The Orioles series with the Twins this week at Camden Yards was a reminder of the 2021 season when Cedric Mullins produced the only 30-30 season (doubles and homers) in O’s history and finished ninth in the MVP voting.

That player may still be in there somewhere, whether he is flying across the outfield one night to make his Superman-like diving catch or hitting a walk-off homer two days later.

Mullins can make impactful plays on offense and defense and even last year, a year he produced just a league-average OPS of .721 and dealt with groin injuries, we saw examples of that.

Last Aug. 13 at Seattle, in an important series between two playoff contending teams, Mullins became the first player to both rob and hit a home run in the ninth inning or later of the same game over the last 10 seasons. And according to ESPN Stats & Info, that game marked his first career go-ahead homer in extra innings.

Also last year, during what was for him a down year, he hit for the cycle, had a five-hit game and hit two grand slams.

The Orioles are 16 games into the 2024 season, settling into second place and confident that their best baseball is ahead of them. The division battles are slow building, with the competition so far limited to the three-game sweep in Boston. They must wait until April 29 to begin a four-game set against the Yankees before traveling to Cincinnati and D.C., and hosting the Diamondbacks.

No one should wait for more observations and surprises, the stuff that might not have been safe bets during the winter or the early days in camp. The stuff that's getting noticed.

Colton Cowser is tied for the Orioles’ home run lead.

He had sole possession until Gunnar Henderson and Cedric Mullins caught up to him last night.

Cowser needed 37 games to hit his first major league home run. He belted two that night in Boston and four over four games, including Sunday’s 422-foot blast to right-center field in the eighth inning.

PITTSBURGH – To awaken the Orioles' offense this afternoon, Ryan Mountcastle took the logical route and made loud noises.

It worked for a brief spell, but he couldn’t prevent another slumber. And it killed the series for the Orioles.

Yennier Cano handled closing duties with Craig Kimbrel unavailable and didn't protect a one-run lead. Ke'Bryan Hayes and Jack Suwinski singled, Connor Joe walked to load the bases. Rowdy Tellez grounded to Mountcastle, who got the out at the plate, and Edward Olivares sent a bouncer up the middle that Gunnar Henderson smothered with a diving stop.

With the hint of a game-ending double play in the air, Henderson tapped the bag with his hand and fired the ball past Mountcastle, letting two runs score and giving the Pirates a 3-2 win and back-to-back walk-offs at PNC Park. Henderson was trying to rise from his prone position and execute the latest gem today in the field.

"I usually make that play 99 times out of a hundred, and it just so happens that the throw got away from me right there," Henderson said. "That was pretty unfortunate."

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jorge Mateo has made 10 career appearances and three starts in right field, including one with the Orioles in August 2021 against the Braves, when Max Fried pitched a complete-game shutout at Camden Yards.

Mateo was in right field this afternoon against Atlanta, making his first spring appearance at an outfield corner after seven starts at shortstop, three at second base and two in center.

“Just preparing for if it does happen in the season,” said manger Brandon Hyde. “Just want to move guys around a little bit in camp.”

The ball found Mateo with two outs in the first inning, and he made a sliding catch of Marcell Ozuna’s line drive. Starter Tyler Wells applauded by slapping his hand into his glove.

Mateo ran down Austin Riley’s fly ball in shallow right field, calling off second baseman Kolten Wong, to end the third. He moved to left field in the top of the fourth, with Ryan O’Hearn switching to right.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles aren’t close to deciding the 26 players who fit on their Opening Day roster. The majority, perhaps. But too many battles are short of completion.

In an eight-man bullpen, Mike Baumann seems to have gone from candidate to solid lock with 4 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings. The only baserunner reached on a walk, and he’s struck out five batters.

The velocity is up. The rhythm in his delivery is better. He’s out of minor league options.

He’s on the roster.

If we’re compiling a list of Orioles who enhanced their break-camp chances, I could go with Baumann first unless I flip-flop him with outfielder Colton Cowser or left-hander Keegan Akin.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Coby Mayo received a text message about his line drive Wednesday off the left-center field fence in Fort Myers. How he punctured the padding and left a hole.

