A look at season-ending rankings for the O's offense

In an entry earlier this week I pointed out that the 2019 Orioles featured a league-average offense in the second half of the season. They hit better as the year went on. Today let's look at Major League Baseball and American League rankings in some stat categories for the entire year.

In 2019 the Orioles produced these numbers:

* 4.50 runs per game (22nd in MLB, 11th in AL) and MLB average was 4.83.
* .246 batting average (tied for 20th in MLB, tied for 12th in AL) and MLB average was .252.
* .310 OBP (24th in MLB, 12th in AL) and MLB average was .323.
* .415 slugging (tied for 23rd in MLB, tied for 11th in AL) and MLB average was .435.
* .725 OPS (25th in MLB, 13th in AL) and MLB average was .758.
* 23.2 strikeout percentage (tied for 15th in MLB, 7th in AL) and MLB average was 23.0.
* 7.5 walk percentage (25th in MLB, 12th in AL) and MLB average was 8.5.
* 7.9 extra-base hit percentage (25th in MLB, 13th in AL) and MLB average was 8.6.
* 3.89 pitches per plate appearances (19th in MLB, 9th in AL) and MLB average was 3.90.
* 20.4 swing-and-miss percentage (2nd-highest in MLB, 2nd in AL) and MLB average was 18.3.
* 29.9 first-pitch swing percentage (8th in MLB, 4th in AL) and MLB average was 28.8

Individually, Jonathan Villar ranked third in the AL in steals (40), fifth in runs (111) and tied for ninth in hits (176).

Hanser Alberto finished eighth in AL batting average (.305).

Trey Mancini was sixth in the AL in total bases (322), tied for sixth in extra-base hits (75), 11th in homers (35), 12th in RBIs (97) and tied for second grounding into double plays (22).

Renato Núñez tied for 24th in home runs (31) and tied for 20th in RBIs (90). And here is a surprise. He led the Orioles and ranked 11th in the AL in pitches per plate appearance at 4.11.

Here are a few other notes from Orioles public relations:

Mancini was the only player in the AL - and one of two in the majors, also Colorado's Trevor Story - with 35 or more home runs and 38 or more doubles in 2019. Mancini and Story each hit exactly 35 homers and 38 doubles.

Villar (111) and Mancini (106) became the first set of Orioles teammates to each score 100 or more runs in a season since 2015 (Chris Davis and Manny Machado).

Alberto's .305 average was the 44th time in Orioles history in which a player finished the season with a .300 average or better, and first since 2008 (Nick Markakis and Aubrey Huff).

Pedro Severino hit a career-high three home runs on June 4 at Texas, becoming the first Orioles catcher in team history to have a three home run game.

According to FanGraphs, Villar led the Orioles with a 4.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), which was 18th-highest in the AL.

Richie Martin hit a season-high .379/.400/.655 (11-for-29) in 17 games in September and eight of his 23 RBIs came in the same month. He batted .284 (29-for-102) in 51 games in the second half.

So you are saying, "Steve, yes, but the pitching!" I know it was not good this year and we have several stories coming on that. Don't worry, not trying to divert your attention today and Oliver Stone didn't come to me in a dream and ask me to only write about the offense.

So leave a comment today on any stat presented here or any other O's topic on your mind worth debating and discussing.