To platoon or not, that is the question. Should O's alter their approach?

When I wrote this blog last week, it was a blog that, as I said then, where I was just thinking out loud about ways the Orioles could make small improvements in 2025 in how they do business.

This is not about the makeup of the roster so much, about adding or subtracting players, but about how the Orioles employ the players they do have.

That earlier blog made suggestions that the Orioles could potentially do themselves some good in being less aggressive in two-strike counts. More balls in play may be needed, even at the expensive of slugging pitches in such counts.

It is just one man’s opinion.

Same guy with a new opinion today.

Less worry about gaining the platoon edge and more managing by feel.

It is easy to see that the Orioles work very hard to get an edge in platoon splits, meaning getting more righty batters in there versus lefty pitchers and vice versa. Same with their pitchers.

Well for one, sometimes batters say who hit right-handed may actually hit right-handers better and have reserve splits. The O’s should play into that edge when that is true and they do at times.

But I am more thinking about instances that can impact especially young players. An instance where maybe Jackson Holliday has a strong game but sits the next day versus a left-hander. Or an instance when a platooned player might be hot but sits versus certain-handed pitchers anyway.

I don’t have any stats to back anything up here – it’s more of a feel for watching the team every day.

And if you say this team could handle its business differently, keep in mind they are second in the majors in wins since the start of 2023 and they are fourth in runs scored in that span. So should they change something that is working?

No, they should not actually, and I have said as much about the offense. There has been some panic out there about the drop-off in the second half.

In that earlier post I don’t conclude they should abandon trying to put a good swing on the ball with two strikes. Just pick situations where that might be the best play. Work to put more balls in play in those counts with runners in scoring position. And I don’t believe the club should abandon working to get a platoon split, but I would not mind them doing so less in times that might warrant it.

When should you do that?

I see that as letting skipper Brandon Hyde use his feel for that. If you are going to go against the data and analytics and platoon breakdowns, there is no printout to tell you when to do it.

But are there times when a young player has a strong game and could get a chance to do it two nights in a row? Even if the platoon edge is not there. I say yes there are such times.

No Gold Glove winners this time: The Orioles had two Gold Glove finalists in the American League. The winners were announced last night but neither Ryan Mountcastle at first base nor Colton Cowser in left field, were winners.

Minnesota's Carlos Santana won at first in the AL and Cleveland's Steven Kwan, who also won in 2022 and 2023, was the AL winner in left field.

The O's have won just two Gold Gloves in the last 10 years with Manny Machado in 2015 and Ramon Urias in 2022. 

Click here for more from last night's announcement on a live ESPN telecast.