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Why did Orioles switch from Aberdeen to Frederick? | MAILBAG

Question: Why did the Orioles’ High-A affiliation team switch from Aberdeen to Frederick? From: Jacob P

Answer: Jacob, attendance in Aberdeen had fallen sharply in recent years. In 2025, after several years of steady decline, the IronBirds averaged only 1,628 fans per game, second lowest in the South Atlantic League.

When Aberdeen was a short-season team, it drew much better, but the move to a full-season team didn’t work out well.

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Like Aberdeen, Frederick is also close to Baltimore and has a vital fan base. It also made some improvements to the stadium, and fans seem excited about having the Keys back in affiliated ball, especially with so many top prospects there.

Question: What is the team ERA when each catcher is behind the plate? I think it is higher for Samuel Basallo than Adley Rutschman. From: Webster, Winter Park, Florida

Answer: Webster, you are incorrect. When Basallo is catching, the Orioles’ ERA is 3.84. When Rutschman is catching, it’s 4.68. Their ERA when Sam Huff caught in three games was 5.40.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

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Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.