IL on April 30, will be eligible to return next week. He may not need a Minor League rehab assignment, as he wasn’t shut down for long and got back to throwing off a mound on Wednesday.

Hyde recently said it’s “definitely a possibility” that the Orioles use some type of pseudo-six-man rotation, perhaps during a stretch such as May 17-June 30, when they’ll play 43 games in 45 days. Burnes should always stay on turn as a workhorse ace, but Baltimore will have flexibility with a group that will also include Bradish, Rodriguez, Means, Dean Kremer and Irvin.

“You plan ahead, but it’s always in pencil,” Hyde said, “because so many things can happen on a nightly basis that can change.”

Such as the stronger contributions from Irvin, who may be forcing the Orioles to rethink their rotation blueprint for the rest of 2024.

“Just really impressed with how competitive he’s been,” Hyde said. “He’s got his pitches working, and he’s pitching with a ton of confidence.”

Despite being banged up the entire season thus far, the Orioles’ rotation has a 3.18 ERA that ranks fifth in MLB and third in the American League entering Saturday's action.

Irvin is watching his counterparts succeed, and it’s helping push him to greater heights.

“We’re just getting our job done,” Irvin said. “When you can have a group of guys that work for each other and go out and have the same goal in mind -- which is to get deep into the ballgame, take a load off the bullpen and be in position to win baseball games -- of course, you notice it, and it motivates you to be just as good.”