In 2010, the Baltimore Orioles used their first round pick(5th overall) on a 21-year old Notre Dame second baseman named Brandon Britton. The Orioles hadn't seen the playoffs for ages, but that very same year, 2010, the Orioles stunned everyone as they finished with a record of 89-73, and made it to the ALCS. Britton had had fears that maybe he will never see the playoffs when the Orioles picked him, as the AL East was such a tough division, so Britton was really happy that he would be joining a contending club in a few years. Britton put up solid numbers in 2010 and 2011 for the Aberdeen IronPigs(A) and the Bowie BaySox(AA), and in 2012 he made his debut for the big club as a September call-up. The team he was joining was not the team he had envisioned though, as the Orioles won just 143 games combined in 2011 and 2012. In 2013 Britton still spent the majority of the year in the minors, and the big club finished with a dismal 64-98 record.
In 2014, Britton got the news he had been waiting for, as he was named the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles still struggled in 2014 failing to win 70 again, but Britton did well, hitting 16 HR 88 RBI .291 AVG and making the All Star team.
In 2015, the Orioles started winning, winning 86 games, but finished 4th in the tough AL East. Britton made the All Star team again, this time as a starter, and posted a .332 batting average. "Next year, next year we'll make it", Britton was thinking.
In 2016, the Orioles had another winning year, winning 85 games that was good enough for 2nd place. Britton had another great year, winning MVP honours in the All Star game. He bat .350 for the year and was becoming a premier contact hitter in the league at age 27. The Orioles were clearly a team on the rise, and Britton was looking forward with great optimism. He signed a 2 year 6M/year deal with Baltimore that will see him stay in Baltimore through 2018.
The optimism was not warranted however, and the Orioles plummeted to a 71-91 record in 2017. Britton once again carried the team, starting in the All Star Game, and winning the batting title with his .354 AVG. Britton wasn't panicking just yet, because the O's were struck by injuries all year, and knew that the team had the stuff that champions were made of.
The O's were better in 2018, but still finished last with a record of 81-81. Britton was the starter for the AL All Star team again, and had a career year powerwise, hitting 35 HR and knocking in 115 while batting .325. At the time, Britton was the best hitting second baseman in the league, and probably the best contact hitter in the game, and every team in the league would have loved to sign him. In the end, Britton decided to stay with the only team he had ever known, and in October he signed a deal that will keep him in Baltimore through 2021, making 13.9M/year. "I can just feel this team can go all the way", Britton was telling everyone
Britton was once again left disappointed in 2019, as the O's finished with a record of 77-85, far behind the contending teams. Individually Britton was again great, making his 6th straight All Star team, again as the starter. He once again batted over .300, but all that was irrelevant to Britton, who just wanted to play for a contender. Trade rumours were flying all over the place, but nothing materialized, and Britton would remain in Baltimore.
2020 brought more of the same, with the O's far behind the division leaders at 81-81. Britton kept doing all he could for his team, again batting over .300, and making the All Star team as a starter for the 6th straight time. Britton was getting really pessimistic, and just waiting for next years offseason, so he could leave Baltimore for a contender.
In 2021, the Orioles finished at 83-79, still far behind playoff spots. The Orioles entertained some deals for Britton at the deadline, but decided to keep him and try to re-sign him after the season. Britton made the All Star team as a starter again, hitting 24 home runs and 100 RBI. He had decided long ago, he wasn't re-signing with Baltimore. "This team is going nowhere, this division is just too tough", Britton kept saying to his friends. "I'm going to find a team that is a lock to contend for years".
After becoming a free agent, Britton, now 32 years old, signed a 5 year deal with the New York Mets. The Mets had won 90 games in all of their last three years, and played in a World Series just two years ago. In 2021 they won 97 games, and Britton felt happy that he would finally have a chance to play October ball in 2022. He felt bad for Baltimore, who were going to struggle once he left, but he had to think about his own ambitions.
2022 started, and Britton was on fire with his new club. He got over 3 million votes for the All Star team, and made it as a starter for the 8th straight year, this time in the National League. The Mets were rolling, but a September collapse saw them finish at 85-77, that wasn't good enough for the playoffs. Britton had a career year, hitting 34 HR 133 RBI, and batting .361, winning the batting title. If the team had made the playoffs, he would have been a lock for the MVP.
The biggest shock to Britton wasn't the Mets September collapse, but instead the performance of his old team. The Orioles caught fire in 2022, finishing with a 97-65 record, winning the AL East and making the playoffs. Britton watched in absolute disbelief, as the Orioles beat the 114 win Texas Rangers in the ALDS, and then went on to beat the Red Sox in a classic 7 game series in the ALCS. Britton could not believe his eyes when watching his old buddies then dismantle the Atlanta Braves in 5 games, seeing them jump up and down on the field celebrating a World Championship. "No way, no f-ing way", was all Britton could say. He didn't wallow in self-pity though, because he knew he was at a great club, and that the Mets will be going deep into October next year.
2023 came along, but the Mets didn't make it this time either. A record of 86-76 saw them finish third in the division, and at age 34, Britton still hadn't seen October baseball. Britton kept succeeding individually, making the All Star game as a starter again, and once again batting over .300, this time .329. The Orioles made the playoffs again, and Britton was in absolute shambles
The same continued in 2024, the Mets missed the playoffs going 85-77, while Britton made the All Star team as a starter. Britton reached many milestones in 2024, his 1000th run, his 1000th RBI and his 2000th hit. He hit .306 for the year, but he just couldn't believe that he was always falling short of the playoffs.
2025 was probably the toughest year thus far. The Mets were right in the mix in the wildcard race, but fell short after a weak September, finishing at 89-73. Britton made his 12 straight All Star team, and his 11th straight as a starter, hitting .329 with 119 RBI. Britton was a Hall of Famer in the making, but at age 36, he was dying for a playoff run.
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Originally Posted by bleyton94
