Orioles pitchers and catchers will report back to Sarasota, Florida, this week, marking the official begin to spring coaching after a tumultuous offseason.
At occasions, the drama of the crew’s possession state of affairs, expiring lease and measured offseason method has overshadowed the primary season in half a decade the Orioles start the 12 months with a playoff berth seen as a official risk. A mixture of a core that has weathered the group’s rebuild, a wave of younger expertise that’s the product of it and veteran additions have the membership believing it could possibly attain the postseason after unexpectedly being the very best American League crew to fall quick in 2022.
On the verge of the Orioles’ first post-rebuild season, The Baltimore Sun is breaking down the roster place by place, inspecting the largest questions at every spot and who may assist carry the crew again to the postseason, in 2023 and past.
After having a look behind the plate, within the infield and on the mound with the beginning rotation and the bullpen, final up is an outfield that’s anticipated to look the identical because it did for a lot of 2022.
Opening day candidates
The outlook for the Orioles’ outfield getting into spring coaching isn’t too sophisticated. The crew will possible make use of 5 outfielders, and that’s the precise quantity the Orioles have on their 40-man roster.
Cedric Mullins is the anchor in heart subject, whereas Austin Hays and Anthony Santander are anticipated to be on both aspect of him. Last season, the trio mixed for 91 doubles, 65 residence runs and 213 RBIs — with all three outfielders enjoying 145 or extra video games. After a down 2021 season, Santander led the Orioles in residence runs (33) and RBIs (89), however he was worse defensively than Mullins and Hays with minus-5 defensive runs saved, based on FanGraphs.
With the Orioles’ designated hitter spot open, that would lead supervisor Brandon Hyde to slip Santander into the hitter-only position and provides extra enjoying time to Kyle Stowers in both left or proper subject. Last season, Santander performed 34 of his 152 video games at DH, whereas Stowers appeared in 34 video games as a rookie and posted a .724 on-base plus slugging share after his call-up. The fifth outfield spot is prone to be occupied by Ryan McKenna, who spent the vast majority of 2022 within the majors and appeared in 104 video games, largely as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive substitute.
The Orioles even have a couple of infielders with expertise enjoying within the outfield, together with Terrin Vavra and Adam Frazier. Prospect Colton Cowser will probably be at Orioles spring coaching after reaching Triple-A final season, however he’s prone to begin the 12 months in Norfolk. Other nonroster invitees who’ve an outdoor probability of creating the opening day roster, primarily within the case of an harm, are Nomar Mazara and Franchy Cordero — left-handed hitters with main league expertise whom the Orioles signed within the offseason.
Biggest query
Can Austin Hays put collectively a full season?
It’s potential that no participant on the Orioles has a wider vary of potential outcomes in 2023 than Hays. With his harm historical past and having an up-and-down 2022 marketing campaign, Hays has the potential to be the Orioles’ greatest outfielder whereas additionally having the prospect of being phased out of the beginning lineup.
Hays ended final season with barely above-average offensive numbers, slashing .250/.306/.413 with 16 residence runs and 35 doubles, tied with Adley Rutschman for many on the crew. While his energy took a slight hit in comparison with 2021, he was wholesome for a full season for the primary time since he made his debut in September 2017. Hays was arguably the Orioles’ greatest hitter within the first half of the season earlier than seeing his numbers decline precipitously within the second half. He hit .270 with 12 residence runs in his first 85 video games and simply .220 with 4 lengthy balls in his final 60.
If the Orioles get a full 12 months out of the Hays who regarded like a possible All-Star candidate, he could be a giant increase to a crew that didn’t purchase a giant bat this offseason. But if his second-half struggles spill over into 2023, it’s potential that Stowers sees extra enjoying time in his place or the Orioles name up Cowser from Triple-A.
“I think the biggest difference between the first half and the second half last year were some mechanical issues,” Hays, 27, stated this month. “Just being able to identify what those issues were and why I was missing as many pitches as I was in the second half, and then just trying to press once I started missing my pitches to hit. I started to expand the zone more. Just continuing to swing at strikes and having good, clean mechanics should lead to the good first half that I had throughout the course of the season.”
X-factor
There are a number of gamers on the Orioles who may match this invoice — from Hays and his upside to Stowers if he will get constant enjoying time to Cowser if he’s referred to as up midseason. But what could possibly be most essential for the Orioles’ playoff probabilities is whether or not Mullins is ready to return to the participant he was in 2021 when he hit 30 residence runs and stole 30 bases.
While Mullins took a step again in 2022, it was removed from a disappointing marketing campaign. He wasn’t an All-Star like he was the earlier 12 months, however Mullins was nonetheless an above-average hitter who stole 34 bases and was a Gold Glove finalist at a premier place. But he noticed vital declines on the plate, hitting 14 fewer residence runs and reaching base 29 fewer occasions.
One space the place Mullins, who’s enjoying for Team USA within the World Baseball Classic, can enhance is towards left-handed pitchers. A former change hitter who now hits completely left-handed, Mullins posted a .579 OPS towards lefties final 12 months in comparison with .782 versus right-handers. In 2021, Mullins’ OPS towards left-handers was .788.
“This will be the third year going in, so I’m looking to see the adjustments that I’ve made come to fruition,” Mullins stated this month, referencing how 2023 will probably be his third season hitting solely from the left aspect. “That’s probably my main focus.”
The future
Of the Orioles’ eight prospects who made Baseball America’s prime 100 record, just one was an outfielder. Cowser, who additionally appeared on Baseball Prospectus and MLB Pipeline’s lists, is the highest outfielder within the Orioles’ farm system and will push for a spot on the large league membership in 2023.
Last season, Cowser shot up the Orioles’ minor league system, beginning the 12 months in High-A and ending it in Triple-A. Across the three ranges, the 22-year-old hit .278 with 19 residence runs, 36 doubles and 18 stolen bases in 138 video games. However, he struggled throughout his temporary time in Norfolk, hitting .219 and placing out in 30% of his plate appearances. If or when Cowser is known as up in 2023, he would possible play one of many nook outfield spots — both changing somebody due to harm or shifting Santander to a full-time DH position.
The different prime outfielders within the group’s farm system are Dylan Beavers, the Orioles’ second choice within the 2022 draft, and Heston Kjerstad, the membership’s first-round decide in 2020. Both gamers ended final season in High-A Aberdeen.
Spring coaching
Pitchers and catchers report: Wednesday
First full-squad exercise: Next Tuesday
Grapefruit League opener: Feb. 25 vs. Twins
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Source: www.bostonherald.com