Keegan

Akin

Akin filed at $3.375 million. He’s still doubling his 2024 salary of $1.475 million after a year in which he finished with a 3.41 ERA despite diminished peripherals. Akin had a 97/19 K/BB in 78 2/3 innings in 2024 but finished at 59/33 in 63 1/3 innings last year.

Akin needed just nine pitches to collect his third save in four days. It’ll be interesting to see if the Orioles risk using him again Saturday for a fourth time in five days. If not, Yennier Cano might get a save chance.

That’s two saves and 35 pitches in two days for Akin, so he’ll probably get Thursday off. If the Orioles have a late lead then, Yennier Cano or Dietrich Enns might get the call.

The 30-year-old southpaw took over in the ninth with a one-run lead to protect. He did allow a one-out single to Chase Meidroth that put the tying run on base, but he rallied to strike out Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery in succession to close it out. Akin has done a nice job out of the Orioles’ bullpen this season, posting a 3.20 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and a 56/31 K/BB ratio over 59 innings of work while converting six saves in 12 opportunities.

Keegan Akin had recorded the final out in the eighth and started the ninth with a two-run lead over the Blue Jays. He recorded one out and was replaced by Cano with a runner on. Cano surrendered three straight hits that would tie the game before Alejandro Kirk knocked in the walk-off run with a sacrifice fly, charging Cano with a blown save and his seventh loss.

The game ended on a caught stealing from Oneil Cruz, leaving basestealers just 1-for-8 all-time against the left-hander. Akin is the one guy in the Baltimore pen worth considering in mixed leagues at the moment, though he’s not getting every save chance the team generates.

Pham’s homer started the ninth. Cano rebounded to retire the next two batters, but he was then replaced by Keegan Akin with lefty Oneil Cruz coming up. Akin went on to walk two before finishing the inning, and the Orioles eventually won in 11. Akin still seems like the favorite for saves in Baltimore, but no one is a great bet there right now.

Akin was tasked with protecting a one-run lead in the final frame and managed to work around a one-out single by speedster Bryce Johnson by retiring pinch-hitter Will Wagner before notching a rare strikeout of Luis Arraez to end it. He’ll continue serving as Baltimore’s primary closer for the final month of the season.

Akin managed to put out an eighth-inning fire for the Orioles, but wouldn’t be so lucky in the ensuing frame as he coughed up a go-ahead homer to Ceddanne Rafaela. The 30-year-old lefty has been lights-out since taking over as Baltimore’s primary stopper after Félix Bautista went down, but he was probably asked to do too much in this spot.

Akin took over with the bases loaded, one out and a two-run lead in the eighth. He gave up a sac fly, but he then got Mauricio Dubón to line out to end the inning. In the ninth, he struck out Cam Smith, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Peña in order. Akin, who was the initial choice to close for the Orioles after the trade deadline, had taken blown saves in his previous two opportunities after converting two earlier this month. He’s probably the best fantasy option of anyone in the Orioles pen, but that doesn’t make him a great choice in shallow leagues.