Baltimore Orioles: To be Encouraged or Discouraged?
With exactly 100 games yet to play in the 2016 season, should fans of the Baltimore Orioles be encouraged or discouraged with the current state of the team?
It is encouraging that the O’s are 8-4 for the month of June, but discouraging that they have a current three-game losing skid, even while hitting a ton of homers and scoring several tons of runs.
It was encouraging earlier in the season that the starting pitching was better than advertised or anticipated, but discouraging now that it has drifted off into a malaise that was feared in the offseason.
It is encouraging that Chris Tillman has indeed had the bounce-back season that he so much needed, and that Kevin Gausman has largely arrived as a regular starter; but it is terribly discouraging that Jimenez has been setting a new record for ineffectiveness.
It is encouraging that the bullpen has been every bit as outstanding as hoped for, yet discouraging that Darren O’Day is out and other arms are showing some recent signs of wear and tear.
It is encouraging that at 36-26 the Orioles are in first place along with the Red Sox, but discouraging that some games have gotten away from the Birds that might well have been won.
Related to team record, I always find it interesting to see how a current season compares to previous years. So at 62 games into this campaign, here is a comparison to the team record at this point over the past five years, including also the three World Series championship seasons …
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
2015 – 31-31
2014 – 32-30
2013 – 34-28
2012 – 36-26
2011 – 30-32
1983 – 37-25
1970 – 39-23
1966 – 41-21
It is encouraging that the Orioles do indeed hit so many home runs which makes them a fun team to watch, but it is also frustrating to watch them strike out so much. Honestly, the strikeouts have not been as bad as they could have been, though they do add up and could be a new franchise record. The 99 total homers puts them fully in the lead in the American League, while the total number of strikeouts is actually a ranking for fifth-most.
It has been a while since I’ve include the pace chart of each, so here it is up to date …
| MLB All-Time HRs | O’s All-Time HRs | O’s 2016 Pace |
| 264 (Seattle- ‘97) | 257 (‘96) | 259 |
| MLB All-Time K’s | O’s All-time K’s | O’s 2016 Pace |
| 1553 (Hous.- ‘13) | 1331 (‘15) | 1387 |
The fact is that every team has some weaknesses to overcome. Nobody has the best of everything. Even the mighty Chicago Cubs, while the best in the National League with their on-base percentage and second in runs scored, only are sixth in batting average and home runs. And while the Cubs have the best ERA by far, they are below average in defense and team speed.
There is no doubt that the Orioles starters have to pitch better as a group. The quality of the season may come down to two rookie pitchers and whether they can figure out how to be consistent at this level. The encouraging thing about this is that both of them have the ability to do it. The discouraging element is that they have not been consistent up to this point.
There is always something to be excited and encouraged about, yet also something always going on that raises concerns and discouragements. It is the nature of this sport.