A look at Orioles' consecutive-season stretch of hitting 200 home runs

When Chris Davis hit a two-run homer in the third inning on Sunday against Tampa Bay, it was a milestone home run for the 2015 Orioles. It was Baltimore's 200th homer of the season and it gave the Orioles four consecutive seasons hitting 200 or more homers, starting in 2012.

Before you think that is not a big deal, only three teams in Major League Baseball history have had more consecutive 200-homer seasons:

8 - New York Yankees (2000-2007)
7 - Chicago White Sox (2000-2006)
5 - Texas Rangers (2001-2005)
4 - Orioles (2012-2015)

Three other teams have also hit 200 for four straight years. The Orioles hit 214 in 2012 to rank second in the majors behind the Yankees, who hit 245. The Orioles led the majors with 212 in 2013, and 211 in 2014, and were the only MLB team to top 200 each of those seasons. This year, the O's 200 home runs ranked fourth in the majors heading into last night's games behind Toronto (210), Houston (205) and the Yankees (202).

Since 2012, the Orioles have four seasons with 200 or more and the Yankees have two. No other team did it more than once, with the White Sox, Milwaukee, Texas, Houston and Toronto reaching the milestone one time.

A lot has been made of the fact that the Orioles so heavily rely on the home run ball, which they do, but they also hit more than any club over the last four years. At least it is something they are good at. A lot was made of the Orioles losing Nelson Cruz and his 40 homers from last year. But here they are, hitting 200 home runs once again.

There is always plenty of discussion here on our blogs about the Orioles relying too much on the longball, and no doubt that is true - but at least that is a reliance on something they do well.

Meanwhile, the Orioles rank 13th in the American League in OBP at .307, and the league average is .317. They rank 13th in walks with 374, and the average is 428. They rank dead last with 38 stolen bases, as the league average is 73 right now.

The best and most effective way to upgrade these stats is to add an everyday player or two who thrives in these stat categories. Readers here have suggested too many times to count that the O's should simply change their batting approach. I think that is very hard for an established major leaguer player to do. It will likely be much easier for the club to improve in any significant way in OBP and stolen bases by getting players who already bring those strengths with them.

In 2015 - and this should have been a surprise to no one - the Orioles were a good power-hitting team once again. They've been the best home run hitting team in the majors since 2012. But for now, they also remain with an offense that is not very balanced. They continue to do some things well and others not so well.