Orioles’ playoff flashback shows exactly where things unraveled

The past isn’t just nostalgia here; it’s a blueprint waiting to be edited.

Athletics v Baltimore Orioles | G Fiume/GettyImagesTwo Octobers ago, the Baltimore Orioles looked like a franchise just beginning its run — youth, swagger, depth, and a 26-man ALDS group that felt like the opening credits to a long series. Fast-forward, and 14 names from that 2023 ALDS roster are gone.

For a “young core,” that’s a staggering amount of churn. Turnover isn’t automatically a sin; modern contenders swap parts all the time. But for Baltimore, the pace and sequencing of those exits, paired with ill-timed injuries eroded the very thing that carried them to 101 wins: continuity in run prevention, a flexible…