Talking home runs and spring training records

Now that the Orioles have acquired this power-packed lineup, just how many home runs might the 2016 Orioles mash? Can they set records?

With power throughout the lineup and with a team playing in a hitter friendly ballpark, another 200-homer season seems very likely.

Starting with 2012, the Orioles have hit 214, 212, 211 and 217 homers. They have ranked in the top three in the league in homers each year, leading the American League in 2013 and 2014. But those teams didn't have Mark Trumbo, Pedro Alvarez and Hyun Soo Kim. The team last year had Jonathan Schoop for just 86 games and Matt Wieters for 75. J.J. Hardy hit just eight homers and Adam Jones' total of 27 was his lowest since 2010. And that team still hit 217 homers.

That homer total last year was the second-best in O's team history:

257 - 1996
217 - 2015
214 - 1985, 1998, 2012
212 - 2013

That 1996 Orioles team ranks tied for third in major league history for most home runs ever. That team also tied a major league record with seven players hitting 20 or more homers. Brady Anderson hit 50, Rafael Palmeiro 39, Bobby Bonilla 28, Cal Ripken Jr. 26, Chris Hoiles 25, Roberto Alomar 22 and B.J. Surhoff 21. The other teams to feature seven players hitting 20 or more were Toronto in 2000, Texas in 2005, the New York Yankees in 2009 and Toronto in 2010.

Here are the single-season MLB team homer leaders:

264 - Seattle (1997)
260 - Texas (2005)
257 - Orioles (1996), Toronto (2010)
249 - Houston (2000)

We know the starting rotation's performance will be critical this year, as it is every year. But the 2016 Orioles might make a run at some homer records. When they've got several batters on hot streaks, it could be fun to watch.

Meanwhile, is there any correlation between playing well in spring training and playing well in the regular season? None I know of and simply no reason to put much, if anything, into a team's spring training record.

Having said that, the Orioles are 0-8-1 and now have lost eight in a row since a tie in their spring opener. While they have given up ten runs or more four times, their offense has produced just one run the last two games. The hometown fans would be okay with a few wins soon. But again, it won't mean much either way.

The O's spring training and regular season records recently:

2012: 11-13 and 93-69
2013: 19-9 and 85-77
2014: 13-9 and 96-66
2015: 12-19 and 81-81

Last year's World Series teams actually did have good spring training records heading into the 2015 season. Kansas City went 20-10 and the New York Mets were 19-12.

So just how many homers might this team hit this year? And do spring records mean anything at all?