Next up in our 2024 fantasy baseball Sleepers and Busts series, we will focus on the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles have players like Adley Rutschman, whom fantasy managers know to select early. However, they also have some solid fantasy baseball sleepers worth considering. Let’s discuss two sleepers and the biggest bust candidate from the Orioles now.
Baltimore Orioles Sleepers & Busts for 2024 Fantasy Baseball
Draft Day Sleepers
DL Hall, SP/RP
One Orioles sleeper to keep an eye on this season is pitcher DL Hall. While with the Orioles last season, he spent all of his time as a relief pitcher. In 18 appearances, he had a 3-0 record to go along with 23 strikeouts. Overall, he handled himself well while used by the Orioles in 2023, and now he is a clear breakout candidate for them in 2024 because of it.
Hall was drafted in the first round for a reason. He has the tools to emerge as a high-impact pitcher in the majors, and he took a step forward last season. With that, Orioles GM Mike Elias recently confirmed to reporters that they view Hall as a long-term starter. Because of this, it is likely that we will see him get some serious chances as a starter this season. Because of this, he’s a sleeper to consider later on in your fantasy baseball drafts.
Dean Kremer, SP
Another Orioles pitcher whom fantasy managers should consider taking a chance on is Dean Kremer. In 32 appearances last season with Baltimore, he had a strong 13-5 record to go along with a 4.12 ERA. While his ERA was fairly high, it is important to note that his pitching improved as the campaign went on. He had an ERA over 5.00 in his first 17 starts but progressively improved it as the season carried on.
When noting that Kremer was able to bounce back from a disastrous start to the 2023 season, he is trending in the right direction. Another main reason why he warrants consideration for your fantasy club is that he was excellent for the O’s in 2022. In 22 appearances, he had an 8-7 record but also a much stronger 3.23 ERA. If he can get his ERA down in 2024, he will be a strong addition to your fantasy club.
Draft Day Busts
Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF
After a rocky end to his five-year tenure with the Kansas City Royals, Ryan O’Hearn had a career-best season with the Orioles in 2023. In 112 games, he set new career highs in hits (100), doubles (20), RBIs (60), and batting average (.289). He also tied his career high in home runs with 14. While it was a strong year for O’Hearn, there are red flags to pay attention to with him.
Before his breakout 2023 season, O’Hearn batted .195 twice, .225, and .239 over his four previous seasons. With that, he had just 12 home runs over his previous three seasons in 193 games. As a result, it is fair to worry if his batting numbers will drop down back to Earth in 2024. That is something that fantasy managers will need to worry about if they take the 30-year-old.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how these three perform this season from here. Hall and Kremer are looking to take steps forward with their development, while O’Hearn’s goal is to prove that last season was not a fluke.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.