Top 50 Baltimore Orioles
While it would seem to many that the Baltimore Orioles were a charter American League team, that was far from the case.
An inaugural team of the American League in 1901, the organization was initially known as the Milwaukee Brewers (no, not those Brewers). The association in Wisconsin lasted for only one season, as they relocated to St. Louis, and would be renamed as the Browns.
This change of scenery would last for over 50 years, but the Browns were not a powerhouse in the AL. They would only win the Pennant once in 1944, but they would not be able to win it all.
The competition with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League would finally be their undoing, and they would move to Baltimore in 1954. The first few seasons were the same as they had been in St. Louis, but they methodically built a defensive gem of a team. The turning point would be a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, that netted them, Frank Robinson. Baltimore would win their first World Series in 1966, and secured their second title in 1970.
Baltimore would win their third World Series Championship in 1983.
This list is up to the end of the 2024 regular season.Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
Jack Powell was with the St. Louis Browns for ten seasons over two runs, and while he may have had a losing record (117-143), it was more of an indictment of the team he played for.
Vern Stephens’ MLB career began with the St. Louis Browns when he debuted for the team in 1941. As many baseball players made their way to serve the military during World War II, Stephens was one of the players who were still in the Majors. His first full season was 1942, where he finished fourth in MVP voting, and he went to his first All-Star Game in 1943, which was his first of three as a Brown. Stephens showed good power numbers with three consecutive 20 Home Run seasons (1943-45), with a league-leading 24 in 1945, and he was also…
Drafted 3rd Overall in 2010, Manny Machado made his Major League Debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2012 as a mid-season callup. Machado played 51 Games that year but was the full-time Third Baseman the year after where he was one of the best defensive players of the year. The Dominican-American won the Gold Glove, Platinum Glove, and the Wilson Defensive Player Award while leading the American League in Defensive bWAR. Offensively, he led the AL in Doubles (51), and he went to the All-Star Game.
Melvin Mora was traded during the 2000 season from the New York Mets, and he would be used as an Outfielder for his first few years before becoming their Third Baseman in 2004.
Brian Roberts played for the Baltimore Orioles for the first 13 years of his 15-year career, and with the Orioles, his best asset was his speed.
Standing at 6' 3", Baby Doll Jacobson was a towering figure for his day, and he cast his shadow with the St. Louis Browns for most of his career.
George Stone finally found a home in the Majors at age 28, and with the St. Louis Browns, he would have a 187 Hit year (which led the American League) in 1905 as a rookie. Stone exploded in 1906, sweeping the Slash Line (.358/.417/.501) with 208 Hits. As the Browns did not receive that much attention then (and now in a historical context), Stone's accomplishments have not celebrated, but he remained a competent player until 1910.
Mike Flanagan was an innings eater for years for the Baltimore Orioles, and with 141 Wins is one of the most winningest Pitchers in franchise history.
Playing all but his last 68 Games with the Baltimore Orioles, Al Bumbry had a great start winning the American League Rookie of the Year in 1973, in a season where he led the AL in Triples (11) and batted .337. The next three seasons saw a considerable drop in production, but he rebounded in 199 with a .317 year. Sadly, he regressed again.
Nick Markakis was a highly touted player who was drafted seventh overall in 2003. Playing in the Outfield, Markakis debuted for the O’s in 2006, where he finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting, and he showed good power with a nice batting average.
Playing for the Baltimore Orioles for his entire career in the Majors (1976-88), Scott McGregor was a good Starting Pitcher who may have never been an ace but was a serviceable second or third rotation guy for years.
When Ned Garver played for the St. Louis Browns, the franchise was awful.
From Cuba, Mike Cuellar began his pro career in 1959 with two Games with the Cincinnati Reds. It took until 1964 for him to make the Majors again when he threw in 32 Games for the Cardinals, and he came into his own in Houston where he played four years before being traded to the Orioles at the end of the 1968 season. At age 32, the fans of Baltimore likely did not expect much, but they got what was by far the best run of his career.
Rafael Palmeiro was already established as top tier First Baseman by the time he signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 1994. Still, in the '90s, there were so many power hitting players at his position that he often got lost in the shuffle.
Had there been a Rookie of the Year Award in 1912, there is a good chance that Del Pratt of the St. Louis Browns would have won it. That year he batted .302 with 172 Hits, and he was close to that in 1913 with 175 Hits and a .296 Average.
Harry Howell was traded from the New York Highlanders to the St. Louis Browns for the 1904 Season, and while he lost more games than he won, the Browns were not that good. Howell was a starter for five seasons, and he had three years where he had an ERA under 2.00, and in all of those years, his WHIP was under 1.100. In four of those years, he was in the top ten in ERA, despite his losing record.
Milt Pappas debuted as a teenager for the Baltimore Orioles in 1957, and a couple of years later, he was the ace of their staff. An All-Star in both 1962 and 1965, Pappas never had a losing record in Baltimore, and with the team, he was in the top ten in ERA six times and in WHIP four times.
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Traded from the New York Yankees during the 1976 season, Rick Dempsey would find a lot more playing time in the city of Baltimore.
Chris Hoiles would play his entire 10-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, and defensively he was highly regarded not just for his acumen with a glove but his skill in handling a staff.