With the Orioles set to open the 2022 campaign at Tampa Bay over the weekend, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Wishes to press the fast-forward button on the rebuild have been common, but that especially holds true with Adley Rutschman weeks away from debuting and Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall potentially arriving this summer. The standings won’t reflect it, but this is the year optimism should come into sharper focus.
2. While not an overwhelming proponent of trading Trey Mancini or giving him a contract extension, I do believe many overlook what a 30-year-old cancer survivor who’s endured so much losing might want for himself at this point. Regardless of how this plays out, I’ll be rooting for his success.
3. Though I’ll argue Mike Elias should have signed another starter to put more pressure on the mid-20s pitchers who shouldn’t be on scholarship anymore, I’m interested to see how the tandem or “piggyback” approach works early on. That feeling could quickly change a time or two through the rotation.
4. With that rotation angst in mind, you’d love to see John Means crack 30 starts and avoid the injured list after dealing with left shoulder discomfort each of the last three seasons. He pitched to a 4.88 ERA in 75 2/3 innings after returning from a shoulder strain last July.
5. Expecting another 30-30 season from Cedric Mullins would be unfair, but learning he did that after undergoing surgery for Crohn’s disease the previous offseason only makes you appreciate him more. I’m still impressed he batted .277 with a .788 OPS against lefties after abandoning switch-hitting. What a story.
6. Tired of too many cheap home runs, I embrace a bigger left field in Baltimore and look forward to seeing how it plays. If baseball cathedrals such as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park can undergo changes, I suspect Camden Yards will be just fine. Defense will certainly matter out there.
7. Ryan Mountcastle may lose some homers at home, but focusing exclusively on first base should help his game. An .853 OPS over the second half of 2021 despite a .267 batting average on balls in play was impressive, but improving his walk rate remains key to his long-term outlook.
8. I’m unenthusiastic about an infield devoting so many at-bats to Rougned Odor, Kelvin Gutierrez, and Jorge Mateo this deep into a rebuild, but that’s more reason to hope Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson — both starting 2022 at Double-A Bowie — play well enough to warrant a late-season arrival in the majors.
9. Ramon Urias was a sleeper entering 2021 who posted a .774 OPS in nearly 300 plate appearances while making starts at shortstop, second base, and third. The 27-year-old may profile best as a utility infielder, but he’s been able to hit just about everywhere he’s played these last few years.
10. Clamoring for Yusniel Diaz continues after a fast start at Norfolk, but a swift promotion isn’t warranted after his .498 OPS in the minors last year, regardless of how anyone feels about DJ Stewart or Ryan McKenna. Diaz needs to stay healthy and play like a top prospect.
11. Sorry, but celebrating these Camden Yards anniversaries every five years rings hollow. The truth is it’s a shame how little success — five playoff appearances and three 90-plus-win seasons — has taken place at a jewel of a ballpark that’s been home to the Orioles just seven fewer seasons than Memorial Stadium.
12. Much of 2022 will mimic the last several years with plenty of bad baseball, but the group already here and the arrival of some elite prospects will provide energy down the stretch. That won’t prevent another last-place finish, of course, but it’ll help the Orioles avoid 100 losses at 65-97.
