now

Viva la "audio options" (i.e., radio feed) feature of MLB-TV!

This discussion brings up a point I floated yesterday about Wells or Kremer being a risky option for late relief because of the HR ball. Now I wonder, is that true or false? A run is a run is run. Seems like ERA might be a better litmus test for picking a closer (or any pitching role except extra innings, where it does seem obvious that high K rate is best).

Love the looks of this all-homegrown roster! Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely due to: a) it's probably never been done; b) injury or other nonperformance issues; c) the good chances of a "very big trade" or two from this stable of position talent to bring in some pitching help.

good point! (playing best against the best competition)

Yeah, isn't that the formula for success--beat up on the good teams and break even against the poor teams? Oh, wait...

The biggest worry with Wells or Kremer in late relief is the gopher balls.

Connor Norby says hi.

Awesome research, thanks. I was a fan in 1974 but had forgotten that string of five shutouts. This last two weeks of rotation excellence (and your list) is giving me flashbacks to the summer of love (1967), when I started to make game logs to savor the strings of shutouts and low-hit gems by Oriole starters. Looking back now at the game logs kept by Baseball-Reference (manually, without your sorting skills!), it's hard to identify exactly which streak so impressed my teenage fan-meter, or even which year. Certainly 1968 was all about low scoring league-wide. Maybe it was the stretch 22-27 May 1967 featuring Phoebus, Bertaina, Barber, McNally, and Phoebus again (good old 4-man rotation!), including three scoreless outings. Or Hardin and Brabender joining Phoebus, McNally and Palmer from 15 to 20 September, 1967. What about 1969, with Cuellar, Lopez and Leonhard joining the previous cast of McNally, Phoebus, and Hardin, twirling 10 starts (13-22 June) while allowing only 12 runs. Anyway, it feels rather historic to see this run of high-end pitching from an Orioles rotation. Here's a chart to recap the numbers on this streak in progress... Date Starter IP H ER ERA (14 G) totals: 81.67 59 19 2.09 21-Apr Irvin 6.2 4 0 22-Apr Suarez 5.2 4 0 23-Apr Rodriguez 4.1 11 7 24-Apr Kremer 5.1 3 2 26-Apr Burnes 6 3 1 27-Apr Irvin 7 4 0 28-Apr Suarez 4 7 4 29-Apr Rodriguez 5.2 5 0 30-Apr Kremer 7 4 2 1-May Burnes 6 4 2 2-May Bradish 4.2 4 1 3-May Irvin 6.1 2 0 4-May Means 7 3 0 5-May Kremer 6 1 0

Somehow feels typical of Orioles to play up to the competition, and get burned by the pretenders... same with individual starting pitchers.

Here's my latest take on the order of emergence of our young stars: Rutschman, Henderson, Westburg, Cowser, Kjerstad, Mayo, Holliday, Norby, Stowers Biggest tossup is between Mayo and Holliday. Jackson got first shot and has a position waiting, so may have a leg up, but as of this morning I'm leaning Mayo (also bumping Norby ahead of Stowers).

Yeah it makes you think again before considering swapping a high-end talent like Basallo for a top closer like Miller. When you can plug in a DFA guy like Webb or Coulombe or Perez, or groom a wild flamethrower like Bautista from the farm. Just throw strikes.

Good to see another return in the Jorge Lopez trade (following Povich and Cano)... the gift that keeps giving. Also it seems Yaqui Rivera is doing well, providing some hope of payback for Tanner Scott and Cole Sulser to the Marlins.

Could have been taken from a Nick Markakis prospect writeup!

With three more hits today, Etzel is at .360/.992. He has 171 MiLB at bats, so a third of a season. Which projects to a full season with: 513 AB 111 R 39 2B 12 3B 12 HR 114 RBI 93 BB 123 SO 90 SB 21 CS .339 AVG .445 OBP .532 SLG Not too shabby!

Yeah, I guess you could say Kjerstad is the contemporary version of Terry Crowley for this team.

What's up with Brandon Young? Out of nowhere (#30 prospect above... undrafted?) he goes 3 IP with 0 hits or walks, and 7 Ks, throwing an otherworldly 26 of 31 pitches for strikes, in Bowie's game today.

Late to the thread but I'll just say, having a mixed response to Kevin since he started PBP, I've just started to notice how good he is in those enthusiastic moments calling big plays. Like the classic announcers of old. Brown plus Palmer and/or McDonald is a great combination to have.

Speaking of Hays, whom I rarely defend, I think he would have rifled a throw to the cutoff man and nabbed that slow runner at home. And speaking of McKenna, whom nobody defends, I think Santander gets a better read and a higher leap and catches that drive. Just to say, some nights it just doesn't work out. That said, the thin bullpen continues to be a concern... and it's still only April.

You're right, it's no biggie to give McKenna some reps there. I just got triggered by the old trope, "You have to carry a third catcher for emergencies." If McKenna's needed as fourth-stringer at 2B, doesn't every position need backups four deep?

Emergency 2B? WTF? Like Urias, Mateo, Westburg isn't enough?

Without looking at splits, I was impressed by Suarez's determination, in a recent pregame interview, to be a starter. He signed here for that opportunity and has done well to seize it and run with it. A shame to mess with what's working. I guess the majority of pitchers (e.g., Wells and Hall) would say they prefer starting. The Orioles gave Hall his chance--elsewhere--and Wells may be destined for the pen now due to durability issues. But for now I'd favor keeping Suarez in the rotation as long as he's having success there.

Good idea batting him behind Kjerstad... like a big brother to show how it's done.

It's a trick question, since a run (A) is a run (B) is a run (C). That said, chicks and I dig the long ball (and also the base hit).

Interesting to see Elias's draft pecking order playing out in the priority of new additions to the roster. Heavily leaning on the #1's, while the others wait in line. Observe the departed ones too (Ortiz, Hernaiz), lower down the ranks (and expect Mayo to be the exception). Granted, Stowers already had his initial shot too, but now sits in limbo. BTW, I notice both Mountcastle* and Akin were former round 2's, and Hays and Baumann "suspects" at round 4. *Mountcastle technically round 1 (36), but selected after DJ Stewart (25).

True. I've never seen hype like that before from MLB.com. Seems like, all spring, two days out of every three, Holliday's picture featured on the front page with an article touting his otherworldly greatness. Has to weigh on the kid. Especially given he looks so much the part of "a boy among men."