Over the last decade, the AL East is one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. The Baltimore Orioles have been right up there with the Yankees and Red Sox in recent memory, but they took a step back last year.
Baltimore didn’t make many moves this offseason. They let some guys walk and didn’t make any big money deals. They could benefit from adding a free agent starter before the season, but they haven’t been tied to any of them.
Baltimore had a disappointing season in 2017 by only winning 75 games. Some young talent made huge strides, but at the same time, some of their high-priced talent didn’t live up to their paychecks. Can they compete for the division with their current roster?
Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Baltimore Orioles.
2017 Win/Loss Record: 75-87
Key Additions: SP Andrew Cashner, OF Colby Rasmus, OF Alex Presley, 3B Danny Valencia, C Andrew Susac & SP Asher Wojciechowski
Key Losses: C Welington Castillo, OF Seth Smith, SS J.J. Hardy, SP Wade Miley, SP Ubaldo Jimenez & SP Jeremy Hellickson
Interleague Schedule: NL East
Projected Starters: Chance Sisco, Chris Davis, Jonathan Schoop, Manny Machado, Tim Beckham, Trey Mancini, Adam Jones, Colby Rasmus & Mark Trumbo
Projected Starting Rotation: Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner, Chris Tillman & Gabriel Ynoa
Closer: Brad Brach (until Zach Britton returns in second-half)
Fantasy Sleeper: OF/DH Mark Trumbo – Trumbo was taken early in most drafts last season, but saw all of his numbers drop in his second season in Baltimore. He finished with roughly half the amount of home runs he hit in 2016. Trumbo was having trouble getting solid lumber on the ball. I haven’t read any excuse to explain his regression, but I can’t imagine his power just went away overnight. I expect his numbers to bounce back a bit, but I fear his days of 40+ homers could be gone. He will still be a solid outfield option in mixed leagues.
Prospect To Keep Your Eye On: OF Austin Hays – Hays is the best power hitting prospect the Orioles have in their farm system. He hit a total of 32 homers in-between Hi-A and Double-A last season. He even had a cup of coffee in the Majors late last season. He didn’t have much success in his 60 Major League at-bats. He could use some experience at Triple-A, but Baltimore could use him right away. Baltimore lacks a power hitter who can hit for average. Hays had done just that in the minors. He has the potential to be a very good player for the Orioles.
Team Analysis: The Orioles have been right up there among the leaders in the AL East for the last five seasons. They couldn’t keep pace with the Red Sox and Yankees last season. They didn’t make any huge improvements this offseason either. All signs point to their run being over, but they could have another season left in this lineup.
Baltimore only won 75 games last season, but there were some bright spots. Jonathan Schoop and Tim Beckham became full-fledged offensive weapons. They’ve been highly-regarded prospects for a few years, but everything line up for them last season. Also, former top prospect Dylan Bundy made another step in his return from major surgeries. He started 28 games last season and pitched the most innings in his pro career (169.2).
The Orioles also had some failures last season. Power hitters Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo both struggled to make hard contact last season. They only combined to hit 49 home runs, a total Davis has eclipsed by himself in the past.
Trade talks surrounding star shortstop Manny Machado were a big story this offseason. Baltimore didn’t pull the trigger on a deal, but talks could happen again if the Orioles find themselves out of the playoff race. I think they will be competitive this season as they have a lot of talent, but the AL East is top-heavy this season with the Yankees and Red Sox among the best teams in the Majors. The Orioles will be playing for third place (at best) in their division this season.
2018 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 72.5 (Prediction: OVER)
2018 Projected Win/Loss Record: 75-87 (4th in AL East)
CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2018 MLB Team Previews
Follow us on Twitter @Sweetbob & ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook!
About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.