Let’s take a look today at the longball. Hitting homers was something the 2024 Orioles did quite well, about as well as any team in the majors last year and they were among the best power-hitting teams in 71 years of Orioles baseball.

The Birds hit 235 home runs to rank second-best in the American League and in the majors to the Yankees, who hit 237.

In the 2023 season there were a whopping 13 teams that hit 200 or more home runs, led by Atlanta that led MLB that season hitting 307. That Braves team with 307 tied the 2019 Minnesota Twins for most homers in a single-season in MLB history. The only other club ever to hit 300 or more was the 2019 Yankees with 306.

In 2024, there were six MLB teams hitting 200 or more:

237 – Yankees
235 – Orioles
233 – Dodgers
213 – Braves
211 – Diamondbacks
207 – Mets

Will a team be slugging their way to a World Series title over the next couple of weeks. Do home runs now play well in the playoffs?

For years a narrative was that teams that hit a lot of homers won’t in the playoffs and that type of offense won’t work.

Are the 2024 Orioles evidence of that. They finished second in the majors in homers this year but hit just one and lost two games to Kansas City scoring one run on that homer.

But other slugging teams are winning and have won. The 2023 Texas Rangers finished the 2023 regular season third in the majors in homers and OPS (.790) and runs per game at 5.44.

On their way to the World Series, they swept the Orioles three straight out-homered them 5-3 in that series. For the postseason Texas hit 30 homers in 17 games, produced a .792 OPS and averaged 5.70 runs per game. They put up big offense during the year and in the postseason too. Their postseason team ERA was a respectable 3.83 and sure you are going to need some solid pitching too.

On the day the Orioles lost another starter to the injured list and their total pitchers on the IL grew to eight, they scored nine runs.

That was important as the Mets rallied late, but the Orioles won 9-5 and with the news that right-hander Zach Eflin joined a few others on that IL, more big nights from the Baltimore offense would be very welcomed.

Since the All-Star break, heading into last night, the Orioles had gone 15-15. And yet they were averaging 5.3 runs per game in that span and producing a team OPS of .783. Yeah, not bad.

But in their most recent three games heading into last night, they scored eight total runs on 14 hits and had gone 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

The nine-run outburst was important as was Dean Kremer's second straight strong outing. He allowed one run over six innings on 100 pitches.

TORONTO – It did not come as a surprise when Anthony Santander said yet again on Thursday afternoon that he would like to remain an Oriole beyond the 2024 season.

He can be a free agent this winter and any club could try to sign him. He confirmed that he and the team have not had any in-season contract talks. But this is where he wants to stay, if it works out for him to do that.

“I want to stay here,” Santander said pregame Thursday in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre. “This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues. I like where we are right now. We are a really good team. This team is about to get in a World Series soon – hopefully this year. Of course, I would like to stay here for the rest of my career. But it’s out of my hands. Just get ready for today’s game and go for the win, you know. But at the same time, so happy and thankful for the fans that want me to stay here.”

Santander has picked a good time to have a great walk year, the season leading up to free agency. He is on a pace to hit 48 homers and drive in 110 runs. He hit two homers Wednesday night to give him 34 for the year – a new career-high, topping the 33 he hit in 2022. He has 46 games to add to that total.

One reason Santander is having a big year is that he is hitting all pitches pretty well this season. While his slugging percentage is .500 against fastballs, it is even better versus breaking balls at .519 and much better at .721 versus offspeed pitches. Last year he slugged .368 against offspeed.

The line drive down the left field line Saturday night, producing another Orioles run in the eighth inning, gave Anthony Santander 30 doubles. Six more than his career highs in the two previous seasons.

A total that he probably hasn’t tracked.

What he does know, however, is a home run total that stands at 24 going into tonight’s series opener against the White Sox at Camden Yards.

Santander and Gunnar Henderson are engaged in a mostly playful but also spirited competition for the team lead in homers. Santander began to pull away after hitting three in two nights, but in a typical reflex response, Henderson lined a go-ahead, two-run shot onto the flag court in the eighth inning Friday night – sending the crowd into a frenzy before closer Félix Bautista’s elbow injury slaughtered the vibe.

Henderson has 22 to stay within reach of Santander, who is coaxing the rookie to pick up the pace.

PHILADELPHIA - Thanks to yet another Jayson Werth home run at Citizens Bank Park, the Nationals have themselves yet another 20-homer guy on the roster. Werth launched a titanic blast to straightaway center field in the top of the first tonight, sending Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan's pitch over the batter's eye and into a camera well. The drive, which measured 453 feet according to Statcast, was Werth's fourth homer in his last six games and his 20th of the season. That means the...