How Corbin Burnes is approaching his role as Orioles ace
SARASOTA, Florida — Corbin Burnes had just allowed four runs — including two home runs — in the second inning of a spring training start, but the smile on the new Baltimore Orioles ace’s face told a different story.
Despite the rocky outing against the Boston Red Sox, Burnes was focused on the positive: He had just taken a major step forward with his new batterymate, All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman.
“The first two weeks of anything new is kind of crazy and a whirlwind,” Burnes told ESPN after his outing. “This is kind of a critical day to build and take that relationship to the next level. Starting in that third inning, everything clicked to where it wanted to be.”
After coming over in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in February, Burnes’ first month with the Orioles has been a gradual acclimation. Being able to get his pitch sequencing down with the player who will be receiving his pitches all season was important to him, and midway through the start, Burnes said, he saw a look on Rutschman’s face that meant, “Yeah, I get it now.”
“We’ve talked and talked and talked about a lot of things and had a lot of conversations,” Rutschman said. “To apply it in real time was cool.”
While Burnes quickly familiarizes himself with a new group of teammates in preparation for the season ahead, there is also a different vibe around the Orioles this spring. Fresh off a 101-win season and its first AL East title since 2014, Baltimore is now expected to win — and Burnes is being counted on as a player who could put a franchise that hasn’t won a World Series in 41 years over the top.
“Everyone knows the goal, so we were really happy when the front office did that,” Rutschman said. “He’s elite in the way he goes about his business. It’s elite stuff and an elite person.”
IT WAS NO secret the Orioles needed help on the mound after their breakthrough season ended with a three-game sweep against the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series. Baltimore’s starters had the 11th-best ERA in the majors during the regular season, but the bottom fell out during the postseason when the staff posted a 7.27 ERA.
Unlike in previous offseasons, when the Orioles have been content with mid-tier veteran additions, general manager Mike Elias made it clear that he was looking to add an ace — he inquired about Burnes’ availability at the GM meetings and then again at the winter meetings.
