I predict Orioles will win 98 games in 2024

I will post more later but I wanted to get this in before Opening Day (which I am going to tomorrow). I think the Orioles will go 98-64 and win the AL East again.

The Orioles had a great record in one-run games which could be hard to repeat, especially with Bautista out. However, the roster is full of players who could do better and they should get a boost at some point from Holliday. I think O’Hearn will have a tough time repeating but I am expecting a big improvement from Westburg. Burnes was a great addition.

Here are some professional takes:

Sporting News: 83 wins, second in the AL East

https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39’s predictions are in. 👀

Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/vkyb2exySS
— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2024

Our model predicts the World Series winner, playoff odds and won-loss records.

Agree? ✍️ @amock419 https://t.co/vQaQKVclVF pic.twitter.com/WtSQFc35ju
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 27, 2024

They predict the Orioles to finish with 86 wins and second place in the AL East

#Orioles over Dodgers in the World Series?

That was the consensus in a poll of 88 MLB dot com voters conducted last week.

"In a very tight vote, the O's top the Dodgers as World Series champs. Baltimore last hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy in 1983."https://t.co/amLfeVbddq
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 27, 2024

ESPN predicts the Orioles will win the AL East. They also picked them to be AL champions but lose in the World Series.

The betting sites all seem to have the Orioles around 89.5-90.5 wins. They’re either second behind the Yankees or co-favorites in the AL East.

"With the addition of [Corbin] Burnes, I don't see how they don't win that division outright."

Ron Darling reacts to Pecota projecting the Orioles to finish 3rd in the AL East standings. #MLBNow pic.twitter.com/AlT4rTVAu0
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) March 26, 2024

In comparison, here are the AL East 2024 standings projections per FanGraphs.#Yankees #MLB https://t.co/SY2Kg3o2zb pic.twitter.com/Jx5fqy3liy
— Jacob P.M.🌔 (@JacobBSpeaks) March 26, 2024

Tweet on Ahmad Rashad’s groomsmen

Amazing!

Think Ahmad Rashad might like a mulligan on his groomsmen? pic.twitter.com/cMuM8hCmNf
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) May 14, 2020

Great tweet and reply on MLB animal teams

Are the Marlin and Tiger fighting on land or in water?
— Carsten Meyer (@C_arstenMeyer) March 5, 2024

Projections are underestimating the Orioles…again

The Orioles have crushed the projected win totals for the last two seasons. It looks like they are doing it again. I am going to wait for a while until I post my guess for the Orioles win total but it will be higher than any of these.

FanDuel over/under 89.5 wins

DraftKings over/under 90.5 wins

ZipPS (FanGraphs): 90-72

PECOTA (Baseball Prospectus) 87-75

How projection systems explain Orioles’ 2023 breakout, and how they can beat them again https://t.co/b32xCyyNwv
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) March 8, 2024

Projected 2024 Regular Season Wins
(average, FanDuel's over/under & FanGraphs' projection):

99 ATL
98 LAD
92 HOU
91.5 NYY
87 BAL PHI
85.5 MIN TOR SEA
85 TEX TB
84 STL
83 ARI
82 CHC
81.5 SF
81 SD
80 NYM BOS
79.5 CIN
79 DET CLE
78.5 MIA MIL
76 PIT
75 LAA
74.5 KC
66 WSH
65 CWS
64.5…
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 4, 2024

The projections are again doubting the Orioles. They don’t care.

“It means absolutely nothing to us. So you can put the computer away. We’ve still got to go play.”

“I don’t really care that they think the team is going to regress.” https://t.co/R6yFa7Lmnq
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) February 26, 2024

The Orioles have the best farm system in MLB for the 6th ranking in a row

The top farm systems in baseball, as determined by @MLBPipeline. 💪 pic.twitter.com/HWpgJicUQt
— MLB (@MLB) March 9, 2024

The #Orioles have the No. 1 farm system in baseball, per the new @MLBPipeline rankings.

Just like they did in the '23 preseason and midseason rankings.

And the '22 preseason and midseason rankings.

And the '21 midseason rankings.

6 in a row for O's:https://t.co/LO3J8V46Zh
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 9, 2024

Baseball America likes the system too.

Yes Orioles fans, you are clearly living in a much better time to be an Orioles fan.

The last time the Orioles farm system was this loaded would have been before Baseball America got its start in 1981.https://t.co/LLGmPEebcI pic.twitter.com/GufLDkZtja
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 5, 2024

So does The Athletic

Best MLB farm system according to these rankings:
2021 midseason —> Orioles
2022 preseason —> Orioles
2022 midseason —> Orioles
2023 preseason —> Orioles
2023 midseason —> Orioles
2024 preseason —> Orioles https://t.co/f2PQ5fM4aU pic.twitter.com/QDszadXmXb
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 9, 2024

MLB farm systems ranked from worst to best by top prospects (6/11/24)

Updated farm system rankings are here ✍️ @JoelReuterBR pic.twitter.com/x9OraZWFQE
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) June 21, 2024

After all the trade deadline moves in July 2024:

post trade deadline farm system rankings via fangraphs

also how many top 100 prospects each team has pic.twitter.com/0BCuuRxEHK
— BrooksGate (@Brooks_Gate) August 1, 2024

Baltimore Orioles Remain No. 1 in Key Player Development Ranking

8/16/24 – they are now ranked third. That’s still impressive since they have promoted so many good prospects.

Top 10 farm system rankings through the years.

