Pat Kelly

Softer the tosser the worse the Os hit. Frustrating night. As not tanking.

Not seeing it. Santander makes that play.

Can’t keep changing the mix of the team. Not sure why McKenna is here.

Postgame will be. “Didn’t take good at bats.”

Hyde’s affinity for McKenna will be his undoing. Bizarre.

Take the over.

Really don’t think Elias prioritize having good pitching. Ramirez is a joke. Also Hyde honestly is managing the Os out of this game based on how he handles the pen.

Brewerrs look like an extremely high baseball IQ and well coached team. Os need to pay attention. They are getting their collective teeth kicked in by the Milwaukee Bullies.

Solid analysis by Jon Meoli that addresses much of what we are discussing. A few interesting takeaways: “As the Orioles lost the fourth of their five games in which a lefty started for their opponent Sunday, that approach is looking wobbly. Their offense is scuffling at a time when their Triple-A affiliate enjoyed as eye-popping an offensive week as a club could have.” From a rival scout: Kjerstad “had the most comfortable at-bats I’ve ever seen in my life…impressed with the consistent quality of Stowers’ contact, Norby’s revamped offensive game and with Mayo’s power profile.” Holiday has a 1.085 OPS driven by 10 walks. “At just 20 years old, he takes the best at-bats in all the minors.” He also noted that Holliday didn’t put a foot wrong at second base, positing he’d be at least a plus defender there with the potential to play the position well immediately. He has only eight plate appearances against lefties, with a 1.375 OPS thanks to his opening day home run off one, and has not struck out against a lefty, either. Just three of the eight balls he’s put in play against lefties have been hit hard though.

If the goal is to get into the playoffs vs win the Division then I guess the Os will be fine. On the ML team perhaps we can agree there are six first division staters (Adley, Gunnar, Ryan, Santander, Mullins, O’Hearn (DH)). We are arguably missing an everyday RF, 2B (if we consider JW the answer at 3B) and RH DH. We have two emerging four/five tool WIP prospects (Westburg, Cowser) and five single skill /quasi limited players (Hays, Mateo, Urias, Kemp, McCann). There are holes on ML team, not to mention needs in the BP. My issue is that I am not clear on Elias’ strategy or plan to solve this given the presence of five ready/close to ready top /elite players in Norfolk. Is he willing to roll the dice and lose more games then projected or is everything meeting the plan?

It’s about having your best 26. The AAA top 5 are all prospects with upside who are off to not just good offensive starts but eye-popping starts - Hyde acknowledged he’s never seen it before. So yes 100% no guarantee that AAA hitters mash ML pitching but it’s not like there are a bevy of elite hitters blocking them. Not expecting Hays, Mateo, Urias, Kemp to become elite hitters. More importantly, not seeing the Os offense as currently constructed as elite so unclear on what the plan is. If it’s shutdown BP, great defense and starting pitching, win a bunch of low scoring games not expecting things to work like last year.

If the Orioles lose the division by a few games or continue to not hit then this has been a gross miscalculation by Elias. No reason to hoard a bunch of bats in NFLK and leave the major league team short. Os are not going to win a bunch of 2-1 games with this BP and a spectacular at times but unsteady defense. Os pitching and defense is better than the Yankees but the Yanks are hitting their way to victory. Os showed that elite hitting in Spring Training. It’s there but in the minors. Elias this is your strategy so hope you know what you are doing.

It’s interesting with Kjerstad in many ways as the clamor for a call-up should be around him as much as Holiday. There is really no AAA development left for Heston, he belongs in ML and would upgrade the major league team. Continue to be confused why Elias is favoring several marginal players for the major league roster, players that cost more and project worse than the major league talent at Norfolk.

On MLB Network just now.