Baltimore Orioles and the AL East Weaknesses
By Nate Wardle
Jun 14, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) slides past Baltimore Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph (36) to score during the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
At the midseason point in Major League Baseball, the AL East is easily the most competitive division in baseball, with five teams separated by six and a half games.
Today, I want to look at the weaknesses for each team at this point, going team by team according to the current standings.
1 – New York Yankees – First – Middle Infield, Rotation
The New York Yankees, despite their aging squad, have been one of the healthiest teams in the division. But, they do have weaknesses.
The middle infield has been a black hole. Stephen Drew, the starting 2B, is hitting .182. He is probably about to lose his position to rookie Rob Refsnyder, who made two starts last weekend.
More from Baltimore Orioles
- What other Baltimore Orioles Offseason Storylines will you be interested in seeing?
- Baltimore Orioles to Face Numerous Playoff Contenders Down the Stretch
- Baltimore Orioles Showing Encouraging Signs During Recent Wins
- The Baltimore Orioles and the Expanded September Roster
- Orioles Josh Rogers Expectations in his Major League Debut
Didi Gregorius and his .238 batting average isn’t much better. And Didi has struggled mightily with the glove as well. And even though Brendan Ryan is about to come back, he likely wouldn’t hit much better, although his glove is better than Didi’s.
The rotation has also been a bit of a mess. Michael Pineda has been quite good. Masahiro Tanaka has also been pretty good, as long as he is healthy.
C.C. Sabathia is 4-8 with a 5.47 ERA. And Joe Girardi has already said he won’t take him out of the rotation. Nathan Eovaldi is 9-2 with a 4.50 ERA. But the average against is .308, which is very, very high for someone 9-2 and shows signs of regression.
Ivan Nova is still getting healthy, but is not doing too bad. But, can a team win with three starting pitchers? Maybe. If Tanaka gets hurt again, the Yankees are in big trouble.