A Look Back At the Tides 2024 Season

Season In Review: The Tides finished the 2024 campaign with a 69-81 regular season record. That placed them ninth in the International League East Division and 17^th overall in the league. In the split season, Norfolk went 36-39 in the First Half and 33-42 in the Second Half. The Tides went 30-45 at Harbor Park, while going 39-36 on the road. Of the 27 series, the Tides went 9-11-7 (W-L-S), going 30-6-5 at home and 6-5-2 on the road. By calendar month, Norfolk went 2-1 in March, 11-14 in April, 16-11 in May, 9-17 in June, 12-11 in July, 10-17 in August and 9-10 in September.

Keep It 100: Throughout the season, the Tides had four different players ranked in the Top 100 prospect rankings by MLB.com (MLB) and Baseball America (BA). Highlighting the Top 100 was Jackson Holliday (#1 by MLB and BA), becoming the third player in franchise history to be the #1 Preseason prospect by BA: Matt Wieters (2009) and Adley Rutschman (2022). Along with eventually being ranked #1 by both publications in 2023, Holliday joined Rutschman (2021 – 22) and Gunnar Henderson (2022) as the third #1 prospect to be on the Tides for four straight seasons. Samuel Basallo (#17 by MLB, #10 by BA) joined the Tides on August 27. Coby Mayo (#30 by MLB, #25 by BA) and Heston Kjerstad (#32 by MLB, #41 by BA) each played in their second season with the Tides to round out the four Top 100 players. It’s the third straight season the Tides have had at least four Top 100 preseason prospects play for them.

Roster + Transaction Numbers: The Tides finish the season with 305 transactions, hosting 84 different players on the roster and 83 making at least one appearance. It's the most players the Tides have ever had in one season. 34 of the 84 players on the Tides roster played a game with Baltimore this season. It's the third straight season the Tides have reached 300 moves. Norfolk had 78 players in 2023, 83 in 2022 (81 played) and 80 (73 played) in 2021.

All-Stars Galore: On October 2, Minor League Baseball announced the league awards and All-Star teams for the two leagues that make up the Triple-A classification. Votes were cast by league managers, and final decisions were determined by the Commissioner’s Office. Coby Mayo was named International League Top MLB Prospect and was named an All-Star along with teammates Connor Norby, Heston Kjerstad, Brandon Young, and Cade Povich. The five postseason All-Star selections set the single season franchise record, topping the four selected in 1975: 1B Brock Pemberton, 3B Roy Staiger, OF Mike Vail, and P Craig Swan. Mayo’s Top MLB Prospect Award was the sixth won in franchise history, joining Vail (1975), Mookie Wilson (1979), Randy Milligan (1987), Jason Isringhausen (1995) and Gunnar Henderson (2022).

Orioles Postseason: 19 former Tides made the 26-man playoff roster for Baltimore in 2024 for the American League Wild Card Series: Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano, Danny Coulombe, Colton Cowser, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, Dean Kremer, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Cionel Perez, Cade Povich, Adley Rutschman, Anthony Santander, Colin Selby, Ramon Urias, Jacob Webb, and Jordan Westburg. The Orioles would be swept by the Kansas City Royals, losing Game 1, 1-0, and Game 2, 2-1. Baltimore has lost 10 straight playoff games dating back to 2014 when they were swept by the Royals in the American League Championship Series.

MLB Rehabbers: Nine Baltimore Orioles rehabbed with the Tides this season. John Means started his season with Norfolk after rehabbing from a left elbow strain. He made six starts on his rehab assignment, going 1-2 with a 8.68 ERA. He was activated by Baltimore on May 1 and went 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA in four starts before needing Tommy John surgery on June 13. Kyle Bradish began the season on the Injured List and would join Norfolk in his second rehab start on April 21. He made two starts going 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA. He made eight starts with Baltimore, going 2-0 with a 2.75 ERA before landing on the Injured List again for the rest of the season due to a right UCL strain. Dean Kremer was placed on the Injured List on May 24 due to a right triceps strain and made three rehab starts with Norfolk in June prior to returning to Baltimore. Jacob Webb, Danny Coulombe and Cionel Perez each made at least one rehab relief appearance for the Tides to round out the MLB rehabbing pitchers. As for the hitters, Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg, and Ramon Urias rehabbed in September during the final week of the season.

