For the past few years the Baltimore Orioles could be mostly understand as a collection of future assets, prospects and possible stars bound up in potential and hypothetical. This was supposed to be the year those hypotheticals began to become realities but even the most optimistic of Orioles fans didn't really expect this — an 83-79 finish in the ultra-competitive AL East. The sky is still the limit for this team over the next few years but suddenly the floor is looking pretty good too.
- Ian Levy
FanSided Creative Editorial Director
What emotion defined this fandom this year?
Validation. After watching their team completely bottom out to rebuild their farm system and young talent pool, Orioles' fans were treated to their first winning season since 2016. Led by rookie catcher Adley Rutschman, the young talent coalesced even faster than hoped and had them in the playoff race well into August. This is what Orioles fans have been waiting for and this group of future stars is just getting started.
Why you should join this fandom
Of the nine players who saw at least 400 plate appearances for the Orioles this season, just two were 28 or older. The Orioles top pitching prospect (and the top pitching prospect in all of baseball), Grayson Rodriguez, has yet to make his MLB debut. 21-year-old Gunnar Henderson impressed in 34 games after an August call-up and will likely start next season on the MLB roster. And even with those two future stars moving up, the Orioles were still ranked as the No. 2 farm system by Fan Graphs. The future is bright in Baltimore. Hop in before the bandwagon gets too full.