We’re still in the midst of “small sample size” territory to begin the 2016 season, but below are six statistics to ponder as the Orioles’ series finale with the Texas Rangers was postponed on Sunday.
1. Yovani Gallardo hasn’t recorded an out after the sixth inning since June 27, 2015.
This stat doesn’t exactly make Buck Showalter’s decision to send Gallardo back out for the seventh inning of Saturday’s game look any better. His velocity was slightly better against Texas, but the 30-year-old still isn’t carrying the kind of stuff that makes you think he’ll be able to pitch more than five or six innings in any given start, which isn’t what you’re looking for in a $22 million investment.
2. The starting pitching entered Sunday averaging the fewest innings per start in the AL, but the rotation has allowed only five home runs, tied for fewest in the league.
Starters are averaging only 5.09 innings per start through 11 games, but at least they’ve kept the ball in play. Of course, the Orioles have pitched in plenty of cold weather early on in 2016, but the rotation gave up the second-most homers in the AL last year. That’s a little bit of progress, right?
3. J.J. Hardy has collected six extra-base hits in 10 games after amassing only 22 all last year.
We know an injured left shoulder played a big role in the veteran posting a .564 on-base plus slugging percentage in 2015, but Hardy is showing he still has the ability to hit the ball with authority. Per FanGraphs, 50 percent of the balls Hardy has put in play have been hard contact and just 16.7 percent have been soft contact after just 23.7 percent were hard contact — his worst percentage since his rookie year — and 19.5 percent were soft contact in 2015. Of course, the key will be keeping the 33-year-old healthy over the course of the season, but Hardy is showing that the ability for him to contribute offensively is still there.
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4. Orioles hitters are seeing more pitches per plate appearance and drawing walks more frequently than in 2015.
We’ll see if it continues moving forward, but the Orioles entered Sunday tied for fourth in the AL in walks after finishing 13th in that department in 2015. Their 2016 walk rate is 8.7 percent of all plate appearances so far compared to just 7.0 percent a year ago. The lineup is also seeing 3.98 pitches per plate appearance through 11 games after seeing 3.81 a year go. Through two weeks, the Orioles are showing more of a willingness to work counts and have swung at just 31 percent of pitches outside the strike zone, down from 34.1 percent last year (FanGraphs).
5. Mychal Givens is second on the club in strikeouts while only eighth in innings pitched.
The 25-year-old has been scored upon in three of his six appearances to begin the season, but he’s struck out a whopping 13 batters while walking two in 5 2/3 innings. Lefties have been a problem going 6-for-8, but he held lefty bats to a .555 OPS in 30 innings last season, making you think this is more of an aberration than a startling absolute. Showalter might be wise to limit his exposure to lefties for the time being, but averaging 20.6 strikeouts per nine innings is a ridiculous rate and opponents won’t sustain a .727 batting average on balls put in play against him.
6. Baltimore leads the majors with 23 home runs.
The 1997 Seattle Mariners hold the major league record with 264 long balls in a single season, and the Orioles are averaging just over two per game so far and the weather hasn’t even been that conducive for hitting the ball out. No club has hit more than 250 in a season since the 2010 Toronto Blue Jays, but there’s no reason why this lineup can’t at least approach that plateau if everyone stays healthy.