Holliday Season: Jackson Holliday was the #1 prospect at the start of the season, but did not make the Orioles Opening Day Roster. However, after 10 games with the Tides his contract was selected on April 10 to make his Major League Debut at Fenway Park vs. the Boston Red Sox. After going 2-for-34 in his first 10 games, Baltimore optioned Holliday back to Norfolk and rejoined the Tides on April 27. He walked 29 times in May for the Tides, shattering the previous Orioles affiliate franchise calendar month record of 23. He would stay in Triple-A through the end of July, playing 73 games in total with the Tides. He slashed .271/.431/.477 with 75 runs, 25 doubles, 10 home runs, 38 RBI and 75 walks. The walks set an Orioles affiliate franchise record, passing Colton Cowser (64 in 2023). Through his final game with Norfolk on July 28 prior to returning to Baltimore, Holliday led the league in walks in runs, and tied for the league lead in walks, while also ranking in doubles (T-3^rd), on-base percentage (2^nd), and OPS (T-6^th, .908). Holliday was five plate appearances away from qualifying as a single season franchise leader. If those plate appearances were outs, Holliday breaks the Orioles affiliate franchise record in on-base percentage (.425), topping Cowser (.417 in 2023). It also ranks Holliday 5^th all-time in highest single season on-base percentage in franchise history,

Basallo Bomba: Samuel Basallo joined the Tides on August 27 after spending the beginning of the season with Double-A Bowie. When he made his debut, he became the eighth-youngest hitter in franchise history to debut for the Tides. However, he was not the youngest player to debut for the Tides this season because Fernando Peguero debuted on August 1 at 19 years, 218 days, the fourth-youngest hitting debut in franchise history. Basallo played 21 games for the Tides, batting .222 (18-for-81) with 11 runs, three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI. In the field, he started 10 games at catcher, four at first base and five as the designated hitter. After the Double-A season concluded, he was named Eastern League MLB Prospect of the Year.

Extra Mayo: Coby Mayo played in 89 games for Norfolk in 2024, slashing .287/.364/.562 with 61 runs, 99 hits, 23 doubles, three triples, 22 home runs, 67 RBI and 40 walks. His .562 slugging percentage set the single season Orioles affiliate franchise record (topping Kyle Stowers’ .527) and was the third-highest all-time in franchise history. Mayo missed month of the season after hurting his rib on May 16 vs. Lehigh Valley and didn’t return to Norfolk until June 18. Mayo would serve two stints with Baltimore: August 2 – 18 and August 31 – September 20. He maintains his rookie eligibility into 2025, playing just 17 games and making 46 plate appearances with the Orioles. Mayo earned numerous awards for his 2024 season: MiLB Awards All-MiLB Prospect 1^st Team, Baseball America Minor League All-Star, the Orioles’ Brooks Robinson Award, International League Top MLB Prospect, International League Postseason All-Star at third base. At the conclusion of the season, Mayo ranks among all-time franchise leaders in slugging percentage (6^th, .543), and OPS (8^th, .919).

The Best in Heston: Heston Kjerstad played just two month’s worth of baseball for the Tides, where in 56 games he slashed .300/.397/.601 with 49 runs, 64 hits, 14 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs, 58 RBI and 32 walks. He started off hot, winning International League Player of the Week during the first week of the season, then won the league Player of the Month Award. During the month, Kjerstad tied Orioles affiliate calendar month record with 10 home runs (Rylan Bannon, August 2021), tied for fifth with 26 RBI and seventh in OPS (1.191). He played 39 games with Baltimore, hitting .253 (25-for-99) with eight runs, two doubles, four home runs and 14 RBI. As of the end of the 2024 season, Kjerstad ranks among all-time franchise leaders in slugging percentage (7^th, .541), OPS (7^th, .924), and batting average (20^th, .299).

Stowers The Home Run King: Kyle Stowers played 58 games with Norfolk and 19 games with Baltimore prior to getting traded to Miami along with Connor Norby in exchange for Trevor Rogers at the Trade Deadline. With Norfolk, he slashed .240/.322/.555 with 41 runs, 55 hits, 16 doubles, a triple, 18 home runs, 55 RBI and 26 walks. On June 30 vs. Charlotte, Stowers blasted his 53^rd career home run, passing Gary Rajsich for the most in franchise history and ended his Norfolk tenure with 57. Stowers finishes ranked among franchise career leaders in RBI (8^th, 193), slugging percentage (12^th, .519), and OPS (20^th, .870).

Norby Knocks: Connor Norby played 80 games with Norfolk and nine games with Baltimore prior to getting traded to Miami along with Kyle Stowers in exchange for Trevor Rogers at the Trade Deadline. Norby would play 14 games with Triple-A Jacksonville and 14 with Miami to complete his season. In the International League, he played 94 games slashing .293/.382/.496 with 78 runs, 111 hits, 24 doubles, a triple, 17 home runs, 60 RBI and 53 walks. Norby ranked among International League leaders in OPS (5th, .878), average (8th), on-base percentage (8th), slugging percentage (8th), and runs (T-9th). He would be named a Postseason All-Star for the International League at second base. In the Tides franchise history, Norby ranks among career leaders in home runs (9^th, 41), runs (T-9^th, 182), doubles (T-15^th, 63), slugging (15^th, .505), OPS (15^th, .877), and RBI (16^th, 156).

Billy’s Cookin: Billy Cook played 70 games for Norfolk, slashing .279/.372/.485 with 42 runs, 73 hits, 15 doubles, three doubles, 11 home runs, 43 RBI and 34 walks. He would get traded to Pittsburgh on July 30 in exchange for Patrick Reilly. Cook would later make his Major League debut for the Pirates on September 8, and would play 16 games batting .225 with three home runs and eight RBI.