Only a mild exaggeration given the violence of the collision.

Mayo’s ball was clocked at 109.9 mph off the bat. Manager Brandon Hyde marveled at the topspin on it. But recent Mayo talk seems to shift away from his work at the plate.

The Orioles are interested in his play at third base, which is getting solid reviews. This is their second look at him in major league camp.

“He’s improved his defense, which is great to see. I think he’s come a long way defensively,” Hyde said.

SARASOTA, Fla. – It’s the quieter times or moments off the field that can make Anthony Santander imagine his baseball life away from Baltimore. Never when he’s working out with teammates or joking with them in the clubhouse. Never when he puts on the uniform.

The games, whether real or in exhibition form, have his full attention. But he knows that free agency beckons. The 2024 season could be his last with the Orioles, who used the 18^th pick in the 2016 Rule 5 draft on a 22-year-old Class A outfielder with a surgically repaired right shoulder.

The last selection in the major league phase, with the other eligible teams passing on him.

Dan Duquette, the former executive vice president, said the Orioles didn’t have access to all of the medicals but were comfortable with the idea of giving Santander a shot based on talent. The power from both sides of the plate and run producing tools sold them.

Duquette wasn’t retained after the 2018 season, the year that Santander finally shed his Rule 5 status by spending the requisite number of days on the active roster. He fell short by 44 in 2017 due to his surgery, his debut delayed until Aug. 18 against the Angels at Camden Yards.

The year that the Orioles drafted lefty Keegan Akin out of Western Michigan University, in 2016, they made the playoffs before their season ended in the American League Wild Card Game in Toronto.

A couple of years later, Akin was part of an O’s organization trending the wrong way, one that had seasons of 115, 108 and 110 losses. But within all that losing there were a few bright spots that Akin said told him better days could be coming.

“Just watching the younger guys when we drafted them,” he recalled Saturday during Birdland Caravan. “The first time I saw Grayson (Rodriguez) – I watched him pitch in Florida somewhere when he was 19. Just standing there and thinking, ‘This kid is 19 throwing 100 (mph) and he has five pitches. Where do you get these guys?’

“And then we started bringing more in and more. And then Adley (Rutschman) showed up and (Gunnar) Henderson showed up. Yeah, think we are doing OK.

“It is awesome. I was talking to a fan today about that. It’s crazy in that I’ve been in this org since 2016 and to see things change that fast. I know that was eight years ago, but in baseball terms we had some really bad years and turned it around pretty quickly. It is obviously rewarding and a heck of a lot more fun now to be on the other side and have that part behind us.”

On the final day of Birdland Caravan and at the final event of the three-day run, reporters caught up with four pitchers who will look to break north with the Orioles in April by winning roster spots in spring training. That group included lefties Bruce Zimmermann, Keegan Akin and Nick Vespi, and right-hander Mike Baumann.

All four spent some, or in one case, a lot of time in Baltimore during the 2023 American League East championship season, but Zimmermann and Akin are coming off injuries. They pronounced themselves to be healthy and a full go when spring training starts in a couple of weeks.

Zimmermann, who had a 4.73 ERA in seven O’s games last year while pitching most of the season in Triple-A, had core muscle surgery Oct. 19 in Philadelphia.

That was about three weeks after he pitched two scoreless innings versus Boston for the O’s in Game 161 at Oriole Park.

“The surgery went real well,” the Baltimore-area native said of the October procedure. “Really grateful I had one of the top doctors that has worked on a few other guys on the team. Rehab went really well. Been down in Florida for about two weeks now to get an early start and get in front of the training staff and that has been going really well. I should be full go when pitchers and catchers report.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in a little over a month, marking the official beginning of the Orioles’ quest for their first back-to-back playoff appearances since 1996-97. And their first consecutive division titles since 1973-74.

They wouldn’t spit on a wild card berth, but the goals get higher as the win totals rise.

