Following a 3-1 loss to the Astros on June 3rd, the Orioles’ record stood at 23-29 and they were five games back in the American League East. A team that has been in the top-10 in the league in runs scored for several years now appeared to have forgotten how to score runs. They scored a paltry 95 runs in the entire month of May which translated into a 13-16 record for the month. For the Brewers or Phillies, that would be pretty good. But not for the defending AL East champs, it wasn’t acceptable.
June, however, has been a different story. The team just finished an 18-10 month, and has catapulted itself into a virtual tie with the Rays for first place in the AL East. They haven’t lost a series since they opened the month against Houston. Mixed in there were sweeps of the Indians and Red Sox and an epic 19-3 thrashing of the Phillies. In that game, the Orioles set a franchise-record with 7 homers. The rest of the league should have taken notice. The Orioles now stand five games over .500 and appear to have set their minds on meeting the high pre-season expectations.
The O’s have been fortunate to have been relatively healthy this season with only second baseman Jonathon Schoop and catcher Matt Wieters missing notable time. While the pitching has been a pleasant surprise, it’s the offense that is serving to wake the giant.
First baseman Chris Davis, following a very disappointing 2014 campaign, is well on pace to surpass his numbers from last season. He has 18 homers, 49 RBI, and while his numbers still pale in comparison to his 2013 season, there is enough improvement and enough production to merit his $12 million salary for 2015. His BABIP, slugging, ISO, and OPS are considerably higher than ’14. Davis will be a free agent following this season so not only is he trying to help the Orioles get back to October baseball, he’s trying to market himself to other potential suitors come the off-season. With the market being what it is these days, especially for power hitters, Davis, at only 29-years old, will demand quite a sum of money. His agent, Scott Boras will be sure of that.
Manny Machado, after only playing half a season in 2015 due to injury, is reminding people why he’s one of the most talented young players in the game today. The 22-year old (Yes…22!) has torn it up during June. He is batting .365, with eight homers, 22 RBI, and a 1.046 OPS for the month and won Player of the Week award two weeks ago. If it weren’t for Albert Pujols, a case could be made for player of the month honors. The kid with the rocket arm and fun-loving personality is the type of building block any team would clamor for. Since he’s only making slightly over $500,000 this season, he’s right up there with the best bargains in baseball. He will be eligible for arbitration following this season, but won’t be a free agent until 2019, so at least the immediate future, Machado is one of the cornerstones of this franchise.
But it’s not just a two-man show in Baltimore. Guys like Jimmy Paredes, Adam Jones, Caleb Joseph, and even Delmon Young have had their moments to step in and step up for the men in black and orange. As every World Series team will tell you, depth can’t be underestimated when October comes around.
BALTIMORE, MD – JUNE 15: Starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen #16 of the Baltimore Orioles throws to a Philadelphia Phillies batter in the eighth inning of the Orioles 4-0 win at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 15, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
However, in the end, the unsung heroes for the Orioles are their pitchers Thought by many to be too unproven to make a difference in a competitive division, they have quietly been a force to be reckoned with. While they certainly could afford to add another arm before the July 31st trade deadline arrives and yes, reflections of the great Orioles staffs of the early 1970 they certainly are not, the starting rotation has been solid enough to propel the team atop the standings. It all starts with the unlikely duo of Ubaldo Jimenez (remember him?) and Wei-Yin Chen.
Following a 19-win campaign in 2010 for the Rockies, Jimenez made a stop in Cleveland before finding his way to Baltimore. Jimenez is in the second year of a 4-year deal with the O’s and this season has been a welcoming spectacle for club and player alike. The 31-year old Dominican is 7-3 with a 3.09 ERA, and 89 SO in 87.1 innings of work. Sure, he isn’t Jim Palmer, and he’s probably not even what most people would consider an ace, but on this club that’s exactly the position he fills.
The guy that still unknown to most casual baseball fans however, is the 29-year old native of Taiwan, Chen. In his rookie year in 2012, where he finished 4th in Rookie of the Year voting, Chen won 12 games and pitched nearly 200 innings. In 2014, he was 16-6 for the division winning Orioles and so far in ’15, he has a solid 2.90 ERA with 76 SO in 87 SO. He does struggle with serving up long-balls (13 so far this season), but for the number 2 guy in the rotation, the Orioles are in good shape.
But the real moneymaker for the Orioles and their pitching staff is their bullpen. Their 2.83 bullpen ERA is the third-best mark in the AL. Closer Zach Britton has 22 saves, while set-up man Darren O’Day has only allowed four
earned runs in 29.2 innings. If there is any doubt on how far the Orioles can go in the playoffs, those doubts should subside once their bullpen is taken into account. The Royals rode their bullpen to the World Series last year and the Orioles, having been swept by the Royals in the ALCS last season, have the postseason experience now to make some noise.
The offense will likely continue to heat up as the season progresses and if they are able to add a pitcher come the trade deadline, the Orioles, who looked lost not even a month ago, could make an appearance in the postseason for the third time in the last 4 years.
