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Baltimore Orioles: First Half Pitching Stats Ranking in A.L.

By Randy Buchman

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May 17, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike Wright (R) high fives pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez (L) after defeating the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2015 baseball season now just past the halfway point, let’s take a look at how the Baltimore Orioles pitching staff ranks in the American League. In a similar article yesterday we detailed how the O’s ranked position by position around the league.

Overall, the pitching is going to rank just a bit better than did the hitting. With most of the offensive stats averaging out at the end of analyses as about league average, the pitching stats will be mostly just slightly above the norm, particularly on the strength of the bullpen.

To lay out some raw numbers, here they are (with A.L. ranking) in three categories: for the overall staff, for the starters, and finally for the bullpen. The five categories for this general overview are: earned run average, batting average against, walks/hits per innings pitched, home runs allowed. We’ll give some other statistical rankings in the remarks below the graph.

ERABAA WHIPK/BBHRs
Total3.68 (6).245 (6)1.26 (7)2.56 (9)88 (3)
Starters4.12 (9).256 (6)1.30 (8)2.42 (11)65 (1)
Bullpen 2.86 (3).224 (4)1.18 (4)2.78 (4)23 (10)

It is immediately clear from these numbers that the bullpen has had overall better success than the starting pitchers. And this is after the pen had a terribly horrific month of April that placed them #14 overall in the American League.

The Baltimore starters have not been terrible, but our simple memories of the season – totally apart from statistics – would tell us that this has been a very up and down situation.

The overall batting average against is really not bad at all – starters and relievers. The problem however has been in the area of allowing too many walks. All totaled, the Orioles have given up the third-most free passes in the American League with a total of 246. The starters have yielded the fourth-most, and even the bullpen has allowed the sixth-most bases on balls.

And the strikeout numbers for the O’s are not exceptional, especially for the starters who are 11th in the league. The bullpen, however, ranks third; this gives a total ranking at the center of the league in the #8 position.

Another strong statistic for the bullpen is the conversion of save opportunities. As a team they are 26-of-31 for an 83.87% ratio – ranking #2 in the A.L.

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We all know how rare complete games are in the modern game. The Baltimore Orioles are one of only two teams that is yet to have a complete game. Oddly enough the other is the Tampa Bay Rays, who are the #2 overall team in ERA at 3.12.

For the Orioles to have success over the second half of the season, the starters are going to need to pick up the pace and have a campaign like the summer and fall of 2014. The bullpen needs to also remain consistent. And beyond this, the offense has to be able to hit with better consistency, even against the best pitching that is thrown at them.

The Orioles are healthier now, and the talent is certainly in the clubhouse to repeat and make a legitimate run through the playoffs. It is a matter of living up to that talent and making it happen on the field. They are at this moment a statistically slightly better than average team, so it is no surprise that they enter this evening’s game with a record of 43-40. They can be better than this; I believe them to be better than this.

Next: Ranking the O's in the A.L. position by position

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