There’s also an increase in the questions and curiosities that I’ll bring into camp, with more on deck as the Orioles fill their roster.

I’ve wondered whether Kyle Bradish could build on his breakout season, Jordan Westburg would play more regularly, Cole Irvin would keep bouncing between the rotation and bullpen, and John Means would give the club a full and productive season.

I’ve asked for an update on Dillon Tate and whether Seth Johnson would debut next summer. How much Craig Kimbrel has left in tank, whether Jackson Holliday makes the Opening Day roster, what happens to Joey Ortiz, whether Colton Cowser makes the team in spring training, which version of Jacob Webb we’ll see, and whether Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn are the primary first basemen and their impact on Coby Mayo.

Winning the American League East and reaching the Division Series, where they were swept by the Rangers, earned the Orioles a playoff share of $43,942.

A decent haul but a pittance compared to the $506,263 earned by the Rangers for winning the World Series. The Diamondbacks won the National League pennant and were rewarded with $313,634.

The general managers and owners meetings are over and the major awards are passed out. The Winter Meetings don’t start until Dec. 3 in Nashville. The deadlines to protect players in the Rule 5 draft and tender contracts to the ones eligible for arbitration arrived last week.

The Orioles didn’t add any of their Rule 5 eligibles to the 40-man roster, which has four openings for future business. They also had zero non-tenders, a surprise considering the 17 players on their list. At least a few seemed reasonable, if not assured.

Four reached agreements on new deals: shortstop Jorge Mateo for $2.7 million, reliever Keegan Akin for $825,000 and outfielders Ryan McKenna and Sam Hilliard for $800,000. The remaining 13 have agents negotiating with the Orioles until the Jan. 12 deadline to submit salary figures for the upcoming season.

The Orioles filled their 40-man roster last week by claiming left-hander Tucker Davidson off waivers from the Royals. The start of the tinkering and retooling.

They made another move Wednesday, claiming outfielder Sam Hilliard off waivers from the Braves and designating reliever Joey Krehbiel for assignment.

Davidson and Hilliard, who are out of minor league options, could stay on the 40-man heading into spring training, where they'd compete for a bullpen and bench role, respectively, or the Orioles might attempt to pass one or both through waivers and offer a camp invitation - a maneuver they've executed countless times in the past. The duo could stay in the organization or move on from it.

We're only in the third day of November. Lots of other changes are forthcoming.

Here’s the current 40-man roster:

SAN DIEGO – No team is going to keep an Opening Day roster intact for 162 games. The first month is dicey. The first half is virtually impossible.

The Orioles have used 47 players this season and are 121 games into their schedule. They are expected to reinstate left-hander John Means from the 60-day injured list next month. They’d likely provide major league debuts to a few more prospects under different circumstances, but expanded rosters capped at 28 players and the improved depth make it much harder.

Means, catcher James McCann and relievers Mychal Givens and Dillon Tate began the season on the injured list. McCann is the only one on the active roster. Givens is out of the organization after the Orioles designated him for assignment this week.

Givens is expected to become a free agent. The reunion lasted six games before its cancellation.

Tate hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Orioles since Oct. 5, 2022 against the Blue Jays, when he allowed two runs and walked three batters in two-thirds of an inning. He was pulled from his injury rehab assignment after a June 21 appearance with Triple-A Norfolk, his 13^th game overall among three affiliates.

The Orioles begin a four-game series in Toronto tonight with Adley Rutschman settled in as the leadoff hitter and Gunnar Henderson behind him.

Rutschman has reached base six times in two games, including three singles and a walk last night.

Colton Cowser is in center field, flanked by Austin hays in left and Anthony Santander in right.

Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter. He’s a career .306/.368/.613 hitter with 15 home runs in 45 games against the Blue Jays.

Kyle Gibson is 9-6 with a 4.68 ERA and 1.323 WHIP in 22 games, and the one starter who isn’t an innings concern to the Orioles. He’s totaled 127 this season, with his career high 196 2/3 in 2018.

Orioles reliever Dillon Tate is getting a second opinion on his right elbow after undergoing further testing this week.

