The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) East division. As of October 19, 2023, the Orioles are nearing the end of the 2022 MLB regular season. With just a few games left to play, their place in the AL East standings and overall MLB standings has largely been determined. In this article, we will look at where the Orioles currently stand in the divisional and league standings, analyze how they got to this point, and discuss their outlook for the final games of the regular season.
Current AL East Standings
The AL East is widely considered one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. Here are the current standings in the division as of October 19, 2023:
Team | Wins | Losses | Win % |
---|---|---|---|
New York Yankees | 97 | 61 | .614 |
Toronto Blue Jays | 87 | 70 | .554 |
Tampa Bay Rays | 86 | 71 | .548 |
Baltimore Orioles | 80 | 77 | .510 |
Boston Red Sox | 75 | 81 | .481 |
As the standings show, the Orioles currently sit in 4th place in the AL East with an 80-77 record. They have a .510 winning percentage on the season so far. The Orioles are 17 games behind the first-place Yankees, 10 games behind the Blue Jays, 9 games behind the Rays, and 5 games ahead of the last-place Red Sox.
So while the Orioles are not currently in playoff position, they have managed to escape the bottom of the highly competitive AL East. This represents progress for a young Orioles team that has struggled in recent seasons.
Overall MLB Standings
Beyond just the AL East, where do the Orioles stand in the overall MLB rankings? Here are the updated standings for all of Major League Baseball:
League | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|
AL East | New York Yankees | 97 | 61 | .614 |
NL East | New York Mets | 97 | 61 | .614 |
AL Central | Cleveland Guardians | 90 | 69 | .566 |
NL West | Los Angeles Dodgers | 109 | 48 | .694 |
NL Central | St. Louis Cardinals | 90 | 65 | .581 |
AL West | Houston Astros | 102 | 54 | .654 |
AL East | Toronto Blue Jays | 87 | 70 | .554 |
AL East | Tampa Bay Rays | 86 | 71 | .548 |
AL East | Baltimore Orioles | 80 | 77 | .510 |
Looking at the full MLB standings, the Orioles currently have the 20th best record out of 30 teams. With an 80-77 mark, they rank behind playoff contenders like the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Astros, while also trailing teams like the Blue Jays and Rays in their own division. However, the Orioles do have a better record than 10 other clubs, including AL rivals like the Angels, White Sox, and Tigers.
So while they are not playoff-bound, the Orioles have managed to pull themselves out of the bottom tier of teams this season. For a club that lost 110 games in 2018 and 108 in 2019, this represents a step forward as their rebuilding efforts slowly bear fruit.
How the Orioles Got Here
The Orioles’ current middle-of-the-pack status can be attributed to a combination of factors. Here’s a quick recap of their 2022 season so far:
Offseason Acquisitions
Baltimore made a handful of veteran additions to complement their young core, including:
– Trading for 1B Trey Mancini from Houston to bring back a fan favorite
– Signing LHP Bruce Zimmermann to a 5-year, $32 million extension
– Adding RHP Jordan Lyles to the rotation on a 1-year, $7 million deal
These moves helped improve the roster after the Orioles had the worst record in the AL in 2021.
Breakout Seasons
Several Orioles players had career years that sparked the team’s improvement:
– 1B Ryan Mountcastle: 25 HRs, 84 RBIs, .807 OPS
– CF Cedric Mullins: 14 HRs, 53 RBIs, 30 SBs, 4.9 WAR
– SP Jordan Lyles: 10-11, 4.42 ERA in 30 starts
– RP Felix Bautista: 15 saves, 87 Ks, 3.23 ERA
The emergence of young talent like Mountcastle and Mullins gave the lineup a boost.
Strong Bullpen
The Orioles bullpen has been a strength all season:
– Closer Jorge Lopez was an All Star with 19 saves before being traded
– Felix Bautista and Dillon Tate both have ERAs under 3.30
– Unit ranks 6th in MLB in bullpen ERA (3.16)
Reliable relief pitching helped Baltimore win close games.
Deep Prospect Pool
The Orioles have one of the top farm systems in baseball, and several rookies contributed this year:
– SP Kyle Bradish and DL Hall debuted in the rotation
– C Adley Rutschman, the #1 prospect in MLB, earned a mid-season call-up
– Recent call-ups like OF Kyle Stowers and SP Mike Baumann gained experience
Injection of young talent boosted the roster.
So while the 2022 Orioles are not a playoff team, their combination of veteran additions, breakouts from young players, bullpen strength, and emerging prospect depth has elevated them to mediocrity after several 100+ loss seasons.
Outlook for Final Games
With around 5 games left on the schedule, what can we expect from the Orioles during the final week of the regular season?
Playing Spoiler
Though out of contention themselves, the Orioles will have the chance to play spoiler against AL playoff hopefuls in their final series:
– 3-game road series against the Yankees from 10/3 – 10/5
– 3-game home series against the Blue Jays from 10/7 – 10/9
Taking games off New York or Toronto could dampen their postseason chances.
Development of Young Players
Baltimore will likely give plenty of playing time to rookies like Rutschman, Bradish, Hall and Stowers to gain more experience. The final games are an audition for roster spots in 2023.
Milestone Watch
Several Orioles veterans are approaching statistical milestones that the team would like to see them achieve:
– 1B Trey Mancini is 2 home runs shy of reaching 30
– 2B Rougned Odor is 4 hits away from 1,000 in his career
– SP Jordan Lyles is 3 strikeouts away from 1,000 in his career
The Orioles will hope to celebrate these individual achievements.
Playing for Pride
While the Orioles are out of contention, don’t expect them to simply go through the motions to end the season. Players and coaches alike will use these games to instill a culture of competitiveness and pride in putting forth maximum effort.
The final 2022 results may not matter much for the Orioles. But establishing the right habits and mindset over a full 162 games can pay dividends for the future growth of this young ballclub.
Conclusion
The Baltimore Orioles have rebounded from over 100 losses in 2018 and 2019 to achieve a respectable 80-77 record so far in 2022. They currently rank 4th in the highly competitive AL East and 20th out of 30 MLB teams overall.
Breakouts from young players, additions of veterans, and a strong bullpen have helped the Orioles exceed expectations this season. Though they will fall just short of the playoffs, the final few games represent an opportunity to play spoiler, further develop prospects, reach milestones, and instill pride.
Orioles fans should feel optimistic about finally witnessing tangible progress in their team’s rebuild. If the club can build on the momentum from 2022, brighter days may soon return to Baltimore.