Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Has a Lot to Prove in 2024
The Baltimore Orioles' 2024 season is undoubtedly exciting, but there are questions that the team needs to answer. Those questions are the same as they were a year ago, questioning if the Orioles have enough on the mound to be a World Series-caliber team.
Winning the American League East and 101 games put some of those questions to rest, although they were raised again as the team folded in the postseason, losing to the Texas Rangers.
Pitching is a priority and at this point of the offseason, Baltimore hasn't done anything to address those needs. They do have John Means returning next season after throwing just 23 2/3 innings in 2023 after starting four games and posting a 2.66 ERA.
Because of this, Brian Murphy of MLB.com views Means as a player who has a lot to prove in 2024.
Murphy hints that Means has to, at the very least, do what Kyle Gibson did last season.
Gibson tossed 192 innings in 2023, and unless Means can be that guy, the team doesn't have a player who's going to eat those innings.
As Means and the Orioles enter the 2024 season, pitching is a massive need.
There is a ton of expectations for him to be the pitcher that the club expects him to be. After dealing with Tommy John and soreness in his elbow, the left-hander has to prove that, not only can he stay healthy, but he can be the frontline starting pitcher they need him to be.
There's optimism he can do just that as he was an All-Star in the 2019 season and has posted impressive numbers in his young career.
If Means can return to that form, Baltimore will be getting back another top-of-the-rotation arm.
