HIGH-FLYING BIRDS

Learning from past success and failure in Houston, Mike Elias and his united front office remade the Orioles into winners— and they got there ahead of schedule

- JJ COOPER

After losing 115 games in 2018, the Orioles had unquestionably hit rock bottom.

A 47-win season combined with a dormant international department and a thin farm system left little reason for hope.

But that was a blessing in disguise.

When the Orioles hired Astros assistant GM Mike Elias as head of baseball operations in November 2018, he was freed from any preconceived notions, entrenched power bases or sacred cows. The Orioles were going to do things drastically differently.

They had to.

"(Owner) John Angelos was very consistent with me (throughout) the hiring process," Elias said. "He said, 'We're gonna let you go to town here and change our organization. We need it.'"

Five seasons later, the turnaround arrived ahead of schedule. The Orioles improved by 49 wins from 2021 to 2023. Since integration, only one other team had ever improved by 40 games in a two-season span. That team was the 1963 Phillies.

"I get miffed when people throw the 'tanking' word around at us, because both of these (rebuilds) that I've been involved with, we came in when the team was already really bottomed out," Elias said of his time with the Astros and now Orioles.

"We were just trying to make things better as quickly and as intensely as possible. Both times the team got back to the playoffs a little quicker than anyone prognosticated."

The Orioles won 101 games last season and claimed the American League East division title and No. 1 seed in the AL playoffs. But the best is yet to come.

The Orioles might not win 100 games in 2024, but they should be a more talented and well-rounded team. That's because their largest wave of young talent is still cresting