Maton Madness: Nick Maton spent the entire season in the Orioles organization, where he played 87 games for Norfolk. He slashed .258/.363/.471 with 44 runs, 75 hits, 12 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs, 56 RBI and 45 walks. The 16 bombs doubled his previous career season-high. Maton would play in five games for Baltimore over two MLB stints.

The Jet Takes Off: Daniel Johnson led the Tides with 118 games played in 2024. He slashed .259/.320/.448 with 69 runs, 117 hits, 20 doubles, a triple, 21 home runs, 76 RBI, 37 walks, and 17 stolen bases. His 21 homers ranked tied for 11^th in the International League. Johnson is the fifth player in Orioles affiliate franchise history to hit at least 20 doubles, 20 home runs and 75 RBI in a single season.

Vavra Bounce Back: Terrin Vavra started the season on the Injured List after a shoulder surgery from 2023. He would get back with the Tides on May 12 and would total 55 games with Norfolk. He slashed .236/.342/.356 with 29 runs, 45 hits, five doubles, three triples, four home runs, 28 RBI and 28 walks. Vavra had his contract selected by Baltimore on July 30, but would not play a game and was optioned the next day. Vavra would be designated for assignment on August 22 and claimed off waivers by Seattle the next day. After a week in the Mariners organization, they waived Vavra elected free agency instead of accepting outright assignment back to Triple-A Tacoma. Vavra would sign a minor league contract with the Tides to finish out the season. He now has exactly 500 career plate appearances with the Tides, ranking 2^nd most in Orioles affiliate franchise history in on-base percentage (.386) and 17^th overall in franchise history.

Leave It to Beavers: For the final series of the season, Dylan Beavers was promoted from Bowie to Norfolk. He hit safely in four of six games in the final week, going 5-for-20 with four RBI, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Combining his efforts with Bowie, Beavers played in 125 games an slashed .242/.342/.408 with 70 runs, 109 hits, 20 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 68 walks and 31 stolen bases. Since 2007, he is the lone Orioles prospect to have at least 20 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the minor leagues. Beavers was one of five players in all of Minor League Baseball to do so this year.

Down the Hudson: Hudson Haskin started the season on the Injured List to due to hip surgery. He joined the Tides on April 23 and would play 90 games for the Tides. He slashed .213/.343/.300 with 45 runs, 59 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 24 RBI, 43 RBI and 22 stolen bases. He also was hit by 13 pitches, the second-most in a single season in Orioles affiliate franchise history. Haskin has 20 hit-by-pitches in his Tides career, tied for seventh-most in franchise history. His 22 stolen bases led the Tides, and his 27 career stolen bases in Norfolk ranks seventh-most as an Orioles affiliate hitter in their career.

Keep ‘Em Chayce-ing: Chayce McDermott pitched in 22 games (21 starts) with Norfolk. He went 4-5 with a 3.78 ERA (42 ER, 100.0 IP) with 144 strikeouts to 60 walks. The 144 strikeouts set the single season record for a Tides pitcher as an Orioles affiliate, topping Keegan Akin (131 in 2019). Since MLB Advanced Media started in 2005, McDermott has the best strikeouts per nine ratio (12.96) in a single season of pitchers with at least 100.0 innings. That topped Michael Kopech’s 2018 season (12.11). McDermott made one start with Baltimore, where in his Major League debut on July 24 at Miami, he went 4.0 innings and allowed three runs on five hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out three. McDermott missed six weeks of the season on the Injured List due to a right scapula stress reaction, but returned in late September for a final start.

Povich Pitches: Cade Povich spent half of his season with Norfolk, where in 15 games (14 starts) he went 6-1 with a 3.48 ERA (30 ER, 77.2 IP). The other half of his season was spent in Baltimore, where Povich went 3-9 with a 5.20 ERA (46 ER, 79.2 IP) in 16 starts. Of the 75 International League pitchers with at least 77.2 innings, he ranked fourth in opponent's average (.207), seventh in ERA, and ninth in strikeouts to walks ratio (3.30). Povich was later named an International League Postseason All-Star.

Forever Young: Brandon Young went 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA (34 ER, 89.0 IP) with 93 strikeouts to 30 walks in 19 games (17 starts) for the Tides. He went on to with the Jim Palmer Award as the Orioles organization’s best pitching prospect of 2024. Young would later be named as an International League Postseason All-Star. From his Triple-A debut on May 29 through the end of the season, Young ranked among International League leaders in ERA (5th), WHIP (6th, 1.28), opponent’s average (T-4th, .241) and strikeouts (4th).

Homegrown Boys: Colin Selby and Garrett Stallings both played for the Tides in 2024, but the two never played together. Stallings, a Grassfield High School Alumnus, was traded to Milwaukee on May 25. Selby, a Western Branch High School alumnus, was acquired by Baltimore from Pittsburgh on July 11 and would later make the Orioles postseason roster.