Baltimore Orioles Expecting Their Playoff Experience Will Get Them to Next Level

After two years of underwhelming playoff performances, the Baltimore Orioles are expecting those experiences to help them going forward.

Aug 18, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates with first baseman Ryan O'Hearn (32) after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

It's been a tale of two stories for the Baltimore Orioles in the regular season and playoffs.

During the 162-game schedule, they have been one of the best teams in baseball the past two years, dominating their opposition with overpowering offense and doing enough in the pitching department to rack up multiple wins.

But when the calendar hit October, they failed to secure a single victory.

The Orioles are ahead of the projected timeline when it comes to this rebuilding process, however, after the success they've shown during the past two seasons, it's also fair to say it's time for them to perform betting in the playoffs.

Understanding what it takes to play fall baseball is something that only comes with experience, and considering this is a core made up of young players and veterans who haven't been regulars in the playoffs, it's easy to see why they might have been overwhelmed.

"We can't replicate the playoffs. The height of the sport, it's the most pressure, it's the most eyes on you. It's something that, until you experience it, you really don't know how you're going to react," Ryan O'Hearn said per Roch Kubatko of MASN.

After two years of succeeding at the highest level in the regular season and getting their first taste of playoff baseball, Baltimore is now ready to take what they've learned in October and apply it to their runs going forward.

"We have that bad taste in our mouth, we want to do something special as a group, and we're going to take our past experiences and use that to benefit us," O'Hearn added.

It won't be easy getting back to that point.

The American League East has vastly improved from a year ago, with the New York Yankees improving their all-around roster, the Boston Red Sox making key additions to boost their profile and the Toronto Blue Jays landing high-profile free agents of their own.

Still, the Orioles have proven they can compete with anyone, and with another season of experience under the belts of their young stars, their ceiling should only be higher than what they've already shown.

That's a scary thought for any team in the American League, let alone the AL East. However, they have to prove it on the field, especially when it comes to the playoffs.

Baltimore is hoping their experience will help them get to the next level this year.

Only time will tell if that's the case or not.