Baltimore Orioles: Is Mark Trumbo a Key Addition?
Baltimore Orioles outfielder and designated hitter Mark Trumbo is off to a fantastic start. What are the chances this can continue?
The Orioles secured Trumbo in the offseason in a trade with the Seattle Mariners involving Steve Clevenger. Of course this was not a one-to-one salary swap, since Trumbo makes multiple times more than the Baltimore native. But most fans also probably think that Mark is much older, when actually it is only by three months; both are currently age 30.
A unique circumstance related to these thoughts on Trumbo is that while I’m writing this, I am watching the Orioles’ Friday night game against the Rangers. And what does he do but hit two home runs in one inning! Yes, it is a great start.
Where can this go? Could this be the second coming of Nelson Cruz, vintage 2014? There would be justice in that! Especially since Seattle is where Cruz migrated after his great single season in Baltimore. The Orioles sure have savaged the Mariners in trades over the years! (By the way, Nelson Cruz is currently hitting .256 through 10 games with 2 homers, and Clevenger in 0-for-7.)
At a minimum, most Orioles followers have known all along that this was a good acquisition for the Birds, especially in advance of knowing for sure in the offseason as to what would come of the Chris Davis negotiations.
But there really is a very good chance that Trumbo is going to prove to be an outstanding addition to the team. It may not be that he will lead the American League in home runs in 2016. But there is no doubt that he is going to hit a bunch of them, helped by Camden Yards. But we have seen that Trumbo has no inability to drive them out of any ballpark (five on the road already) … anywhere between the foul poles.
Trumbo’s best HR/RBI season was 2013, hitting 34 long balls and knocking in 100 runs. Last year it was 22/64 in 142 games. His career batting average is .252.
It is not surprising that Trumbo can be a streaky hitter. In the months of April and May over his career he is a .283 hitter. In June and July it is .235; and in August and September the average is .240. His worst single month is June at .216.
Dividing seasons in halves, Trumbo is .262 in the first half and .242 in the second half. Additionally, his best statistics are when playing right field, batting .285. As a DH it is but .243.
Now with five home runs in the Orioles’ first 10 games, he is hitting .400 with 11 RBIs. Last year he did not hit his fifth home run until May 12th, and did not get his 11th RBI until April 29th.
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It would appear that Trumbo has found a place of comfort in Baltimore … a positive change of scenery to a clubhouse where he will thrive. So it is not unreasonable to hope for him to do something like upper 30s home runs and perhaps a .275 average.
In the O’s 11-5 win over the Rangers, with four home runs in one inning and five total in the game, the Orioles now have 20 total for the first 10 games. Here is our regular chart on 2016 prorated home runs and strikeouts …
| MLB All-Time HRs | O’s All-Time HRs | O’s 2016 Pace |
| 264 (Seattle- ‘97) | 257 (‘96) | 324 |
| MLB All-Time K’s | O’s All-time K’s | O’s 2016 Pace |
| 1553 (Hous.- ‘13) | 1331 (‘15) | 1296 |
Mark Trumbo is said to be the first Orioles player to hit two home runs in the same inning. I was sure that I recalled Frank Robinson doing that with two grand slams, but in researching it found out that on June 26, 1970 he slams actually in back-to-back innings. Jim Gentile accomplished the same feat in 1961 for the Orioles.