After strong first half, O's positioned well for stretch run

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.

ARLINGTON -- During the final week of the first half, the Orioles went 1-5 on a homestand against the Cubs and Yankees. Chicago swept a three-game series, then New York came one out away from doing the same.

But the Yanks were unsuccessful. And while Sunday’s 6-5 win counted as only one in the standings, it felt like it was worth more, because it prevented Baltimore from having a nightmare finish that would have sent the club into the All-Star break on a six-game losing streak.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but six games would have been the longest streak for the Orioles, right?” All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg said.

Correct. It actually would have been Baltimore’s longest since a six-game slide from May 13-18, 2022. But Cedric Mullins’ walk-off two-run double in the ninth inning prevented that.

“To avoid that is big,” Westburg said. “As much as you want to say you weren’t thinking about it or didn’t really care -- we don’t care, we move on -- like, it does hurt, it does sting. It sucks to lose, and especially with how talented our group is and how much the fans want to see us winning. We feel that pressure a little bit. It stings.

“For us to win, especially the way we did, having that ninth-inning comeback, was cool. I think everybody was pumped up, and ending on a high note, hoping to take that into this coming week.”

As the O’s attempt to start hot in the second half, let’s look ahead with a midterm report.

One second-half goal: Win the AL East
After the O’s won the AL East championship in 2023 -- ending a nine-year division-title drought -- the expectations have been raised in Baltimore. The Orioles’ focus is finishing first in the East every year, and they’ve put themselves in a good position to potentially do so again this season.

The O’s went 58-38 in the first half -- for comparison, they were 59-37 at the 96-game mark last year, when they finished 101-61 -- and they hold a one-game lead over the Yankees (58-40). It’s the first time Baltimore has led the AL East at the All-Star break since 2016.

Likely Trade Deadline strategy: Buy aggressively
The O’s believe they can win a World Series title this year, hence why they acquired All-Star ace Corbin Burnes on Feb. 1, even though the right-hander is set to become a free agent after this season. Baltimore needs to bolster its pitching staff ahead of its push for the postseason and a potentially deep run through October.

The Orioles need a frontline starter who can group with Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez in a postseason rotation, and they could also use bullpen help. General manager Mike Elias has repeatedly stated he’s waiting for the market to develop before making a move (or multiple).

Key player: RHP Grayson Rodriguez
Burnes is a bona fide ace, and the O’s know they’re going to get a quality start from the right-hander nearly every time he takes the mound. They’re also likely to bolster their rotation ahead of the Trade Deadline.

But if Baltimore is going to make a deep run through October, it will likely need strong showings from Rodriguez. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed nine runs in three first-half starts, but if you remove those, he had a 2.43 ERA in his other 14 outings.

Prospect to watch: 1B/3B Coby Mayo
Last weekend, Elias said Mayo (the O’s No. 3 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 15 overall) is “very close” to the big leagues. The 22-year-old slugger has raked all season at Triple-A Norfolk, where he has slashed .301/.381/.602 with 17 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs and 56 RBIs in 65 games.

Baltimore doesn’t yet have an open roster spot for Mayo, but he should soon force the Orioles’ hand. His right-handed bat would provide a big boost for an offense that scuffled down the stretch to end the first half, scoring only 10 runs over its final six games.