The Rapid Rise of Orioles Starter Cole Irvin

This incredible run has been of the utmost importance to the Orioles, as Irvin has been a rock in an always-changing rotation. A key to Irvin’s success has been his attitude. After his most recent scoreless outing, Irvin said “I have a lot of fun out there no matter what.” His mindset has been working, because his pitching has been impeccable. Also, Irvin has made some Orioles history during his run. He is the sixth pitcher in Orioles history to have three consecutive scoreless starts of at least 6 1/3 innings per Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun.

Although there is still a long way to go, Cole Irvin’s stats certainly indicate those of an All-Star caliber player. He has been lights out, and if that continues, Irvin may have a chance to represent the Orioles in the Midsummer Classic.

The Advanced Side of Irvin’s Success

Irvin’s success goes deeper than the basic stats. The biggest factor behind Irvin’s success has been the expanded use of his curveball. In 2023, Irvin threw his curveball just 14.3 percent of the time, and it was his fifth most-used pitch. In 2024 however, Irvin throws the curveball nearly 30 percent of the time, and it is his most used pitch. His curveball has dramatically improved as well, having a run value of 2 already. Last year, the curveball was not nearly as effective, ending the season with a -1 run value. It became his main pitch for a reason, as it’s been incredibly productive.

Irvin is using his changeup a lot less, which has been beneficial to him because of how bad the pitch was in 2023. Also, he is inducing a lot more ground balls, increasing his ground ball rate by nearly 10 percent this year. Although looked at as an afterthought by most to begin the year, Irvin has worked at improving his pitching and looks primed to be a key member of the Orioles 2024 pitching staff.