Baltimore Orioles: Young Guys Looking Good in Sarasota
Whereas the Baltimore Orioles have had a rough start in spring training games by being winless in seven outings, several young players have made good impressions already.
These positives are difficult to appreciate in a sea of negativity. The Orioles are giving up a lot of runs, fueling the fears of many that the pitching is terribly insufficient and substandard for success in the AL East.
On one fringe of the Orioles fanbase is a contingent saying, “See, right away it is obvious that the starting rotation simply does not have it, and the corner outfielders are major holes in the lineup.” It is not helping that Hyun Soo Kim is 0-for-everything.
The other fringe is saying, “It is March 6th for God’s sake! These are early spring training games that mean nothing. Come down off the railing of the bridge. Don’t jump yet!”
I’m probably about three-quarters of the way toward the latter view. Apart from horrible starts by Miguel Gonzalez and Ubaldo Jimenez, most of the big innings given up have been by the fringe and AAA and AA pitchers. Many of these guys are starters, but they are being used in first spring training games as relievers. Everything about it is strange. New season, new situation …
But even in this morass of six consecutive losses, there are a number of the younger players who look very good and who have come into camp ready to play.
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Among these is Dylan Bundy. It would be huge to have him for the full season as a power arm out of the bullpen. No one could be logically faulted for having skeptical concerns if his health is finally recovered, not after the extensive problems and surgery of the past couple years. So it is great to see his velocity consistently in the low to mid 90s, with pitches clocked above that. Bundy looked very good in an inning of work again on Sunday.
Another who is shining is the Rule 5 pick, Joey Rickard. While admittedly not being conversant on the upper-level depth of the Rays’ minor leagues, the parent club is certainly bereft of offensive pop. So it is strange to understand why they allowed Rickard to be exposed for the O’s to pick him up in the offseason. His 2015 season was fantastic — a combined .321/.427 in 117 games … hitting .360 at the AAA level in 29 games.
Rickard also had a successful Dominican Winter League season. According to the league stats in Baseball-Reference.com, he led the league in games and plate appearances, tying for home runs with 10 and batting .275 with a .344 OBP. So he is a bit more recently into the ebb and flow of baseball life than many of the others who are shaking off the winter rust.
Right now, along with looking good defensively and showing fine speed, Rickard is 5-for-18 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Of him, Showalter said …
"“Timing is everything. He’s 24, lot of guys start figuring it out. He’s kind of come into his own the last year, carried it over into winter ball. He’s got a chance to make our club. He’s a sharp kid, runs the bases well. Got a sharp IQ. There’s only one way to find out, keep running him out there. These guys were told when they come in, ‘Be ready to play.’ Looks like Joey heard us.”"
Also playing well is first baseman Christian Walker. The former minor league player of the year, Walker is currently 4-for-12 with six RBIs. All four hits are of the extra-base variety: two doubles, a triple and a homer.
Could Walker break camp with the Orioles? It is difficult to imagine that scenario. But if the corner outfield situation is so bad that Kim can’t be retained (or whatever else could go wrong), and if Walker has a sort of spring like Jimmy Paredes had in 2015, maybe he has to be kept. Mark Trumbo can play right field and Walker DH, or some other combination of moves between those two and Chris Davis.
Infielder Garabez Rosa is 3-for-4 in his few appearances. Last year he was .253 at AA Bowie.
It really is early. Opening day is still four weeks away! Pitchers are working on specific things rather than pitching to exact game situations and hitter weaknesses. So try to enjoy the individual results and reports without reacting to mounting losses. If the O’s lose the last six spring games, there is more substance to justify jumping off a bridge. But not now.