The 2023 Topps Update Series was released in mid-October. After this product was released, I went to a card shop to buy some hobby packs of the 2023 Update Series. For me, it’s necessary to buy some packs of this series. But, this year, the price of the Update Series increased a lot. Additionally, just a quick fact, in a hobby pack of the 2023 Topps Series 2, there are 14 cards. In the 2023 Update Series, there are 12 cards in a hobby pack. Well, it’s getting harder to collect baseball cards.
I always like to find some cool rookie cards in this product. This time, I found a Gunnar Henderson rookie debut card in a hobby pack. While seeing this card, I began to think about those Orioles rookies’ performances in 2023.
To understand a little bit more, I went to check on the MLB website.
Among the Orioles rookies, only Gunnar Henderson played 100+ games in 2023. He slashed .255/.325/.489 with 28 home runs and 82 RBI. Henderson finished the season with an OPS over .800, which isn’t bad. Moreover, he stole 10 bases.
In addition, Jordan Westburg made his MLB debut on June 26. In total, he played 68 games for the Orioles, hitting .260/.311/.404 with 3 home runs and 23 RBI. Furthermore, Colton Cowser was selected by the Orioles in the first round of the 2021 MLB draft. He also made it into the big leagues in 2023. Cowser batted .115/.286/.148 with 4 RBI in 26 games.
Meanwhile, Heston Kjerstad, who was selected by the Orioles in the first round of the 2020 draft, made his MLB debut on September 14, 2023. He slashed .233/.281/.467 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. Furthermore, Joey Ortiz made it into the big leagues as well, playing 15 games for the Orioles in 2023. Additionally, Josh Lester played 2 games for the Tigers in 2022 and this season, he collected 4 hits in the Orioles uniform.
Now, let’s take a look at pitching performance.
Yennier Cano made his MLB debut in 2022, but his ERA was over 10 last year. In 2023, he was selected to the All-Star game. Cano made 72 relief appearances, posting a 2.11 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP over 72.2 innings. Moreover, Shintaro Fujinami was traded from the A’s to the Orioles, posting a 4.85 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP over 29.2 innings.
Finally, Grayson Rodriguez made his MLB debut on April 5. He made 23 starts for the Orioles and threw 122 innings. Rodriguez owned a 4.35 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. At the same time, DJ Hall tossed 19.1 innings in 2023.
The Orioles had a great season and they won 101 games. Most importantly, they clinched a berth in the postseason for the first time since 2016. Among the rookie players, Gunnar Henderson and Yennier Cano are 2 key players to help the Orioles win the AL East title. Meanwhile, Grayson Rodriguez ate 100+ innings in his rookie season. Although the Orioles fell short in the postseason, no one can ignore these players’ performances. And, in the 2024 season, it will be worth watching whether they will play even better.
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