A statistical look at the Orioles' 2016 team offense

Here is a look at how the Orioles offense ranked against the rest of the American League in the 2016 season. Each stat is listed along with how that ranked in the 15-team AL along with the AL average number when it was available. Some stats were compiled from FanGraphs.com.

* .256 batting average (ninth, .257)
* .317 on-base percentage (10th, .321)
* 253 home runs (first, 197)
* .443 slugging (second, .423)
* .760 OPS (third, .744)
* 1,324 strikeouts (fifth, 1,273)
* 21.7 strikeout rate (fifth)
* 468 walks (10th, 491)
* 7.7 walk rate (10th)
* 19 stolen bases (15th, 77)
* 17 sacrifice bunts (tied for 12th, 23)
* 36 sacrifice flies (11th, 40)
* .273 pinch-hit batting average (first, .199)
* .078 ground-to-fly out ratio (12th, .083)
* 19.4 Wins Above Replacement (eighth)
* 32.2 percent of swings at non-strikes (fourth)
* .291 batting average of balls in play (11th)
* 19.2 line drive percentage (15th)
* 32.7 hard-contact percentage (fifth)

Who knew the Orioles had the best pinch-hit batting average in the AL? They were well over the league average. We all pretty much knew they were last and way below league average in stolen bases.

The Orioles were a bit above average in the stat that is truly most important: runs scored. They ranked seventh in the league, scoring 744 runs, with the average at 731. As for the rest of the division, Boston was first with 878 runs, Toronto fifth at 759, New York 12th at 680 and Tampa Bay 14th at 672.

But is 744 runs going to be enough to contend in the AL East? It was in 2014. That Orioles won 96 games and a division championship by scoring 705 runs, ranking sixth in the AL. While this blog looks only at offense today, obviously that is just one aspect of a team, keeping in mind that the 2014 club ranked third in the AL with a 3.43 team ERA.

When it comes to walks and the much-discussed on-base percentage, there is room for improvement, but the Orioles are by no means the worst in the league. They are below league average. They are way behind Boston, which led the league with a .348 OBP and finished four games ahead of the Orioles in the standings.

The Orioles offense faded in the second half and it is clear some players may be in need of more days off spread more evenly throughout the year. The team slash line before the All-Star Game was .272/.333/.467 to rank third, third and second, respectively, in the AL. After the All-Star Game, those numbers were .236/.298/.415 to rank last, last and ninth in the league, respectively.

The Orioles also ranked last in the AL in team batting average versus left-handed pitching at .234 and slugging at .392. The Orioles rated third in batting average versus right-handed pitchers at .263 and were second in slugging at .461.

So some huge differences from the first to second half and against left and right-handed pitching.

A few Orioles' 2016 and career batting averages versus LHP:
* .083 - Caleb Joseph (.206 career)
* .173 - Mark Trumbo (.251 career)
* .216 - Chris Davis (.235 career)
* .218 - Adam Jones (.264 career)
* .229 - Matt Wieters (.273 career)
* .243 - Jonathan Schoop (.227 career)