With the Orioles beginning the 2022 season with a 3-7 record, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Their record and place in the standings aren’t shocking after three series against 2021 playoff clubs, but the AL’s second-best ERA at 2.86 is quite unexpected even with the small sample size. Of course, that doesn’t go far when averaging a league-worst 2.2 runs scored per game entering Tuesday.
2. Even with that strong pitching start, the loss of John Means couldn’t be more disappointing for a organization top-heavy in terms of pitching prospects. You hope for the best in regards to his left elbow, but placing him on the 60-day injured list so quickly left little room for optimism.
3. Baltimore entered Tuesday with the AL’s third-best bullpen ERA (2.49), but that group covered 47 innings over the first 10 games, the fifth most in the AL. Unless another starter really emerges to eat innings in Means’ absence, it’s difficult envisioning such an inexperienced group sustaining that success.
4. Much has been made about “swing decisions” and new hitting coaches Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller with the Orioles leading the AL with 44 walks. The problem is ranking last in the majors in homers (four) and striking out more than any AL club. Two true outcomes instead of three?
5. It doesn’t get more painful than going 11-for-93 with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers are the majors’ highest-scoring offense and have 120 plate appearances with runners in scoring position compared to Baltimore’s 111. In other words, opportunities have been there, but even established Orioles hitters are pressing right now.
6. Anthony Santander has been the only veteran hitter clicking with much of that stemming from nine walks in 40 plate appearances. He walked just 23 times in 438 plate appearances last season. With Kyle Stowers raking at Norfolk, you’d like to see Santander emerge as an attractive trade chip.
7. With the Orioles giving starts to Spenser Watkins and Chris Ellis, fans will only have so much patience waiting for the promotion of Kyle Bradish, who owns a 1.00 ERA over his first two 2022 starts. He’s now pitched 95 2/3 innings at Triple-A Norfolk dating back to last season.
8. Trey Mancini entered Tuesday with a .634 OPS and Ryan Mountcastle was even worse at .611, but Mancini has an expected batting average — based on past batted ball data from Statcast — of .326 and Mountcastle’s is .331. In other words, they’ve been hitting into some tough luck early on.
9. Though other new bullpen arms have turned some heads, Felix Bautista has been impressive with a fastball reaching the high 90s as well as his slider and splitter. I do have to chuckle at the 26-year-old being listed at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, which is just a little bit outdated.
10. Even before two crushing errors in Monday’s defeat in Oakland, the infield has been as bad as many feared with the Orioles getting next to nothing from second base and third base. With multiple options hitting at Norfolk, the incumbents better pick it up sooner than later.
11. The new left field wall at Camden Yards was a non-factor with few balls traveling beyond medium left-field depth. Of course, that could be a product of a larger factor at work with homers down across the majors. That trend continuing would be bad news for right-handed bats in Baltimore.
12. The Orioles continuing to have their TV and radio broadcast crews call road games remotely from Camden Yards is an embarrassing decision from ownership. Both the professionals trying to call games from a TV monitor and MASN subscribers paying to watch a poor major league product deserve much better.
