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–after another incredible week from the birds, it was very difficult to pick just three Orioles going up, and not much easier making selections for the down group either.
Without further adieu:
Glenn’s Three Up:
3. RP Yennier Cano
This week is impossible. Anthony Santander hit four home runs. Ryan O’Hearn, Austin Hays and Ramon Urias were highly productive. Danny Coulombe was great out of the bullpen and Grayson Rodriguez made two really good starts. Griffin almost certainly had one or more of those guys on his list and I won’t even be able to scream at him. But Cano made three appearances and didn’t allow a hit in 3.1 while striking out four, so he gets the spot for me.
2. SP Kyle Bradish
He gave up one baserunner and struck out nine over six innings just days after we were genuinely fearing whether his season might somehow be over. He was brilliant.
1. C Adley Rutschman
It’s not JUST that he went 10/31 this week and drove in 11 (obviously including Sunday’s grand slam). It’s that he was 5/8 with RISP this week, bringing his average with RISP to .418 on the season.
Griffin’s Three Up:
3. RP Danny Coulombe
This guy needs to be in Arlington for the ASG. He has been the most trustworthy part of this team’s bullpen, two strong innings to secure Saturday’s win in Tampa, and his baseball savant page is just all red (the only blue is because he doesn’t throw triple digits). The best and most consistent stuff in the O’s bullpen this season.
2. SP Grayson Rodriguez
Two road starts in the division and pitched magnificently earning the win in both. Glenn doesn’t want to call him an “ace” yet but I’ll tell you what he is, a DAMN good pitcher.
1. C Adley Rutschman
Not much else to add here, 11 RBI on the week. He is always apart of this team’s big moments it seems, especially over the last few weeks.
Glenn’s Three Down:
3. SP Cade Povich
This is really difficult. Obviously we were all encouraged by Povich’s start. He showed so many good things. But he also gave up four critical walks and ultimately gave up six earned runs in a loss. During a week where there weren’t many down moments, he can’t avoid this list.
2. RP Craig Kimbrel
Similarly, Kimbrel didn’t have a bad week. He had a bad appearance. But he’s the ninth inning guy and he…kinda imploded in a ninth inning and that’s enough to make the list this week.
1. OF Cedric Mullins
It was tremendous to see Mullins get a pair of hits in Sunday’s win. Unfortunately those were his only hits for the week so it’s not enough to avoid this fate.
Griffin’s Three Down:
3. RP Craig Kimbrel
Lost the game Wednesday night, not holding it against him moving forward but it was a week with extremely lacing of criticism, so here we are.
2. SP Cade Povich
You can argue it’s not fair to have him here, but he’s a big leaguer and unfortunately not everyone is Paul Skenes. I liked what I saw, induced a lot of weak contact from anyone not named Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but the walks were back breaking.
1. CF Cedric Mullins
The strong day yesterday was not enough to escape this list nor the anti-man of the week, but encouraging. Still hate it here.
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 as Glenn and Griffin go back and forth and share their Three Up and Three Down by clicking play below:
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
