In the offseason following a disappointing 2018 season where franchise cornerstone Manny Machado was traded, Orioles ownership decided to clean house, firing both GM Dan Duquette and Manager Buck Showalter. Baltimore went outside the organization and looked at two teams who successfully ended a rebuild with a championship: the Cubs and Astros. They picked Mike Elias and Brandon Hyde to be their new GM-Manager tandem. The new Baltimore brass preached patience, as they informed fans this rebuild may take a while. Five years later, that patience has led the Orioles to a record of 62-38 and a 2.5 game lead in the AL East.

The rebuild started at the MLB Draft. All those years of tanking allowed Baltimore to pick highly for multiple years in a row. Looking at MLB’s Top 100 Prospect list, the Orioles have drafted seven of their eight prospects who are Top 100 guys. Below are the prospects currently on the Top 100 list:

Smart drafting from Elias has led to the Orioles having the best farm system in baseball by a wide margin.

Although Baltimore has a strong crop of prospects, their major league club is led by two of the most exciting young players in the league. In the first 158 games since Adley Rutschman debuted, the O’s went 92-66. The switch hitting catcher has instantly become one of the best backstops in the league. Adley’s slash line of .268/.368/.425 and elite defense led to his first All-Star Game appearance of his young career. His 122 WRC+ ranks third among qualified catchers. Despite low exit velocities, advanced stats show that Rutschman has actually been slightly unlucky so far this year. He doesn’t strike out, takes walks, and is hitting the ball harder than he did last year. Baltimore’s backstop has plenty of potential to become the best catcher in the league.

After a slow start since his callup, Gunnar Henderson is starting to heat up. The young shortstop was phenomenal in June, and has followed his 171 WRC+ up with a solid July as well. Gunnar is in the 95th percentile in HardHit%, which is defined as a “hit with an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher”. Henderson has solidified himself firmly in the race for the AL Rookie of the Year alongside Josh Jung and Mastaka Yoshida.

Their lineup also includes valuable veterans like Anthony Santander and Adam Frazier. Santander has been a solid power bat for the O’s so far, and Frazier’s veteran leadership is mentoring the young infielders Baltimore has called up like Henderson and Westburg. Not to mention Cedric Mullins is still on the shelf recovering from a groin straing.

In terms of arms, Baltimore’s bullpen has carried the load. Yennier Cano and Felix Bautista have made up the best 1-2 bullpen punch this year. Both were All Stars, and have been a steadying force while the team waits for the rotation to get healthy. Grayson Rodriguez has been battling injuries to stay in the rotation, and John Means has yet to make as start this year.

The Baltimore Orioles have taken the lead in the AL East. At 63-40, they are finally putting the rebuild to good use. They’re young and exciting, and are not going anywhere anytime soon. Through patience and smart drafting, GM Mike Elias has transformed the Orioles into a powerhouse for years to come in the American League.