Is it Sustainable?

[foxfield]

21 hours ago, Yossarian said:

Is the recent success of this team sustainable?  When you look at the team offensive numbers and league rankings, the Orioles offense is performing below average, in general, and well below average in several categories. 

Pitching is obviously carrying this team so far, but can it be sustained as the season gets into the dig days and pitcher's arms start to wear?  

Will Mancini, Hays, Santander, and Mountcastle start hitting more HRs to give the pitchers a little more room for error?

Will Mullins get some of his long ball power from last year back?

Will Mateo end up with more HRs on the season than Mancini?

Will we get any production out of the bottom of the order?

So many questions regarding this offense going forward.  I don't think the pitching success can hold up  -  need some offense.

I think sustainable is the wrong question.  The question, is how much improvement can we see and how long do we have to wait.  To me this is the floor or foundation that Elias has laid.  Solid pitching, good defense, improving offense and stacking talent for the future.

19 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

It’s sustainable. Reasons why,

- The Adley effect

- Any trades we make

- Healthy Urias

- 28 man roster in September 

- GR healthy

- Using Bradish, Zimmerman, and Matt Harvey to supplement the rotation

- Stowers

- Do we call up any of Hall, Gunnar, Westburg, and Vavra  

 

We have staying power. 

I think more call ups are coming, and Elias has indicated that the time may near for several of these guys.

16 hours ago, Frobby said:

I have watched baseball for too long to think that I have any real idea of the twists and turns a season will take.  One of the reasons it’s such a great sport is that it seems very predictable, but it is full of surprises.   A month ago I feared our pitching was about to collapse; instead, they’ve had their strongest run of the season.  So what the hell do I know?

I’ll say this: our offense has the capacity to improve.   It’s not like we have a bunch of hitters having fluky good seasons.  So, I see some potential for offensive improvement that could help keep the team winning even if the pitching comes down to earth from its recent hot streak (which it inevitably will).   Will it work out that way?  Beats me.  

I’ve seen a 54-win team win 89 the next year.  I’ve seen a 69-win team win 93 the next year.   I’ve seen a team that was 32-73 finish the season 34-23.   I’ve seen a team that was 63-63 finish the season 4-32.   I’ve seen a team that was 50-42 finish 24-46.   You just never know.    

 

Truer words.....

You just don't know, becuase...baseball.

I am trying very hard to not get caught up in the standings though it is basically impossible.  But again, I see this as our floor.  We may finish below .500 becuase pitching runs out of steam or becuase after trades, the call ups falter before catching on.  We may stay on fire and make all the right moves down the stretch and be in the hunt for playoff baseball till the end.

The Orioles have returned to competitive baseball.  Someone else said we are now better than all the bad teams.  Let's start chasing down the good ones.  This is what a successful rebuild looks like....let's keep building.

 

[interloper]

17 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Harvey???

Sure, I think he has every bit of a chance at providing some decent innings as, say, Watkins or Voth. I'm just saying, we're going to need reinforcements and SPs who can go 6 innings to help save this excellent bullpen. 

Obviously, I hope we have better options than Harvey. But right now I'd probably rather have him in the rotation than Voth. Voth has been solid but there is literally no track record of success to back up what he's been doing. 

[jabba72]

27 minutes ago, interloper said:

Sure, I think he has every bit of a chance at providing some decent innings as, say, Watkins or Voth. I'm just saying, we're going to need reinforcements and SPs who can go 6 innings to help save this excellent bullpen. 

Obviously, I hope we have better options than Harvey. But right now I'd probably rather have him in the rotation than Voth. Voth has been solid but there is literally no track record of success to back up what he's been doing. 

Voth went 5 IP with no BB and 6 K's his last start. To me, thats a track record. If he's terrible the next few starts then Harvey comes back into the picture, but for now I dont think Voth should be removed.  

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

Voth went 5 IP with no BB and 6 K's his last start. To me, thats a track record. If he's terrible the next few starts then Harvey comes back into the picture, but for now I dont think Voth should be removed.  

I agree.   I wouldn’t tinker with the current rotation until someone falters — which most likely, will happen eventually.   But for now, don’t fix what isn’t broken. 

[interloper]

1 hour ago, jabba72 said:

Voth went 5 IP with no BB and 6 K's his last start. To me, thats a track record. If he's terrible the next few starts then Harvey comes back into the picture, but for now I dont think Voth should be removed.  

Yeah I wasn't saying remove Voth now. Remove him when his inevitable decline happens. We just need to be ready with someone. First up will be Bradish. Maybe they go to a 6-man rotation for awhile, but if not, Voth is going to be the guy to be removed from the rotation when Bradish is ready. Unless they opt to keep Bradish in AAA for awhile. 

[interloper]

Also, we will see what happens when Voth has to face the Rays and Yankees. 

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, interloper said:

Also, we will see what happens when Voth has to face the Rays and Yankees. 

He’ll probably miss the Yankees this time around.   

[now]

Speaking of sustainable, can we outpace that other streaking team, the Mariners?

Anyone here know more about them as a rival dark horse? (e.g., isn't Julio Rodriguez right up there with Adley as a top rookie leading the charge?)

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, now said:

Speaking of sustainable, can we outpace that other streaking team, the Mariners?

Anyone here know more about them as a rival dark horse? (e.g., isn't Julio Rodriguez right up there with Adley as a top rookie leading the charge?)

I’d say Rodriguez has to be the favorite for ROY.  He’s at 3.4 rWAR already.  

[SteveA]

2 hours ago, jabba72 said:

Voth went 5 IP with no BB and 6 K's his last start. To me, thats a track record. If he's terrible the next few starts then Harvey comes back into the picture, but for now I dont think Voth should be removed.  

I don't think you know what "track record" means.

[jabba72]

3 minutes ago, SteveA said:

I don't think you know what "track record" means.

Well its a record that im tracking. I guess Harvey has the longer history of success. But it was a long time ago.

[now]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I’d say Rodriguez has to be the favorite for ROY.  He’s at 3.4 rWAR already.  

So how would you compare the two team outlooks going forward?

[owknows]

6 hours ago, FlipTheBird said:

.....It is horrifying to me that you view a guy who hasn't even been close to "league average" since 2016 as a viable reinforcement.

....Enough that I'm not delusional, at least.

Maybe cut back on the caffeine a little.

[OriolesMagic83]

1 hour ago, now said:

Speaking of sustainable, can we outpace that other streaking team, the Mariners?

Anyone here know more about them as a rival dark horse? (e.g., isn't Julio Rodriguez right up there with Adley as a top rookie leading the charge?)

Their starting pitching is a lot better than the O's.  Logan Gilbert has been one of the top starters in the AL this year.  Their farm system is stacked.  I'm pretty sure they are top 5.  I wouldn't be surprised to see them take one of the wild card spots. 

[LA2]

It's actually been on my mind recently that Voth is undergoing a slow, but undeniable revival. Can it be sustained? Yes, as long as we allow for variants, as in Japan with Baby Metal.