The Baltimore Orioles are headed back to the playoffs, clinching berths in two consecutive postseasons for the first time in 27 years and returning once again after having not qualified since 2016 prior to last year.
Of course, while winning 101 games and the team’s first American League East title since 2014 was nice last year, things did not end the way anyone wanted them to following a 3-0 ALDS sweep to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers. This season was not nearly as smooth for Baltimore and the team had to fight down the stretch in order to make the postseason once again, but now that they have, they aren’t taking things for granted.
Nobody knows that better than star catcher Adley Rutschman, whose numbers took a dip this season after a massive 2023 was a huge reason as to why the team was able to win the division and win 100 games for the first time since 1980. In the aftermath of clinching the berth, Rutschman talked about the team’s mindset as they gear up for what will hopefully be a much lengthier postseason run than last year.
“Our guys are really happy to take this step. But for us, we’re ready to go,” Rutschman said via MLB.com. “We’re trying to get better. We’re setting ourselves up for a playoff run right now, and I think our guys are just really excited to get going.”
After the team entered last year’s playoffs coming off a spectacular regular season and enter this year’s likely at least 10 wins short of 2023’s mark, there is hope that this year’s postseason could go differently. The Birds struggled down the stretch of the 2024 season and had to scratch and claw their way to even make the playoffs, something that at times looked grim when star after star suffered injuries down the stretch.
But at last, the team has prevailed and earned their way back into October. Perhaps things may be a little bit different this time around as the O’s look to win their first playoff series in a decade.
“It’s possible that we enter into the playoffs with a little different flow than we had last year,” general manager Mike Elias told MLB.com. “At least that’s my hope.”
