Orioles: The Postmortem on Preseason Predictions

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Sep 18, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher

Caleb Joseph

(36) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

CATCHERS

The Good (prediction accuracy)

Matt Wieters – I was not optimistic in April, writing that “by the time he rehabs, plays in the minors, returns to the Orioles and gets up to the speed of the game, half the season will be gone. I will be surprised if Wieters is able to play up to even the numbers that Caleb Joseph will produce this year. I think the Wieters era is Baltimore is largely over.” He came back after about a third of the season was gone but played in less than one-half of games, numbering 75 total. His .267 average is better than most catchers, and he seemed to put it together again in the final weeks; but it might be too little too late.

Caleb Joseph – Noting his capable prowess at handing the pitching staff, but pondering what offensive contributions he could make, I wrote, “Can Joseph hit better? Given his minor league numbers, it is reasonable to believe that he can hit a lot better than .207, and I expect he will do so.” Yes, he did. He hit .234 with 11 homers, but until the last month he was hitting much higher than that.

The Bad (prediction accuracy)

Steve Clevenger – I said little about Clevenger, thinking he would not get called up to be able to contribute much. However he did get into 30 games and hit .287.

Final word – Anyone who can accurately predict what is going to happen with the 2016 catcher situation for the Orioles is better than me. It could be great; it could be bad.

Click below to see a review of pitcher projections, and come back tomorrow for an overall look at predictions about the team.

Next: Looking back at preseason predictions about Orioles pitching

Orioles: The Postmortem on Preseason Predictions – Position Players

By Randy Buchman | Oct 12, 2015

CATCHERS