We recently wrote that pitching hasn’t been the Baltimore Orioles‘ main problem in the 2022 season, at least in the limited sample size we currently have.
That’s still the case, to some extent: their pitching staff is seventh in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) so far with 2.5, and they have a 3.68 ERA.
The offense, however, has been putrid, for the lack of a better word.
According to Codify Baseball on Twitter, “the Baltimore Orioles have scored a total of 26 runs in the first 5 innings of their 22 games this season. Not a typo.”
The Baltimore Orioles have scored a total of 26 runs in the first 5 innings of their 22 games this season. Not a typo.
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) May 2, 2022
That’s a little bit over one run per game in the first five innings of games in 2022.
That’s just brutal.
It appears that it takes a bit for their batters to get going, but the problem is, they haven’t gotten going.
At all.
Offense Is Still A Big Issue
Their offense is 27th out of 30 teams in WAR, with 0.6.
Orioles’ hitters are batting .219/.304/.317 so far, before Monday’s games, and they have scored 71 runs.
Those 71 runs rank them 26th, ahead of the Chicago White Sox, the Detroit Tigers, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Kansas City Royals.
All those teams have losing records.
It appears that the blistering pace with which the Orioles pitchers started the season has been slowly declining, but their hitters are still unproductive.
Some of the players who had good years in 2021 haven’t been able to replicate that form this time around.
Ryan Mountcastle (.250/.286/.338) is one example, and even breakout performer Cedric Mullins is well off his pace (.221/.309/.372).
The season is long, and there is time for the O’s to turn things around to some extent.
The simple fact their 8-14 record is far from being the worst in the league should be seen as a moral victory.
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