The pitch mix and the one the O's threw more than any AL team

The pitch mix and the one the O's threw more than any AL team
If we are going to consider and discuss the Orioles' 2021 pitching performance, you know the club will rank at or near the bottom of the American League in many team categories. For instance, they were last in team ERA at 5.84, which was just over a full run per game worse than Minnesota, next at 4.83. But we're not here today to hammer away at some rough pitching stats. Today, I wanted to take a look at the Orioles' 2021 pitch mix. This can be interesting to look at and size up how they...
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Still the O's ace: A look at John Means' strong season

Still the O's ace: A look at John Means' strong season
In 2019, left-hander John Means emerged as a surprising staff ace for the Orioles. No, he was not an ace, meaning a No. 1 pitcher, to rival the very best in the game, but he sure was the Orioles' ace. In 2021, were there still any doubters, Means proved he is still that. Outside of his own won-loss record, Means' stats in 2021 look a lot like his numbers in 2019 with a few improvements. You could look at his year broken into about three different seasons - there was a sizzling hot start to...
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Mancini, Mullins and Mountcastle are MLBPA award finalists

Mancini, Mullins and Mountcastle are MLBPA award finalists
The Orioles have three finalists for the Major League Baseball Players Association's Players Choice Awards, which were announced today. Cedric Mullins and Trey Mancini are finalists, along with Mitch Haniger of Seattle, for the American League Comeback Player Award. Ryan Mountcastle joins Randy Arozarena of Tampa Bay and Adolis García of Texas as finalists for the MLBPA's Outstanding Rookie Award. A year after missing the entire 2020 season after treatment and chemotherapy for cancer,...
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For starters, many of these guys don't pitch a lot of innings

For starters, many of these guys don't pitch a lot of innings
There are 10 teams that have played at least one postseason game this month in the majors. Of those 10, only four have used their starting pitchers more than their bullpen. Only those four - through Tuesday's games - have more innings coming from their starting pitchers. This should no longer be a surprise. The building up of bullpens has been an arms race for years now - the race to get multiple flame-throwers in the mid-to-late innings who blow fastballs by hitters. And when they can't do...
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Never too soon to talk about a few free agent pitchers

Never too soon to talk about a few free agent pitchers
Well, it is almost that time of the year. The time when baseball free agents are able to sign with any team and the hot stove season truly starts to heat up. We are not quite there yet, and most winters, things start slowly and this year should be no different. Especially with the uncertainly over the collective bargaining agreement. MLBTradeRumors.com listed several categories of free agent starting pitchers this week. And, while we don't expect the Orioles to be diving into the deep end of...
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Random stats and notes from the 2021 season

Random stats and notes from the 2021 season
When it comes to team fielding percentage, the 2021 Orioles ranked among the American League leaders. In fact, at .9869, the Orioles recorded the third-best fielding percentage in the AL and were sixth-best in the majors. This is among a host of stats and notes in the team's 2021 season summary produced by the Orioles public relations department that the media recently received. Houston rated first in the AL in fielding percentage and Oakland was second. In some other numbers, the Orioles were...
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This O's late-season addition put his best foot forward

This O's late-season addition put his best foot forward
If the Orioles want to make big improvement next year, maybe they need right-hander Chris Ellis to make every start he possibly can. Acquired by the club on Aug. 20 on waivers from Tampa Bay, Ellis went 0-0, but posted a 2.49 ERA for the Orioles in six games. Over 25 1/3 innings, he yielded 18 hits, including three homers, with 13 walks and 16 strikeouts. He recorded a WHIP of 1.224, allowing 6.4 hits per nine, with 4.6 walks and 5.7 strikeouts. He made six starts for the club and the Orioles...
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A few questions for O's fans

A few questions for O's fans
The playoffs are now well underway, but the hot stove season has not yet begun. The work to get a new collective bargaining agreement is a cloud over the sport right now with a lot of us hoping against any work stoppage. The rancor of the players and owners as they negotiated how to play the shortened 2020 season was terrible for the sport. But let's not spend time worrying about that today and instead invest some time for you to answer a few questions. My 10 questions format is changing to...
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O's brass still hopeful for the young pitchers

O's brass still hopeful for the young pitchers
It can be easy to look at some of the Orioles' young pitchers and their stats in the 2021 season and feel the odds are long against them helping the club much in the future. This would represent a rush to judgment, however. And the team's front office has likely not made such judgments, and their opinions count the most. Pitchers like lefty Keegan Akin and right-hander Dean Kremer ended 2020 looking decent and maybe ready for the majors. This past season was a very different story. Let's...
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On O's podcast, Elias talks CBA, Rule 5 and more

On O's podcast, Elias talks CBA, Rule 5 and more
The process of identifying players the Orioles could acquire for the 2022 season has begun. Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias discussed that and much more recently on the "Inside the Yard" O's podcast with hosts Geoff Arnold and Brett Hollander. Elias and all executives throughout Major League Baseball are awaiting the results of the collective bargaining talks between the sports' players and owners. A new collective bargaining agreement could be in place...
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Prospect check-in: Robert Neustrom on his big 2021 season

