If the Baltimore Orioles want to beat the New York Yankees and win another American League East title, they’ll have to do it without Jorge Mateo.
Mateo got hurt on July 23 in a collision with Gunnar Henderson and had surgery on his elbow. He won’t play for the rest of the season.
Before getting injured, Mateo was having his best year ever. He played 68 games, hit .229/.267/.401, with five home runs and 13 stolen bases. His performance was worth about 0.8 Wins Above Replacement.
Since Mateo’s injury, Jackson Holliday has taken over second base. Holliday is a top prospect but hasn’t fully met expectations yet: he’s hitting .211/.268/.422 with five home runs in 26 games .
Orioles’ Current Standings:
The Orioles are currently one game behind the Yankees with a record of 77-57. They will finish their series against the Dodgers before playing teams like the Rockies, White Sox, and Rays—none of which are top contenders.
Fans might think this stretch of games is crucial for Baltimore’s playoff hopes.
Baltimore also has three more games against the Yankees in New York during the final week of the season.
The Orioles lead their head-to-head matchups with the Yankees 6-4. With no tiebreaker games anymore due to MLB’s new postseason format, winning these head-to-heads gives them an edge if there’s a tie at season’s end.
What do you think? Can they pull it off?
