TommyPickles

Well if we pencil Suarez in for a no-hitter today, then we just need Kremer or Rodriquez to be solid and we can win the series...

In his last year with the Athletics, Irvin last 6 or more innings 19 out of 30 times. This was him getting back to what he does best. Throwing a little softer, inducing soft contact, working that curveball, and eating innings. Swervin' Irvin

The Orioles are favorites to win the AL this season. It is their best shot to win a WS they've had this century. I'm excited Holliday is getting a shot. I think they should stick with it. But if he needs to be sent back down after another month, then so be it. He's 20 years old. It's not the end of the world.

He cannot be trusted in big situations.

In fairness to my boy, Urias, he's only had 24 at-bats. He's now on a 4-game hit streak, during which he has a .780 OPS. Not saying it's going well, or even that he should be playing more, but I think it's a super small sample size.

Cedric Mullins is only 29 years old. He's been an All-Star, a Silver Slugger, a 30-30 player, and has received MVP votes. Out of all players who have played at least 1500 innings in CF since the start of 2022, he ranks 4th in DRS (13) according to Fielding Bible. Out of all players in baseball who played at least 125 games in CF each season, he was 2nd in OPS in 2021 (.878), 7th in OPS in 2022 (.721), and is currently 3rd in OPS this season for everyday CF'ers (.872), behind Trout and Merrill. He's been worth 13.5 rWAR over the past 3 seasons and change. He's a consensus Top 10 center fielder.

Yea, 65% catch probability is laughable.

I'm surprised this board is turning against Kevin Brown this year.

I didn't hear it, but generally speaking, I like the occasional banter that wanders away from baseball. I like Kevin and Ben in the booth.

The players certainly believe the pitch clock is part of the problem. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/mlb-mlbpa-in-dispute-over-pitch-clocks-impact-on-injuries.html “Despite unanimous player opposition and significant concerns regarding health and safety, the commissioner’s office reduced the length of the pitch clock last December, just one season removed from imposing the most significant rule change in decades,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said. “Since then, our concerns about the health impacts of reduced recovery time have only intensified. The league’s unwillingness thus far to acknowledge or study the effects of these profound changes is an unprecedented threat to our game and its most valuable asset — the players.”

Urias has had consistent reverse splits throughout his whole career. He should probably only be starting against righties.

I went to PNC Park on Saturday. My first time there. I've been to about a dozen MLB stadiums, and man! PNC might be the nicest of them all. Gorgeous park. One thing I noticed though, Orioles fans are starting to get cocky. I was born in 90', so a lot of my childhood was spent going to O's games in the early 2000's. Years and years of Red Sox and Yankees fans taking over Camden Yards with their chants and cheers. It sucked. So hearing O's fans start screaming an unprovoked "LET'S GO O'S! LETS GO OS!" in the middle of a sports bar before the game was kind of cringe-inducing. You could hear Pittsburgh fans groan and eventually start a counter cheer of "Go Home O's!" As the O's get better and better, let's not become the Yankees and Red Sox fans from the 2000's. Don't be a jerk when you're in someone else's park.

In fairness, Fielding Bible also said he was our best defensive second baseman last season (better than Westburg). And a better first baseman than O'Hearn. And the point about him having the second-highest OBP on the team last season still stands. But I understand your point, and like I originally said, I understand this is a tough argument to make as things currently stand in Norfolk. I just still see Urias as a valuable bench piece.

Yea they're a fun team. Lots of speed and good mix of vets and promising young guys.

His defense. By Fielding Bible's metric, been our best defensive player besides Adley over the past two seasons. His versatility. He rated as an above average defender at 3B, 2B, and 1B. His OBP and ability to hit righties. .750 OPS against righties in his career. Not bad for glove-y utility infielder.

It's a hard time to be a Urias defender, but I'd much rather see them move on from Kemp first. Clearly, it has been a rough start for Ramon, but he was hitting great in spring training. He had the second highest OBP on the team last season, out of players who are still here. Only Adley's OBP was higher. Since the start of 2022, he has the second highest DRS on the team, behind only Adley. Give my boy a couple weeks. He makes a ton of sense as a part time player on this 2024 team.

I thought this was interesting. Through five games, here are the Orioles' ranks compared to the rest of MLB: Team OPS: .717 (15th in MLB) Rotation ERA: 3.81 (12th in MLB) Bullpen ERA: 2.70 (11th in MLB) Relatively speaking, our bullpen has been the best part of our team so far this season.

Walkoffs are way more memorable and special.

Worth -12 defensive runs saved last season. Below average at left field. Horrible at 2B. One of the worst in MLB.

I think the Os should keep him for all of 2024. You need that 30-homer type veteran in the postseason. Santander has played on some big stages and will be an asset. After this year? He probably walks and signs a decent 3 year deal somewhere.

McKenna making the team and then dropping another pop fly in the opening series would lead to some all time hilarious Orioles Hangout reactions...

This debate has been beaten to death, but I think Urias is more valuable than Mateo. Over a very similar number of ABs: A career .738 OPS/7.3 rWAR vs a career .633 OPS/4.5 rWAR Urias compliments Westburg well, since they can both play 2B or 3B and they have reverse splits from one another. Urias also graded as a plus defender last season at 1B. According to Fielding Bible, Urias has been worth 18 DRS over the past two years. Mateo has been worth 16 DRS over that time. I'd like to see the O's (eventually this year) move on from Mateo. Then make Urias the versatile veteran bench guy who makes some starts against righties. Urias has also shown he can hit well enough playing part time, whereas Mateo hasn't.

I think they'll move on from Mateo mid-season. I could see Holliday getting the bulk of the starts at 2B Gunnar getting the starts at SS Urias and Westburg more or less platooning at 3B. With Westburg getting some action against RHP to help his development. Urias OPS against RHP: .758 Westburg OPS against RHP: .676 Westburg OPS against LHP: .786 Urias OPS against LHP: .686 I know a lot of people are eager to move on from Urias, but a gold glove third baseman who puts up a .758 OPS from the strong side of a platoon is a hell of a piece to have on your bench. His power numbers have looked promising this spring, too.

I think Cole Irvin could be a #5 starter on a World Series team.