Orioles surging like 1989 — and also have No. 1 draft pick

When Baltimore took Ben McDonald with the best choice within the 1989 draft, it was only one small a part of an exhilarating season for the Orioles.

That they had the No. 1 decide was as a result of the earlier 12 months had been horrible, however by the point they really made the choice, the Orioles had been in first place within the AL East, on their solution to turning into one among baseball’s traditional underdog tales. In reality, McDonald was drafted on June 5, 1989 — the identical day Baltimore received a season-high eighth sport in a row.

Sound acquainted?

This 12 months’s Orioles are all of the sudden drawing comparisons to that ‘89 crew. After getting into the season within the midst of a troublesome rebuild — Baltimore will decide first within the draft Sunday for the second time in 4 years — the Orioles have develop into one of many sport’s largest surprises over the previous few weeks. A 10-game winning streak put Baltimore briefly above .500. Because the All-Star break approaches, the Orioles have virtually as many victories (45) as they did all of final 12 months (52).

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A playoff spot nonetheless appears unlikely, however at this level, Baltimore is simply 2 1/2 video games behind the ultimate wild card within the American League.

“It’s been enjoyable to look at this crew, man,” stated McDonald, a right-hander who pitched 9 seasons within the majors and is now a part of Orioles TV broadcasts. “It jogs my memory a number of that ’89 crew in some methods, the place they acquired some confidence after which took off.”

The 1989 crew occupies a special place within the hearts of Baltimore followers. The 1988 Orioles misplaced 107 video games, and that didn’t do justice to what a laughingstock they had been after an 0-21 begin. There wasn’t a lot purpose to anticipate a fast turnaround in ’89, however shockingly, Baltimore led the AL East by 7 1/2 video games in the midst of July.

The division in the end got here all the way down to the ultimate sequence of the season in Toronto. The Orioles misplaced the primary two video games, permitting the Blue Jays to clinch the title. Baltimore did win the finale, with McDonald — who was already within the majors the identical 12 months he was drafted — incomes his first profession victory.

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The present Orioles rose from comparable depths as that ‘89 crew. Baltimore dropped 110 video games final 12 months, together with a 19-game skid that just about tied the 1988 crew’s mark for the longest dropping streak in American League historical past. Even earlier than this July surge, the Orioles appeared extra aggressive, thanks partially to an improved-but-still-fairly-anonymous bullpen.

Then Baltimore started its successful streak with a victory at Minnesota earlier than sweeping sequence in opposition to the Rangers, Angels and Cubs. It has been a pleasing shock for Orioles followers, who figured to spend a lot of the season monitoring the progress of minor league prospects and trying to the draft and commerce deadline as alternatives so as to add extra of them.

“I believe that we’re in retailer for lots of fine stuff right here for the following few years,” basic supervisor Mike Elias stated. “I’m very glad that it’s form of mirrored proper now throughout this stretch of play so plainly for our followers.”

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This run by the Orioles may very well complicate the remainder of the month for Elias. Baltimore figured to be a vendor on the deadline — 30-year-old Trey Mancini may have some worth, and Rougned Odor and Jordan Lyles are on one-year contracts — however within the midst of the crew’s first actually profitable stretch shortly, there may clearly be a temptation to journey it out and chase the postseason.

With the expanded playoffs, it is not unprecedented for a crew to choose No. 1 within the draft after which make the postseason in the identical 12 months. Minnesota did it in 2017.

“Every part that I do, or that we do, has tradeoffs,” Elias stated. “All I can say is, we do all the pieces from a really world, very considerate perspective, about what’s the proper factor to do for the well being of the Orioles franchise. And all that’s being considered for the draft, but in addition for the commerce deadline.”

For all the thrill of 1989, it was principally an outlier. The Orioles sank again beneath .500 the next 12 months and misplaced 95 video games in 1991. Baltimore traded Pete Harnisch, Steve Finley and Curt Schilling — all of whom had been a part of the ‘89 crew — for slugger Glenn Davis in a transfer that backfired badly.

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The lesson is that, whereas Baltimore’s lengthy successful streak was a enjoyable story for followers to rally round, the Orioles nonetheless must make sensible roster strikes if they will construct on it.

Elias hasn’t stated an excessive amount of to tip Baltimore’s hand heading into the draft, however he did say there is a basic feeling within the business that the primary participant taken will probably be a place participant, not a pitcher.

No matter occurs over these subsequent few weeks, the excellent news for Baltimore is that there appears to be extra assistance on the best way. In right-hander Grayson Rodriguez and infielder Gunnar Henderson, the Orioles have two of the sport’s high 5 prospects, in line with MLB Pipeline. Rodriguez has been sidelined with a lat harm, however Henderson has hit properly at Triple-A.

Catcher Adley Rutschman, the highest decide within the 2019 draft, made his big league debut with Baltimore earlier this 12 months.

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“I believe this group is in a really wholesome spot, and a number of that’s the gamers, and the best way that they’re taking part in up right here on the main league degree proper now,” Elias stated. “Then clearly having a superb group of minor league prospects behind them.”

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Observe Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister

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Extra AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports