With Opening Day less than two weeks away, we’ll take a look at a member of the 2017 Orioles every day as they try to return to the postseason for the fourth time in six years.
Manny Machado
Kevin Gausman
Adam Jones
Darren O’Day
Seth Smith
Mike Wright
Caleb Joseph
Donnie Hart
Jonathan Schoop
Mychal Givens
Ryan Flaherty
Brad Brach
SS J.J. Hardy
Opening Day age: 34
Contract status: Under contract through the 2017 season
2016 stats: .269/.309/.407, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 43 R, 0 SB, 438 PA
Why to be impressed: Hardy rebounded from a miserable 2015 in a big way, thanks in large part to the best hard-contact percentage of his major league career that led to 16 more extra-base hits in virtually the same number of plate appearances as 2015. His percentage of contact to the opposite field didn’t deviate from his career mark, but he hit it the other much more successfully, posting a .368 average.
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Why to be concerned: The shortstop will be 35 in August and missed much of the spring with a cranky back, which also hindered him a great deal during the 2014 season. It’s also worth noting that manager Buck Showalter has remained reluctant to give Hardy regular days off despite the luxury of being able to slide Manny Machado over from third base to play short in those instances.
2017 outlook: The former All-Star infielder deserves credit for 2016 after his career looked to be falling off a cliff, but he will need to continue his revamped approach to hit more line drives rather than going for the long ball. With Hardy not having more than 438 plate appearances in a season since 2014, the Orioles need to keep him fresh and healthy to keep his defense at a high level and his bat respectable.
Not-so-scientific projections for 2017: .251/.293/.382, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 55 R, 0 SB, 503 PA
