Glenn and Griffin continue our Monday tradition for the 2024 baseball season Monday on GCR with ‘Three Up and Three Down’ where we rank the best and worst Orioles performers of the week, much like how we do with Pats on the Ass and Slaps to the Helmet during football season after Ravens games. The guys will each name three players, three trending up, three trending down, based on how they did for that week specifically and a weird week it was, going 3-2 over five games, with no super strong feelings one way or the other outside of the impressive heroics of Jordan Westburg all week…
Without further adieu:
Glenn’s Three Up:
3. SP Cole Irvin
It wasn’t really a great week for the starters (by the standard they’ve set anyway) and even Irvin couldn’t finish the 6th inning Friday night but we have to keep recognizing his consistency and the fact that he’s absolutely pitching at an All-Star level.
2. RP Yennier Cano
He wasn’t brilliant. He allowed four baserunners over 2.2 innings including a troubling leadoff double in a save spot Friday night. But he made it through his three appearances without allowing a run and showed the stability necessary at a time where we’re so concerned about the back end of the bullpen.
1. INF Jordan Westburg
What a freaking week. What a freaking stud. He went 8-19 with four doubles (and would have had a fifth had he not stopped at first on his walkoff winner Saturday night) and added a couple of walks to go with just three strikeouts. And his defense is outstanding. An incredible week as part of what has been an outstanding season.
Griffin’s Three Up:
3. RP Yennier Cano
Hard not to get excited when his number is called. When he comes in, it mean’s it’s time to go win a ball game and that’s what he does, versatility to come in at any point late in the game and get himself out of seemingly any jam. Impressive stuff, this is the standard.
2. SS Gunnar Henderson
I mean all he does is rake, AND play an outstanding defensive shortstop. When this team wins, it’s because of something Gunnar Henderson did.
1. 2B/3B Jordan Westburg
Not much to discuss here, he does literally everything and has been the most consistent Oriole to this point, delivers in big moments accentuated by Saturday’s walk-off.
Glenn’s Three Down:
3. C Adley Rutschman
I think he’s been the team’s MVP so far but I can’t ignore what was a shaky week in which he went just 4-22 (one of the four being a fairly meaningless home run in the blowout loss to the Diamondbacks Sunday) with no walks and four strikeouts. There were also some throwing adventures against the Nationals.
2. OF Colton Cowser
He went just 3/18 and solid contact earlier in the week didn’t turn into better results unfortunately.
1. OF Cedric Mullins
Look, he’s still too important in the field to take him out of the lineup altogether but it’s all strikeouts and popouts right now. It’s rough.
Griffin’s Three Down:
3. Ryan McKenna
Obviously I’m piling on because this guy didn’t even register an at-bat, but I feel like he’s becoming the vain of my existence at this point. I have zero confidence in his ability to play right field, and we can’t even trust him to run the bases now too.
2. LF Colton Cowser
Hasn’t been great since that electric start to April, that’s no secret. And notice how I put ‘LF’ there, that’s where he belongs, and it’s coming to a point where I’m asking, when does Austin Hays get back?
1. CF Cedric Mullins
The most painful anti- man of the week I’ve had to put, but he just doesn’t look right at the plate, uncompetitive. And that being said, he can’t be kept out of the lineup any longer with what he provides defensively in centerfield.
Here’s a look at the season-long standings. scoring is simple: 3 points awarded to the top player in ‘Three Up’ each week, -3 points for the top player in ‘Three Down’ each week:
You can listen and Glenn and Griffin go Three Up and Three Down Monday morning by clicking play below:
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox
