The Orioles have a very difficult schedule during the month of June with only one off day, so depth will be key.
The Baltimore Orioles have their work cut out for them this month. Most people would consider June to be a very pleasant month, but these birds will be migrating often. The Orioles only have one day off in the next four weeks, and that oasis on June 17 is surrounded by a desert of tough competition.
Baltimore is already in the midst of a stretch of 14 consecutive games exclusively against AL East opponents. That continues this week with a road trip to face the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. But the schedule actually becomes less forgiving with a return to Camden Yards. Starting on June 11 through the end of the month, the O’s will face the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers.
If you are keeping score at home, that stretch includes the three best teams by record, and the past three World Series winners. Difficult schedule, indeed.
The Orioles enters Monday in a strong position at 37-20, meaning that, in a vacuum, they can afford to give extra rest to regulars during the coming grind. The problem, though, is that the O’s sit three games behind the unbeatable Yankees in the AL East. Repeating as division champions was always going to be challenging, but it is even harder now when the Yanks are playing this well without their ace. The Birds must bring their A-game against stiff competition with SP Gerrit Cole set to return soon.
Importance of Depth
Navigating such a crucial part of the season will be up to GM Mike Elias and Manager Brandon Hyde. Every MLB team nowadays shuffles around the active roster in order to have fresh players available, and the O’s are exception. They will need to rely on their pitching depth at Norfolk to get through the month. In fact, they called up RP Nick Vespi today while designating RP Thyago Vieira for assignment. Vespi has only thrown one inning in the majors this season and will now get to increase that total.
The Orioles currently have six pitchers on the 40-man roster in the minors, five of whom have big league experience. Swingmen Bruce Zimmermann and Jonathan Heasley and RP Bryan Baker are familiar faces, while SP Corbin Martin and RP Matt Krook have not yet made their team debuts. SP Seth Johnson is in AA and not imminently close to debuting. May All-Star C Adley Rutschman will have to handle this ever-changing group of arms.
With injuries mounting in the rotation, the Orioles might need a spot starter at some point. SPs Cole Irvin and Albert Suarez have done admirably in swing roles, and now they are holding onto rotation spots. If the front office wants to make a splashy move, they could call up starting prospects Cade Povich or Chayce McDermott. Both of them were trade returns at the 2022 deadline and now have around 100 innings of experience with the Tides, including over 50 innings this year. Povich has a higher ceiling with better peripherals, so he is a likelier short- and long-term answer.
Another Day, Another Promotion
The Orioles did, in fact, call up a prospect today, but not on the pitching side. 2B/OF Connor Norby is one of many position player prospects in the system, and he will get his first chance tonight. Norby was a second rounder in 2021 after raking at East Carolina. In his junior season, Norby hit .415 with 15 home runs while playing second base to draw the attention of scouts.
As a pro, Norby has traded in some contact for more power. He exploded in 2022 with 29 home runs while reaching AAA in September and then spent all of last season there. His stock dimmed slightly in 2023 by treading water, but he still hit 21 home runs with an .842 OPS. His slash line is back up this year while offense has dropped a bit in the International League, restoring confidence that Norby will hit in the Bigs. He is not a great defender, and the Orioles have plenty of infielders, so Norby has also been seeing time in left field in the past year.
I expect him to continue playing both positions, but for two different reasons. The Baltimore outfield skews left-handed, leaving few platoon options in pinch-hitting situations. Norby should get plenty of opportunities against lefty relievers. In addition, 2B Jorge Mateo is currently dealing with a concussion after a freak incident during yesterday’s game. For now, Norby is stepping into Mateo’s place and will start at second base in Ontario. It is possible Norby will be with the club until Mateo returns from the injured list. Similar to OFs Kyle Stowers and Heston Kjerstad, he may be on and off the roster the rest of the season.
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