This week, we are previewing how our four area MLB teams will do this upcoming season.
Today’s team is the Baltimore Orioles.
The Orioles played in arguably the best division in baseball last season, and still came away with a spot in the Wild Card Game. However, the Blue Jays ended the O’s season in dramatic fashion, advancing in the playoffs after an Edwin Encarnacion walk-off home run.
The biggest problem for the team in 2016 was starting pitching, and it appears the O’s will have the same issues in 2017 after making no significant additions this off season.
The projected rotation for Baltimore stacks up four pitchers with separate issues: Chris Tillman (injury), Ubaldo Jimenez (performance), Wade Miley (performance), Dylan Bundy (injury). The team is really depending on SP Kevin Gausman to repeat his 2016 line, while the rest of the rotation works through their issues to keep the O’s in games.
It appears the team will return much of the same bullpen, anchored by closer Zach Britton.
On offense, the Orioles were world-beaters, leading MLB with 253 home runs. With much of the same lineup returning, it appears that Camden Yards will be a launchpad all summer long. MLB Home Run Leader, DH/OF Mark Trumbo resigned to stay in the middle of the Orioles’ order. 1B Chris Davis and 3B Manny Machado weren’t far behind with 38 & 37 home runs respectively, while OF Adam Jones added 29 of his own. With those four players in the fold, the offense is destined to be one of the league’s best again.
It will be interesting to see if the Orioles’ offense will be able to carry a mediocre pitching staff to the postseason.
Our question is, how do you think the Baltimore Orioles’ season will turn out?
