Brandon Hyde on the Orioles drafting and developing All-Stars

When they play the All-Star game next Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas, the O’s participants will have a homegrown flavor.

Three of the four players repping the Orioles were drafted and developed by the Orioles in Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg.

The fourth player going, pitcher Corbin Burnes, was acquired in a trade of O’s prospects they drafted and developed. They sent lefty DL Hall to Milwaukee in that deal, their first round pick (No 21 overall) in 2017. They also sent infielder Joey Ortiz, their fourth round pick in 2019 and a draft pick this year to the Brewers. They will have the No. 34 pick in this coming draft from the Burnes deal.

The first two selections Mike Elias ever made as O’s executive vice president and general in the 2019 MLB Draft were Rutschman taken No. 1 overall and Henderson at No. 42.

“That credit goes to Mike. Mike and his team,” manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday pregame marveling at the O’s success in the draft under Elias. “What they’ve done in the draft since we’ve been here is unbelievable. To have Gunner, Adley and Jordan Westburg going to the All-Star game that just got drafted so many years ago that he drafted, that’s unbelievably rare.

“You have other guys too that have had really good first halves and are going to be really good major league players. The way they have evaluated talent out of the draft and to be able to restock the system so quickly. And to get guys through the system that can produce at the major league level so early on in their careers, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

By the way, with Westburg, Henderson and Rutschman, the 2024 O's are the first team to have three All-Star position players who are in their third career season or earlier, another example of their drafting and developing prowess. 

Hyde comes from a player development background himself and can really appreciate so much home-grown talent in his clubhouse.

“It’s not guessing. I think the draft is super challenging. You just go back and look at previous drafts. Top few rounds there are more guys that aren’t succeeding to what you thought they could do. To have all these guys, not only get to the big leagues, but performing at the big league level the way they are, credit goes to a lot of people," added Hyde.

Hyde said the O’s hit big-time draft home runs with players like Rutschman, Henderson and Westburg. Both for the players they are on the field and the people they are off it.

“I talked about Westy’s makeup (Tuesday). It’s like the whole package with these guys. I have never had a problem with them. I’ve had to talk to then in my office about things that are not effort related or professionalism related.

“They’re so easy (to manage). Because they are great people. All they want to do is play baseball and they want to be really good at it. They have totally different personalities, but they all have the same drive to be really good. It is just an absolute pleasure to coach them," he said.

O's are shutout by the Cubs: The Orioles went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position last night in their 4-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs, who came to town at 42-29. Chicago has taken the first two games of this series and the Orioles (57-35) AL East lead is down to two games.

The Birds have lost three of four and four of six games and the O's are 8-10 since June 21. 

During those 18 games, which started with the O's getting swept at Houston, they have a team ERA of 5.68 and opponent OPS of .815. The O's offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game in this span while batting .264, slugging .461 with 28 homers and an OPS of .782.

With the loss the Orioles are 7-14 all-time versus the Cubs and they are 5-9 this year versus NL Central clubs.

Ryan Mountcastle, who entered batting 4-for-32 his previous nine games, went 3-for-4 with three singles for his 26th multi-hit game.

Austin Hays doubled in four at-bats and has doubled in five of his past seven starts. Since returning from the injured list May 13, Hays is batting .340 with 13 doubles, three homers, 14 runs and 12 RBIs in 35 games.

Right-hander Burnes will end the first half at 9-4 with an ERA of 2.43. Last night he produced his 15th quality start of the year and his 13th in the last 14 games. He has allowed two earned runs or less 15 times in 19 starts and has given up three earned runs or more just five times.