There were Gwen Stefani, All Time Low and Blake Shelton. There were AC/DC, Avicii and Don Miguelo. Shintaro Fujinami, a pitcher from Japan, took the mound to Bon Jovi, a rock band from New Jersey.
The sounds of the Orioles varied widely by player, building on their backgrounds as children in the Dominican Republic and Alabama and Oregon. Those sounds were as unique as each of the 165 games that Baltimore played in 2023, ranging from a brisk opening day at Fenway Park to a gut-wrenching loss in the American League Division Series — a loss that spelled the end of a special season.
Borrowing from the annual Spotify Wrapped reveals, this 2023 Orioles Wrapped story will recap the season that was at the close of the year.
Top walk-up songs
Sitting inside Camden Yards, a casual observer might know to look up from their phone or put down their crab-covered hot dog based on the musical prompt that plays throughout the ballpark.
Hear “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee? Grayson Rodriguez is stepping onto the mound. The jovial piano of Porfi Baloa in “Me Gusta”? Anthony Santander is stepping into the box.
More than just about any other sport, baseball is linked to music because of the walk-up songs players choose. They’re singalong opportunities. They offer insight into who that player is off the field and, over time, they come to define a batter.
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In keeping with Spotify tradition, these were the top five songs of the Orioles season. In not keeping with Spotify tradition, there is no data to back this up — only a beat writer’s gut feeling.
1. “The Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani. Gunnar Henderson made an early-season change. He said he’d go with “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses, then opted for “Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe. But he was pressing at the plate, and one of his changes came in the form of song. In came Stefani, and an AL Rookie of the Year award followed.
2. “Dear Maria, Count Me In” by All Time Low. Want to get Camden Yards singing? Just pass Mountcastle the auxiliary cord. Mountcastle chose the song because it’s one of his favorite karaoke tunes, and he got to meet members of the band at Camden Yards over the summer. Plus, there’s a local angle. The band originally formed in Towson.
3. “Come Together” by Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL. We didn’t get to hear it frequently. Anthony Bemboom, a depth catcher, had just 13 plate appearances this season. But, for a Beatles fanatic in the press box, those few occasions were welcome. Clark’s blues guitar makes this a top-notch cover of a John Lennon and Paul McCartney classic.
4. “Me Gusta” by Porfi Baloa. Santander chose this song, he said, because “it’s kind of good to get everybody on their feet moving.” The track reminds him of Venezuela, his home, and the uptempo melody lifts the mood when the Orioles are in need of a rally.
5. “Can’t C Me” by Tupac Shakur. Aaron Hicks arrived midway through the season and helped fill a gap in the outfield when Cedric Mullins was injured. “Can’t C Me,” a gem from one of rap’s fallen heroes, is an ultimate hype-up jam.
The top performers
These artists — er, players — were on constant repeat during the season. From home runs to strikeouts, Baltimore couldn’t get enough.
Gunnar Henderson: The American League Rookie of the Year, and for good reason. Henderson, who turned 22 midway through the season, hit .255 with 82 RBIs, 28 homers and a team-leading 6.2 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
Kyle Bradish: The second-year starting pitcher earned down-ballot Cy Young Award votes after he produced a 2.83 ERA and 1.043 WHIP in 168 2/3 innings. At 27, Bradish has room to grow as a starter, but his 2023 season was an encouraging leap forward. He finished with a 4.9 WAR. He figures to be a key piece of the rotation again next year.
Adley Rutschman: A franchise cornerstone, Rutschman has handled the lofty expectations that follow a former first overall pick. Rutschman (4.3 WAR) hit .277 with an .809 on-base-plus-slugging percentage on top of his strong catching defense.
Félix Bautista: The first-time All-Star was the linchpin of Baltimore’s bullpen until he injured his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery in October. Bautista recorded 33 saves and 110 strikeouts in 61 innings. He held a 1.48 ERA, 0.918 WHIP and a 3.0 WAR. The Orioles signed veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel to fill the void Bautista will leave in 2024, but there’s no like-for-like replacement.
Anthony Santander: Santander experienced the entire rebuild in Baltimore and came out the other side — from 100 losses to 100 wins — as a major piece of the outfield. His 3.0 WAR came on the back of his .257 average and 28 homers. His 95 RBIs led the team.
Sound town
Spotify’s latest Wrapped paired a user’s listening habits to a city that most shares that identity (Hello, Burlington, Vermont).
This Orioles Wrapped story instead pairs the Orioles to the location in which most of their players were born, down to the state or foreign country. Any player who appeared at least once for Baltimore is considered.
So, despite the Orioles being Baltimore’s own, their players most reflect California.
The Orioles had nine California natives play for them in 2023, narrowly edging Florida (eight) for the most. Those Californians were Jack Flaherty, Logan Gillaspie, Aaron Hicks, Cole Irvin, Dean Kremer, James McCann, Joey Ortiz, Kyle Stowers and Jacob Webb.
The Floridians were Bryan Baker, Mychal Givens, Austin Hays, Mark Kolozsvary, Joey Krehbiel, Ryan O’Hearn, Ryan Mountcastle and Nick Vespi.
Texas came in third with four representatives (Grayson Rodriguez, Heston Kjerstad, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg), while 25 states and countries were represented among the 50 players in total.
Favorite genres (of wins and losses)
The Orioles loved a comeback.
Their 48 comeback wins in 2023 tied the Cincinnati Reds for the most in baseball, creating drama and excitement — and more than a few total rewrites of game stories.
In that same vein, the Orioles were adept at winning close games. They played 46 one-run games and won 30 while finishing a game with a run differential of five or more only 40 times (winning 24 of those blowouts).
Still, as they racked up 101 wins, the Orioles produced a run differential of +129 — tied for the fifth best in the majors.
From 2022 to 2023, and beyond
The first-place finish in the AL East was proof: The rebuild is over in Baltimore.
The Orioles took that step in 2022 by finishing above .500 for the first time since 2016, then they jumped further by winning 101 games.
What will 2024 bring?
Likely some new walk-up songs to analyze. There will be spring training in February, the regular season come March and the postseason by October. The Orioles have designs to play deep into the fall, winning a playoff game for the first time since 2014. Listen, watch and — most important — read how it unfolds throughout the new year.
