What should the Orioles do to be better in 2017?

From 2015 to 2016, the Orioles won eight more games, going from 81 to 89 wins. If they could now add six or eight more - maybe not even that many - they could end the 2017 season as American League East champions.

While every team wants to win the World Series, securing the division title is the first goal. You avoid a one-game scenario where you may have to play on the road and a one-game scenario where your team may get only four hits and go home.

So how do the Orioles find a few more wins and get better for next season?

The major question mark heading into last year - the starting rotation - found some answers in the second half when the rotation ERA went from 5.15 to 4.24. But as that happened the Orioles offense took a nose dive. They averaged 5.08 runs per game during the first half and 4.02 after the All-Star Game.

So in what ways can this team improve?

A leadoff hitter: The Oriole used Adam Jones in 108 games as their leadoff hitter and Joey Rickard 40 times. Jones had a slash line of .282/.320/.471 batting first and Rickard went .240/.297/.347.

As a team, the Orioles ranked ninth in the AL in batting average from the leadoff spot at .264, 13th in OBP at .310, eighth in slugging at .427 and ninth with an OPS of .737.

The Orioles could do better here. Barring an acquisition that they choose to bat first, Hyun Soo Kim seems to be one clear choice to hit first if manager Buck Showalter goes that way and uses him more versus lefty batters. Rickard could hit there if he makes the team, but his stats batting first were worse than his overall numbers. The two could platoon in that spot.

The pitchers: The Orioles could use an ace, we hear fans say. Well, of course they could. But aces don't grow on trees, there are none available via free agency and if anyone wants to trade one, the price in both salary and players will likely be very high. So we can probably forget about the Orioles adding an ace.

At the same time they may have one in the making in Kevin Gausman and/or Dylan Bundy. An ace pitcher can earn a total contract of $200 million or more. Is that really a smart investment since pitchers get hurt and don't always perform at a $200 million level? Boston saw that with David Price this year.

On-base percentage: How long have O's fans been calling for upgrades here? What it may really take is the addition of one or two major players that can truly make a difference. Dexter Fowler would have been one since his OBP this year was .393. So the team at least tried for the big upgrade and if decided not to come to Baltimore.

For the year, the O's OBP was .317, ranking 10th in the AL. The league average was .321. They were not far off that, but they were far off the two other playoff teams from their division with Boston at .348 and Toronto at .330.

It is being Captain Obvious to say the Orioles offense could use more speed, more on-base guys and more players that can advance runners and use small-ball techniques when needed.

More rest: The offense faded in the second half. Did some players just get tired? There is evidence to support that theory. Jones played 152 games, Chris Davis and Manny Machado 157 each, Mark Trumbo 159 and Jonathan Schoop 162. Here are the batting averages/OPS numbers for each player in each half.

Jones - .268/.776 first half and .261/.710 second half.
Davis - .237/.844 first half and .200/.725 second half.
Machado - .318/.944 first half and .266/.798 second half.
Trumbo - .288/.923 first half and .214/.754 second half.
Schoop - .304/.847 first half and .225/.643 second half.

The Orioles clubhouse has a collective mentality where they show up ready to play every day. That is admirable, it just may not be smart for the long haul. Showalter has to take a hard look at the second half numbers and if he determines that players did tire that has to be addressed for 2017.

So what is your take? How do the Orioles get better in 2017? Are some answers already here?