ARLINGTON, Texas — A year ago, four Orioles players came to the All-Star Game ready to show the league that the team was a contender.

They still had something to prove. The Orioles were known for being a rebuilding team, they had yet to show the world what this young talent could do.

But this year, there’s no hiding it. The Orioles haven’t just arrived. Now, they are impossible to ignore.

A larger-than-life picture of catcher Adley Rutschman hangs from the ceiling at the entrance of Globe Life Field. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson has one of the most popular jerseys on the concourse. Orioles ace Corbin Burnes will start the All-Star Game on Tuesday, an honor given to the best pitcher in the American League. Third baseman Jordan Westburg and right fielder Anthony Santander were so popular on media day that they had a constant swarm of people around them.

“We have a pretty good team, we have a pretty good minor [league] system,” Santander said. “Hopefully for the next couple of years they can continue to have five, six Orioles players.”

This moment, and this revitalization of the team, wouldn’t have been possible without the 2019 draft class. Rutschman, out of Oregon State, and Henderson, out of John T. Morgan Academy in Alabama, were the Orioles’ top two picks.

They went to rookie league, where the two were roommates at a La Quinta hotel. They talked about their future, and when they were done with that they watched the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” over and over and over again. After all, there wasn’t much daydreaming that needed to be done — they knew they would make it to the majors, it was just a matter of when that would come.

“We both knew we could,” Henderson said.

They were right. They debuted in 2022, helping the team go from a 100-loss season in 2021 to a respectable 83-79 record — Baltimore’s first time above .500 since 2016. The next year, the Orioles won 101 games and were American League East champions. Rutschman and Henderson are the faces of the franchise, and on Tuesday they will be on full display as they start the All-Star Game. Henderson will play shortstop, hitting second. Rutschman will catch and bat eighth.

“We embrace it,” Henderson said of the pressure of being the Orioles’ stars. “Being able to enjoy the times that we thought about going through the minor leagues and getting here now, just being able to embrace that and enjoy it and be aware of where we are at.”

Westburg was drafted a year after Henderson and Rutschman and arrived to the majors a year after them as well. At this time last year, Westburg was just trying to figure out the big leagues.

In the time since, he’s grown into “Mr. Dependable.” He can play second or third, and seems to have a knack for getting the big hit when the Orioles need it most. He’s not always a flashy player. But consistency plays, all the way to the a spot on the American League All-Star roster.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Westburg said. “It happens fast. It feels like I just got called up yesterday and now we’re at the conclusion of the first half and I’m here at the All-Star week. It’s hard for me to look back and not get a little bit emotional about it, I have to do a better job of pinching myself. I keep saying I’m going to soak it all in, it’s going to be an intentional mindset switch for me.”

Santander didn’t have as easy of a path. He debuted before Rutschman, Henderson and Westburg received their first professional paychecks. But that was in a time when winning games was rare. The team was so depleted at times that Santander played center field because they had no one else.

Those were the dark days. The team lost most nights, and Santander was having trouble just staying on the field as injuries plagued his early career. He didn’t find immediate success, but he made it to the All-Star Game in due time, an honor he doesn’t take for granted.

“I’m trying to take a little bit of everything, trying to learn from them,” Santander said. “This is a game where we always have room to learn. Hopefully in the clubhouse I can learn something from everybody.”

Burnes was added last, an offseason trade that sent two young, major-league ready players to Milwaukee and signified the Orioles are ready to go for it after an early exit in the playoffs. This is his fourth year in a row making it to the big stage, but his first time starting the game and his first time representing Baltimore.

Burnes is the fifth pitcher in Orioles’ history to get that honor, joining Steve Stone, Jim Palmer, Milt Pappas and Jerry Walker. Their names are etched all over the Orioles’ record books, a place Burnes could be joining soon. He ranks in the top 10 in four different single-season categories, and there’s still half a season to go.

“What he’s done this year in Baltimore, you know, they’re leading their division,” American League manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s a big reason for that.”

The five arrived to Baltimore at different times, but all made it to Arlington together. They know people in Baltimore are paying attention to them now. “We feel it from the fan base,” Westburg said.

On Tuesday, the rest of the league will have to feel it too.