Could this be Buck's best Orioles team?

[Frobby]

I'm starting to think this team could be as good or better than the 2014 squad.    The pieces of this team really fit together well.    The whole seems greater than the sum of the parts.     22-10 despite a murderous early schedule.   And we don't really have many guys playing over their heads.   

I think it still comes down to how our starting pitching holds up over 162 games.     The last few games have been really encouraging, but there are 130 to go.   

[backwardsk]

I felt that the team the front office put together this winter was the best in the Buck/DD era.  Whether or not that translates to 85 or 100 wins remains to be seen.  

But in February  I felt that this was the most talented group entering ST.

We have been pulling out some crazy wins.

[LookitsPuck]

It remains to be seen. But Ubaldo, an iffy Tillman and Wade Miley still give me pause especially with Britton being out for months. O'Day has looked shaky as has Brach.

We all know what can happen if the starting pitching makes the bullpen work more.

[sportsfan8703]

Much better rotation. Better everyday lineup. Better AAA depth. Worse bullpen depth.  That team at the end of the year had Britton, O'day, Miller, Brach and sometimes Gausman in the pen. 

[TINSTAAPP]

No, they don't have the offense or back end of the bullpen that the 2014 team had. I do think the starting pitching has the potential to be better if Ubaldo can get his act together. 

[Spy Fox]

2014 had a very consistent rotation. Five guys threw 20 or more starts with ERAs between around 3.30 and 3.70 (Tillman, Gonzalez, Chen, Norris, Gausman). Can our rotation match that level of stability? Maybe, but each individual has some question marks. 

[ArtVanDelay]

No.  The 2014 team had Nelson Cruz, Andrew Miller, Chen, a dominant O'Day, and a dominant Zach Britton.

That was a great team.  Should've won the WS.

[Chito]

21 minutes ago, ArtVanDelay said:

No.  The 2014 team had Nelson Cruz, Andrew Miller, Chen, a dominant O'Day, and a dominant Zach Britton.

That was a great team.  Should've won the WS.

If not for Manny's knee and to a lesser extent Davis's suspension, I think they would have.

[O's84]

7 minutes ago, Chito said:

If not for Manny's knee and to a lesser extent Davis's suspension, I think they would have.

Also Wieters was injured too.

[Chito]

Just now, O's84 said:

Also Wieters was injured too.

Yep. He was off to a great start that year too.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

8 minutes ago, Chito said:

If not for Manny's knee and to a lesser extent Davis's suspension, I think they would have.

Also Wieters being out that hurt too.  Losing Manny was a huge blow, he was the team's best player before getting hurt. 

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

I told myself before the season started that this is the best Orioles team since I have been a fan. I started following the Orioles when their fourteen year losing season streak started. The sky is the limit for this team. If the offense heats up and the pitchers can keep us in games they will be absolutely dangerous.

[VeveJones007]

Despite the 22-10 record, there are reasons for skepticism. It's still too small of a sample. Ask me again in August.

[Filmstudy]

None of Buck's teams have been complete, but he's made the most out of them.  However, this team is doing it with smoke and mirrors to date:

1.  This is the worst defensive team of the lot, particularly in the outfield.  It's not the worst in the league (in the pack in DER at .704), but they won't act as suspenders for the pitching staff.

2.  Both the offense and pitching continue to have substandard walk totals.  On offense that means the SLG is better than the OBP.  The pitchers allow higher OBPs and lower SLG.  In each case that's the less valuable combination.

3.  To date, everything has gone right for the Orioles in terms of clutch stats.  They are 8-1 in 1-run games, they are mashing the ball with RISP (.863 OPS #1, #3 OBP, #2 SLG in AL).  Meanwhile, the Pitchers are 5th in the league in opposing OPS with RISP.  Extreme clutch performance is a harsh mistress and these advantages won't hold up.

4.  The Orioles are 5 games ahead of their pythagorean W/L record based on their RS/RA (143-129).  They have a .719 OPS and .723 OPS allowed.  So the RS advantage they have had will likely require improvement to maintain.  If they do maintain or even pick up more run differential, they are unlikely to arrange those as fortunately as they have to date.

For this to be a 95-win team, I have to project a great deal of improvement in the baseline (overall, not necessarily clutch) performance and I think there are as many negative indicators as positive.

The Orioles have a solid team capable of making the playoffs, but not in the class with the 2014 team.

[weams]

5 hours ago, TINSTAAPP said:

No, they don't have the offense 

Sure they Do. And it's almost June. Cruz did not hit at all in June, July and August.