Positive National Media Attention

[Just Regular]

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/introducing-the-new-orioles-bullpen/

As always, even moderately researched pieces from non-Orioles-focused outlets don't really tell us anything we don't already discuss in the great depth here.   I hadn't really plugged in to Baker's some of this, some of that breaking ball, so thanks Fangraphs writer!

[Moose Milligan]

I think it was Fangraphs last year who ran a piece on Cesar Valdez and his dead fish changeup.  And then the wheels promptly fell off.  

Hoping it was a one year jinx.

[ChrisP]

Outstanding article...

[rm5678]

Even the Yankees blog on SB nation has some positive things to say about the O's pitching, Jordan Lyles, etc.:

https://www.pinstripealley.com/2022/4/26/23041890/yankees-orioles-series-preview-pitching-matchups-severino-montgomery-taillon-lyles-wells-zimmerman

[justD]

And this one today from Mike Petriello about Jorge López:  https://www.mlb.com/news/pitchers-who-made-changes-improved

Quote

The Royals, always desperate for pitching, cut him loose in August of 2020.

He landed in Baltimore days later, posted a 6.13 ERA for the O’s across 2020-’21, and a below-average pitcher on a below-average team is one that is easy to lose track of. It also means you might not have noticed that he was considerably better in the final weeks of the season after he was finally bounced from the rotation to the ‘pen.

And now? Now, finally a full-time reliever for the first time, he’s junked his four-seamer, which had a .617 career slugging against. Now, his sinker, which was around 94 mph back in 2018-’19, is nearly 98 mph. It’s the largest year-over-year velo jump in baseball.

Now, he’s jumped his strikeout rate from 20% to 35%. He’s yet to allow a home run, after giving up 25 last year; he's allowed only two hard-hit balls. Despite the fact he's been in the pros for more than a decade, López is still only 29 years old. There may yet be some there there.

 

[foxfield]

2 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

I think it was Fangraphs last year who ran a piece on Cesar Valdez and his dead fish changeup.  And then the wheels promptly fell off.  

Hoping it was a one year jinx.

That is pretty funny, but Mr. Valdez was a 36 year old classic journeyman who developed something odd.  Once people learned it he was gone.  Also, pretty sure it was MLB that did piece on him last year at this time.  This piece is analyzing some stuff that on the surface would appear to be sustainable.  

These are the types of things that for me makes the waiting worthwhile. All of these guys are not going to stick, and we are still plenty bad, but we are seeing more and more people who could become something instead of a roster full of placeholders. 

I tell myself that the players who will be traded this year should bring us actual pieces.  That we are not going to win anything but perhaps, like 2011, by the end of the year we can be looking pretty competitive.  

Of course I believe Charlie Brown is going to kick that football this year....every year.

[Just Regular]

3 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

I think it was Fangraphs last year who ran a piece on Cesar Valdez and his dead fish changeup.  And then the wheels promptly fell off.  

Hoping it was a one year jinx.

It was kind of cool seeing Cesar Valdez threw a complete game and earned PCL Pitcher of the Week last week.

 

[Jammer7]

6 hours ago, Just Regular said:

It was kind of cool seeing Cesar Valdez threw a complete game and earned PCL Pitcher of the Week last week.

 

Good for him and all, but uh oh. Does this mean we are going to get the same fans clamoring for us to bring him back? And how stupid Elias was to let him go? Oh Lawd, no!