A Look Back
The Baltimore Orioles are, well, not the best. They have finished in last place in the American League East three seasons running. Their 2017 campaign wasn’t too bad, finishing with a 75-87 record, but from there the bottom fell out. 2018 was record-breaking and not in a good way. The O’s lost a franchise-high 115 games and followed that up with 108 losses in 2019. An improvement over ’18, yes, but still not anything to write home about; in fact, just the opposite. It’s time for the Baltimore Orioles Season Preview.
A Look Ahead
Summer Camp
Let us try this again. First, shake off all of the nasty feelings you have about greedy owners and ballplayers who make more in a day than you will this year.
Finished?
Good.
Next, COVID-19 is here, it’s everywhere. Will the 2020 season actually happen? Who knows. Stop worrying. There is nothing we can do about it other than social distance, stay home, wear masks, and wash your hands. The rest is up to the baseball gods.
Now, get up. Wiggle around, convulse like you are possessed by ghouls.
Done?
You are cleansed.
Up next:
Welcome to Summer Camp. There will be running, hitting, weightlifting, inter-squad games, exhibition games, and these are just a few of the exciting activities that will take place. Sound fun? It will be.
Summer Camp in Baltimore
You have been invited to summer camp in Baltimore, Maryland. You will be staying at the lovely Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Your camp counselors will be, drum roll, the Orioles. So, who are the Orioles? Let’s take some time and learn about the ball team that you will be spending your summer with.
The O’s: A Position-by-Position Breakdown
Catcher
Unless something goes terribly wrong, Pedro Severino will be starting behind the dish. He is going into his second season with the O’s. Typically, Severino is a strong defensive catcher with lackluster offense, but 2019 saw a reversal. Pedro hit 13 home runs and drove in 44 while he ranked second with eight errors behind the plate and 10 passed balls. Hopefully, he can find a balance this season.
Backing up Severino will most likely be Chance Sisco. Sisco has been a bit of a disappointment in Baltimore. His defense has always been in question and his offense, of which he was supposed to be the best hitting catcher since Buster Posey, has never panned out. He has batted a dismal .203 average over his young career with an 84 OPS+.
First Base
The only bigger disappointment than Chance Sisco is Chris Davis. Most wonder why he is still starting at first — or even playing anywhere in Major League Baseball — but a big contract has a way of making one hesitant to pull the plug. Either way you cook it, Davis is going to be starting at first. He had a dismal 2019 at the plate, striking out in 39.5% of his at-bats with a .179 average and 12 home runs in 105 games. This season could be the last we see of Mr. Davis, big contract or not.
Second Base
The other player on the right side of the infield is Hanser Alberto. Offensively, Alberto had a good 2019, batting .305 in 524 at-bats with 12 home runs. He was also a positive contributor on defense, leading the O’s with five Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Alberto was a surprise breakout player in 2019, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep that trend going.
Shortstop
Jose Iglesias, just over from the Cincinnati Reds, brings a solid bat and a great glove to shore up the middle of the Baltimore infield. He had eight DRS for the Reds, ninth-best in baseball, and an overall 5.2 defensive value among shortstops. Iglesias should be a welcome addition to a Baltimore team that needs a well-rounded veteran in their starting lineup.
Third Base
Completing the infield at the hot corner is Rio Ruiz. Although his offense was a bit in question in 2019, batting .232 with 12 home runs, he showed some improvement near the end of the ’19 season with a jump in his slugging percentage to .376. His defense at third was solid. He had a 1.8 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) and two DRS.
Outfield
Let us start off the outfield preview by saying that Trey Mancini will be sorely missed. He was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer and is undergoing treatment. We wish Trey a speedy recovery and all the best.
Trey was a key, if not the key, part to a blossoming Orioles outfield. He batted .291 with 35 home runs and 97 RBI. But, there is no Trey for at least the 2020 season, so what to do?
The first stop is Anthony Santander. Santander was called up just before mid-season in 2019 and hit .261 with 20 home runs and 20 doubles. Anthony will most likely find himself in one of the corner outfield spots.
Austin Hays is great in the field and will surely be starting in center for the O’s. In 68 at-bats last season he hit .309 with four home runs. While his offense is promising, it is his defense that is most reliable and will secure his spot in the starting lineup.
That leaves Dwight Smith. Dwight had a dismal 2019 season, and if Mancini were healthy, Smith would surely be seeing less playing time. Smith batted .241 with a .297 OBP, but it was his -12 DRS in the outfield that was the least impressive. If Smith doesn’t shape up soon, his days in Oriole orange might be numbered.
Designated Hitter
Renato Nunez is a sure lock in the DH position, putting 31 out with 91 RBI last season. He could show some improvement on his .244 average and .311 OBP, but with his power numbers and his less than impressive defensive skills, the DH slot is the perfect fit.
Starting Rotation
The Birds starting rotation can be summed up in one word: stopgap.
With the exception of 2019 All-Star John Means, who led the staff with 12 wins, and Alex Cobb, who has something to prove after he missed most of the 2019 season with a hip injury, the Orioles five are weighted down with aging veterans.
The three remaining starters are the stopgap until the Orioles pitching prospects can mature into major league quality. Asher Wojciechowski,Wade LeBlanc, and Tommy Milone should be able to shoulder a few of the predicted 21.5 Orioles victories in 2020.
Bullpen
The 2019 Orioles bullpen was dismal and it looks like much of the offending parties are returning. Mychal Givens, who is high on the trade bait list, struggled in the closer position and had a serious long ball addiction.
Miguel Castro has dominant stuff with major control issues. 2019 saw him headed in the right direction with his strikeout numbers up and his home runs down, but his walk rate increased; control, control, control. Also, Richard Bleier, back from a major injury, struggled to find a groove in 2019.
The only bright spot in a room filled with darkness was Hunter Harvey. In the disaster zone that was the 2019 Orioles bullpen, Harvey had dominant stuff. He is the building block, just as Means is for the starting rotation, for an O’s bullpen that will see better late innings once the up and coming prospects are ready.
Brighter Future Days to Come
So now that you’ve gotten to know your O’s it’s time to head off to summer camp.
What will the season ahead hold in store for the Orange Birds? If the last couple of years are any indicator, probably not much on the side of winning, but that is nothing to hang your head about. Just be happy that baseball is back, the rebuild is continuing, and the O’s minor league system is filled with top prospects. Do the names Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle ring a bell? Take care, fellow Bird Watchers — the future is bright and it is always darkest before the light.
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