Mike Baumann is coming into his own as a reliever

These days, it’s worth pausing a bit to show some gratitude for the Orioles, and especially for their late-inning pitching. The O’s own the second-best record in the American League, and a large part of that is thanks to the bullpen, one of the best in the game right now. The Orioles’ bullpen is ranked first in WAR, second in ERA, third in strikeouts, fourth (tied) in WHIP, and first in adjusted ERA.

As for the top individual performers, it’s a crowded field. From top down, based on adjusted ERA, you have the otherworldly Yennier Cano, the towering Félix Bautista, the flamethrowing Bryan Baker, the confounding Danny Coulombe—and then, Mike Baumann.

This is a nice development, because a little…