Orioles winning with vets guiding young stars

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.

The small group of veterans inside the Orioles’ clubhouse is never letting a team filled with youngsters get too high or too low. That remained the case this past weekend, when Baltimore played one of its biggest series of 2023 -- a clash with Tampa Bay featuring the top two teams in the AL East.

“Because there is a lot of media talk surrounding this series, it doesn’t mean it makes or breaks our season right here in four games,” catcher James McCann said over the weekend. “As long as you keep that in the back of your mind, the situation shouldn’t be too big.”

“Even four wins [vs. the Rays] doesn’t seal anything. We’ve got to play two more months of really good baseball if we want to win this division,” added right-hander Kyle Gibson.

The Orioles did not notch a four-game sweep of the Rays, but they came close, taking three out of four and seizing sole possession of first place in the AL East. Baltimore then carried the momentum into Philadelphia, where it will have an opportunity for another series victory Wednesday after winning Monday’s opener and then losing on Tuesday.

A big reason why the O’s (62-39) are thriving is because of their exciting young talent. Adley Rutschman provides steady leadership despite being only 25. Gunnar Henderson makes head-turning plays on a nearly nightly basis. Prospects Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser should only improve after their first month in the Majors.

But the impact of the four most experienced players in Baltimore can’t be overstated.

Together, Gibson, McCann, infielder Adam Frazier and outfielder Aaron Hicks have 2,966 combined games of big league experience. Each has played in the postseason -- Gibson with the Twins and Phillies (three games from 2019-22), McCann with the White Sox and Mets (three games from 2020-22), Frazier with the Mariners (five games in ‘22) and Hicks with the Yankees (30 games from 2017-22).

The knowledge each has to offer is a big reason why they were brought in by the Orioles. Gibson (35 years old) and Frazier (31) signed one-year deals in the offseason, McCann (33) was acquired in a December trade with the Mets and Hicks (33) signed after getting released by the Yankees in May.

“Very helpful,” the 24-year-old Westburg said of the quartet. “And if it’s not from words of encouragement or words of wisdom, it’s definitely from just showing the ropes and how to compose yourself in-game in big situations, or how to carry yourself in the clubhouse.”

It’s not like Baltimore’s young core is a rowdy bunch that needs to be kept in line. Quite the opposite. Gibson has said since the early days of Spring Training how impressed he’s been with the maturity and business-like approach of the 20-somethings in the organization.

Still, many of the less experienced players on the Orioles’ roster haven’t been part of a pennant race. Some, such as Rutschman and Henderson, got a taste of a hunt for the postseason last year, when Baltimore stayed in the Wild Card race until the final week of the season, before falling three games short of a berth at 83-79.

This year is different, though, because the O’s are leading the pack in late July. They control their own destiny as the AL’s top team and the leaders in the East Division.

“That’s what you sign up for, right? You head to Spring Training and you want the opportunity to be sitting atop a division at the end of July,” McCann said. “It’s very exciting, and it’s something that we’ve worked hard for.”

The Orioles can’t let up now, and the older guys in the clubhouse should continue to reinforce that point in meetings and group settings moving forward.

As for Westburg -- who is exactly one month into his MLB career -- he’s enjoying the diverse group in the first big league clubhouse he’s experienced.

“In my mind, it makes sense to have veterans and young guys come together, mesh, and I’m certainly glad that they’re here -- if not for other young guys, certainly for me,” Westburg said. “Because I’m still trying to get used to this clubhouse, figure out my roles and looking to them for advice or just to show me the way. They’ve been helpful in that.”