The record shows that the Baltimore Orioles were swept in four games by the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series last fall. That is a fact, and anything else may be spin. But here goes.

The first two games were tied in the ninth inning before Kansas City pulled ahead. The Orioles lost the next two games by scores of 2-1. The Royals deserved their A.L. pennant, but things could have easily broken Baltimore’s way. The Orioles should not be forgotten as a new season begins.

It might be easy to overlook the Orioles, who lost three well-known players in the off-season without adding brand-name replacements. The longtime right fielder Nick Markakis signed with Atlanta, the home run champion Nelson Cruz signed with Seattle and the left-handed reliever Andrew Miller signed with the Yankees.

But in their three seasons together, Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter have forged a winning formula. Duquette, the Orioles’ executive vice president for baseball operations, finds useful roster pieces, and Showalter, the manager, expertly deploys them around center fielder Adam Jones, the team’s cornerstone. Names like Steve Pearce, Alejandro De Aza and Delmon Young may not be easy to market, but with Baltimore, they win.