Prospect check-in: Robert Neustrom on his big 2021 season
It could not have been easy to do, but in 2021, on the way to a breakout season, Orioles outfield prospect Robert Neustrom made some in-season swing adjustments. Adjustments that took his offense to a higher level as he ended the year among the top hitters on the O's farm. But at the end of May while with Double-A Bowie, he had an OPS of .608 with one homer. It was then that he and Baysox hitting coach Ryan Fuller went to work. He was a power hitter putting the ball on the ground way too much....
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Birdland hopeful that wins start trending up next season

Birdland hopeful that wins start trending up next season
Maybe it is a real thing about baseball fans, particularly Orioles fans. Can there be rebuilding fatigue? Can the losses mount so much that fans just get worn out by rebuilding? And while they may understand it is needed and could very well lead to better days, the patience to get to those better days starts to wear thin? It is probably only natural. But Orioles fans are a pretty loyal group. We see that in so many coming to this website day after day after day. Fans still watching and...
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After big '21 season, Kyle Stowers heads to AFL

After big '21 season, Kyle Stowers heads to AFL
"Stowers Power" was indeed a thing on the Orioles farm in 2021. Lefty-hitting Kyle Stowers led all O's minor league players in homers and RBIs, and was third among full-season players in OPS. It was a breakout year for the corner outfielder who turns 24 in January. Tomorrow, he will join seven other O's players on the Mesa Solar Sox when the Arizona Fall League season begins. Stowers and Adley Rutschman were co-winners of the Brooks Robinson Award as the Orioles' Minor League Player of the...
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Austin Hays stated his case in 2021

Austin Hays stated his case in 2021
When the Orioles and their fans think about some of the young hitters in their lineup producing in the future, as they did in 2021, Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle immediately come to mind. But outfielder Austin Hays should be in that mix, too. And long-term, he might prove to be the best player of this group. He is certainly toolsy, as a scout might say. He's got plenty of ways to beat you. With his bat and power. With his glove, arm and speed. Yep, plenty of tools. O's fans first got a...
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Colton Cowser posted .982 OPS in first pro season

Colton Cowser posted .982 OPS in first pro season
While the Orioles were encouraged by the performance of several hitters in their minor league system, especially players at higher levels who had big years, including Adley Rutschman, Kyle Stowers and Jordan Westburg, the group coming behind this group also made its mark during the 2021 season. We are talking mostly about the 2021 draft class headed by outfielder Colton Cowser, selected No. 5 overall in round one in July out of Sam Houston State. Most of the draft picks got their feet wet in...
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It's a special anniversary in Birdland

It's a special anniversary in Birdland
It happened 55 years ago today at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The Orioles beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 to complete a four-game World Series sweep built on stunning pitching. The Orioles used just three starters and four pitchers total in the entire series to vanquish the National League champions, who were led by ace pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. But it was the Baltimore quartet of Dave McNally, Moe Drabowsky, Wally Bunker and Jim Palmer that pitched the Orioles to the first of...
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Will new CBA impact draft order, plus more notes

Will new CBA impact draft order, plus more notes
Only 20 times since 1901 has a big league team lost 110 or more games in a single season. Two teams did that this year - the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Orioles. You lose that much, you have earned the No. 1 draft pick. But Arizona, thanks to a walk-off homer on the season's final day, is not going to get one next year. That is, barring something in the new collective bargaining agreement that changes that. When teams tie for a spot in the draft - in this case the No. 1 pick - the previous...
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More hardware for Grayson Rodriguez, plus other notes

More hardware for Grayson Rodriguez, plus other notes
More honors were announced Wednesday for the Orioles' top two prospects, catcher Adley Rutschman and pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. They keep adding hardware after each had very strong full seasons after missing minor league game action for the 2020 season due to the pandemic. Rodriguez was named the Pitcher of the Year for the Double-A Northeast and Rutschman was named the No. 1 major league prospect in the league. Both also made the league's postseason All-Star team. Earlier, they were ranked...
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A '21 highlight: Ryan Mountcastle's push for Rookie of the Year

A '21 highlight: Ryan Mountcastle's push for Rookie of the Year
It is not easy to remember now. But for Ryan Mountcastle, the 2021 season, one that ended with him pushing to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award, did not begin well. At the end of April, Mountcastle, 24, was batting .196/.229/.286./.515 with one homer and seven RBIs. He was chasing pitches big time. It seemed like he would need a 50-inch bat to get to some of them. Was this a sophomore slump? Would he need to be sent to the minors to work it out? No and no. It was a hitter that...
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Some of the top farm pitchers get closer to Baltimore

Some of the top farm pitchers get closer to Baltimore
As the Orioles work to improve their pitching in 2022, there remain a few ranked pitching prospects the club has yet to see pitch in Baltimore. And there are others, like Zac Lowther and Alexander Wells, that we saw get their feet wet this year. Enough to know how tough it is to pitch in the American League East. The Orioles still play more than half their games outside of the East, this is true, but the division remains the best in the baseball and maybe the toughest in all of sports. Topping...
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