Tate is on the 60-day injured list with a flexor strain. He hasn’t pitched this season.

“We’re hoping that everything is clear and he’s able to start a rehab assignment following that,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

Tate was removed from his first rehab assignment after allowing 18 earned runs (20 total) and 21 hits with 11 walks in 10 2/3 innings between High-A Aberdeen, Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. Eight of his 13 appearances came with the Tides, and he surrendered 10 runs and 12 hits in 6 2/3 innings against International League batters before returning to Baltimore.

A right forearm/flexor strain kept Tate off the Opening Day roster, with the discomfort beginning in November.

The Orioles placed left-handed reliever Keegan Akin on the 15-day injured list this afternoon with lower back discomfort, a move that’s retroactive to yesterday. Lefty Nick Vespi was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

Akin has allowed 10 earned runs (13 total) and 12 hits in his last four appearances over four innings. He was charged with two earned runs and four total in the 10^th inning Wednesday against the Reds and couldn’t record the final out.

The appearance left Akin with a 6.85 ERA.

The Orioles optioned Akin on May 9 and recalled him three weeks later. The media will find out later today if his absence could extend beyond 15 days.

Vespi has registered a 1.71 ERA and 0.987 WHIP in 23 games with Norfolk. His last appearance was Saturday.

A team that was pretty good this year at winning series and winning rubber match games to win series, took an early 4-1 lead Wednesday afternoon. And they took the lead off right-hander Shane Bieber, a former American League Cy Young Award winner who came into this start with an ERA of 3.04 and nine quality starts.

The early lead would be gone by the top of the fourth, and while the offense would fight back, the Guardians, ranked last in the majors in team OPS and 29^th in runs per game, would have their way with O’s pitching in a 12-8 win to take the series.

Cleveland led 11-8 by the end of the fifth inning. To that point, the Guardians were 14-for-29 at-bat with four doubles and three homers. Most of their pitch mashing and heavy lifting was done as they won the series finale.

The O’s staff could use a day off which they get today after a 2-4 homestand with series losses to Texas and Cleveland. It followed that 5-1 AL East road trip to Toronto and New York.

The ups and downs of the big league season.

Under the most ideal circumstances, the Orioles were hoping to squeeze two innings out of opener Keegan Akin this afternoon, hand over the game to bulk reliever Austin Voth and try to avoid using the bullpen again until late in the game.

That’s how they drew it up.

That’s how it rarely seems to work when the Orioles try it.

The Guardians started former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber in a game that only a reverse lock could love. The baton would get a lot more use than the homer hose.

Cionel Pérez, the third of seven pitchers used today, surrendered back-to-back home runs to Josh Naylor and Josh Bell in the fourth inning, but the Orioles reclaimed the lead in the bottom half on Anthony Santander’s two-run shot into the bullpen. Mychal Givens loaded the bases in the fifth without retiring a batter, Mike Baumann stepped into the fray, Naylor delivered a three-run double and Gabriel Arias homered into the visiting bullpen.

The Orioles have played eight series this year that were not decided until the third and final game, and they are 5-3 in those games. They play another one today after splitting the first two games of their series with the Cleveland Guardians.

The Orioles (35-20) are 5-2-1 this month in series, and they are 12-4-1 in 17 series for the year, going 5-2-1 in home series.

The American League East as of today:

Tampa Bay, 39-18

Orioles, 35-20, 3 GB

Austin Hays is out of today’s Orioles lineup against the Guardians because of an illness.

Ryan McKenna is in left field. Aaron Hicks is making his Orioles debut in center.

“Haysy’s a little bit under the weather today,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Hopefully, he’s available to get some big hits for us late in the game. But going to start Mac in left today with the big park out there.

“Aaron’s a little bit more comfortable in center field as of right now and took balls off the bat in center yesterday, so that’s why we decided to go that way.”

The Orioles signed Hicks to a major league deal yesterday to replace center fielder Cedric Mullins, who’s on the 10-day injured list with a groin strain.