Here's this year's complete rankings, 1-30: https://t.co/ktxxuqdvcs pic.twitter.com/xImLGiMAa4
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 16, 2024

Hack Wilson

Hack Wilson died in Baltimore. He still holds the RBI record with 191 in 1930. He was only 5’6″ tall.

“He was built along the lines of a beer keg and not unfamiliar with its contents.”
Shirley Povich on "Hack" Wilson
Washington Post pic.twitter.com/5dLMGegghL
— Jim Koenigsberger (@Jimfrombaseball) February 29, 2024

Also, (I believe) a spot once frequented by baseball great Hack Wilson and some local former boxers (p. 186). https://t.co/bEWpPQsmdZ https://t.co/36kJUTCoXP
— Brandon Weigel (@brandon_weigel) February 28, 2024

I've posted this before, but Hack Wilson suffered the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. For example, he wore size 5 shoes. That he became an all-time great is amazing.
— John Filippello (@Ol_Pete1926) March 1, 2024

Wilson worked at a pool in Baltimore

"When I see three balls, I just swing at the middle one. I never played drunk. Hung over, yes, but never drunk."
Hack Wilson
Seventy six years ago, a man identified only as a “white male” passed away in Baltimore hospital. No one came forward to claim the body. There was no money… pic.twitter.com/VVi7whB78L
— Jim Koenigsberger (@Jimfrombaseball) July 11, 2024

“He was built along the lines of a beer keg and not unfamiliar with its contents."
Shirley Povich
In 1930, Hack Wilson slugged 56 HR , walked 105 times, slashed .356/.454/.723, a 1.177 OPS & a 177 OPS+…..AND 191 RBI!
These were all league highs, excluding average and OBP.… pic.twitter.com/OFKrCdXAKY
— Jim Koenigsberger (@Jimfrombaseball) August 18, 2024

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The Orioles farm system is very deep

They have more players than they can use who have earned a shot at the majors in 2024.

The 2024 MLB Pipeline list

I have been an Orioles fan since 1976 when I moved to Baltimore and don’t think they have ever had as many major-league ready prospects as they do now. I’m not saying their top guys will be as good as Murray or Ripken but think the overall top 5-10 prospects are far better now.
— Harris Levy (@HarrisL585) February 28, 2024

Here are the oldest prospect lists I could find – Baseball America for 1983 and 1984. Compare this to 2024. I’ll take the current group. pic.twitter.com/P514k1dPQ1
— Harris Levy (@HarrisL585) February 29, 2024

These old lists are so less impressive than the current prospect lists. I don’t even remember all of these guys.

1983-2000 Top 10 Prospects Rankings Archive

Instagram post on the mud rubbed on baseballs

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A post shared by CBS Sports (@cbssports)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeff Jacobsen (@jeffjacobsen27)

Speaking of rubbing stuff on baseballs: Did you know that every ball used in MLB has mud rubbed on it before the game to dull the shine and give it a better grip? It started in 1938 by Lena Blackburne, a third base coach for the Philadelphia #Athletics. https://t.co/W2NjicaDeg pic.twitter.com/1fLLEpFm6M
— Anti-Fisher by Design (@AsFanByDesign) June 10, 2021

What’s so "magic" about the secret South Jersey mud rubbed on baseballs? These Penn researchers think they know why. https://t.co/xOAp1YGCQt
— The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) October 27, 2023

All MLB baseballs get rubbed down with mud from South Jersey before every game. Here is a 4 min video explaini… http://t.co/vAsIE7TkLZ
— baseball reddit (@baseballreddit) March 30, 2015

Tweets on Larry Doby

I'm so happy that @michaelsclair wrote this piece on Larry Doby's professional basketball career and that I was able to help out with it. Give it a read today–it's a side of Doby that fascinated me but I couldn't squeeze in to "Our Team." @nlbmprez https://t.co/G3OjNZmyKd
— Luke Epplin (@LukeEpplin) February 28, 2024

“One by one, (manager) Lou (Boudreau) introduced me to each player. All the guys put their hand out, all but three. As soon as he could, Bill Veeck got rid of those three.” — Larry Doby on integrating the American League in 1947#BlackHistoryMonth #SoulsoftheGame pic.twitter.com/94eJCoaTPr
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) February 9, 2024

"I was never bitter because I believed in the man upstairs. I let someone else be bitter. If I was bitter, I was only hurting me. I prefer to remember Bill Veeck, Jim Hegan & Joe Gordon, the good guys.
There is no point in talking about the others"
Larry Doby pic.twitter.com/lteFq1Fy4W
— Jim Koenigsberger (@Jimfrombaseball) January 4, 2024

1st Black player in the American League
1st Black player to hit a home run in World Series
1st Black player to hit a home run in an All-Star game
1st Black player in the American Basketball League (preceded NBA)
1st Black player to go directly to the majors from the Negro leagues… pic.twitter.com/CPjgKhw4Qj
— Jim Koenigsberger (@Jimfrombaseball) June 24, 2024

"It was eleven weeks between the time Jackie Robinson & I came into the majors. Eleven weeks. Come on. Whatever happened to him happened to me"
When the first Black ballplayer in AL was asked if Jackie Robinson's prior debut eased the way for his integration.
Larry Doby pic.twitter.com/bsrVtsyZIg
— Jim Koenigsberger (@Jimfrombaseball) March 6, 2024

This doesn’t make sense

Why is the Cal Ripken, Jr. ball cheaper than the Gunnar Henderson ball? I’m sure part of the reason is that Ripken signed lots of autographs. Still, Ripken is in the Hall of Fame and Henderson has had one great year (similar to Ripken’s rookie year). There is no guarantee that he will have as good a career as Ripken though I hope he does.