Bob Haynie: Starting Pitching Will Make Or Break The Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles have won more games (355) than any team in the American League East since 2012. Their streak of four-straight non-losing seasons is the franchise's longest since the Birds had winning records every year from 1968-1985.
If the Orioles are going to have any chance of continuing this run of success and being a contender in the American League, the starting pitching will have to be better than it was in 2015. Baltimore starters posted a 4.53 ERA last season which ranked 14th in the AL. A similar performance will doom the season.
The Orioles are going to be a very powerful team when it comes to hitting home runs. 1B Chris Davis, CF Adam Jones and 3B Manny Machado are all capable of blasting away. Added to mix this off-season were OF/DH Mark Trumbo and IF/DH Pedro Alvarez, who have had big HR years themselves. SS J.J. Hardy is healthy for the first time in a while and 2B Jonathan Schoop could have a breakout campaign.
Throw in catchers Matt Wieters and Caleb Joseph, and the Birds look like a club that could set the single-season record for long balls.
The Orioles are strong defensively in the infield and up the middle. Trumbo will start in RF were he possesses a strong throwing arm and Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard is considered to be a plus defender in LF.
Manager Buck Showalter can rely on LHP Zach Britton being one of the top closers in baseball as he anchors the bullpen. 2016 will be the year in which we finally get to see top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy in action. Bundy's addition brings another power arm to the staff.
For the Orioles, it will all come down to the rotation. 2015's most reliable starter was LHP Wei-Yin Chen, who left via free-agency for the Miami Marlins. He was replaced by RHP Yovani Gallardo, who helped pitch the Texas Rangers into the playoffs last season.
Gallardo had a good first half of 2015 (2.62 ERA) but had a rough second half (4.69 ERA). He has been reliable for most of his career and Baltimore hopes he can continue to be a 200 IP guy.
RHP Chris Tillman hopes to bounce back from rough year and RHP Kevin Gausman will attempt to live up to the hype once he returns from the DL in late April.
RHP Ublado Jimenez, like Gallardo, was good in the first half last season (2.81 ERA) and bad in the second half (5.63 ERA).
Right-handers Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson are going to get their shot now that RHP Miguel Gonzalez has been released.
The Orioles are going to hit, field and pitch well out of the bullpen. If they get consistent starting pitching, they will challenge for the division title.
If the starting pitching is poor, that last place finish that most experts are predicting for them could become a reality.
