Balance is king.

[now]

A notable feature of this winning O's team is its balance--in the lineup, rotation and bullpen. Those strengths are also balanced between them, which is another positive.

The lineup balance was key in yesterday's game when the winning rally began with hits by Hicks and Westburg at the bottom of the order. Going 1-9, basically each third--Rutschman-Henderson-Santander, O'Hearn-Mountcastle-Mullins, Urias-Hicks-Westburg--could serve as a middle of the order; or you could mix and match them in any order, as Hyde has pretty much done throughout the season. I was all for giving Cowser a good tryout but now there are no easy outs to be had (and yes, even a struggling Colton gave good ABs).

The rotation has been a riddle all year as to rank order. And as we come to the stretch we're looking at a full complement of 8 viable starters to draw from. I think of them in pairs: Gibson-Flaherty, Kremer-Bradish, Wells-Means, and then more of an odd couple, Rodriguez-Irvin.

Likewise, bullpen fortunes have been variable among all the options, with the Mountain the most reliable but even with him, as with all of them, never a guarantee. Yet, every one has shown an ability to bounce back and step up. Again in last night's game, Webb was the poster boy, emerging from the waiver wire and now suddenly locking down the 8th inning of a close game. Or Fuji the night before, teasing with 3-0 wildness before rediscovering his groove. 

The TV series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty gets a lot of mileage from this same theme of teamwork versus star power (Kareem, Magic Johnson). Facing the San Diego superstars (Tatis-Soto-Machado-Bogaerts) serves as a prime example. 

Balance is king, as it breeds good chemistry. It gives you a winning run (Mateo) from the bench. It overcomes slumps and injuries. And for the Orioles it extends to the "deep depth" from the minors.

Really appreciating this aspect of the 2023 O's!

[Brian88]

Felix is king