2023 Orioles: Rank Team Strength (poll)

[now]

Which part of the 2023 Orioles do you feel will be its strength?

The offense, defense, starting rotation or bullpen? Choose one preference. Roster as it's currently constructed.

[Jagwar]

The defense should be excellent. 

The bullpen could be excellent... and I am hopeful that they can all repeat

The rotation is average at best, but it needed good established starters

The offense is average, but it needed a MOO run producer 

[maybenxtyr]

The defense should be pretty good again, with a chance of being a little better than last season.

 

I think the offense could be a smidgen better than last season as well, but the defense is my pick.

 

SP and BP are the big questions.

 

[Sports Guy]

I would bet on the defense over anything else.

[HakunaSakata]

I feel like people aren't reading this question the same way that I am. This team will live and die by it's starting pitching. So in that sense, the starting pitching will most determine it's success (or failure). If Gibson can recapture his old form and the young arms make a step forward they might contend for the wild card. If they regress, then you're looking at a .500ish team. 

[RZNJ]

Just now, HakunaSakata said:

I feel like people aren't reading this question the same way that I am. This team will live and die by it's starting pitching. So in that sense, the starting pitching will most determine it's success (or failure). If Gibson can recapture his old form and the young arms make a step forward they might contend for the wild card. If they regress, then you're looking at a .500ish team. 

The team can win if the starting pitching is average.   The question basically is "what do you consider the strongest part of the team"?   

[theobird]

That is not the way i read the question. What part of the team will drive it’s success? Well, if this team is really successful it will be the rotation that carrie’s them there. 

[ArtVanDelay]

5 minutes ago, HakunaSakata said:

I feel like people aren't reading this question the same way that I am. This team will live and die by it's starting pitching. So in that sense, the starting pitching will most determine it's success (or failure). If Gibson can recapture his old form and the young arms make a step forward they might contend for the wild card. If they regress, then you're looking at a .500ish team. 

This is how I interpreted it. 

[wildcard]

Defense, Starters and Pen all have the potential to be excellent.   Offense will be a surprise if they are better than above average.

[owknows]

Close between bullpen and defense

[maybenxtyr]

10 minutes ago, HakunaSakata said:

I feel like people aren't reading this question the same way that I am. This team will live and die by it's starting pitching. So in that sense, the starting pitching will most determine it's success (or failure). If Gibson can recapture his old form and the young arms make a step forward they might contend for the wild card. If they regress, then you're looking at a .500ish team. 

I see what you mean now. That being said, if they're successful this season it will have to be driven by the SP. That's where everything starts...pun intended.

[now]

It is kind of an ambiguous, which is actually okay to consider in different ways.

These aspects of the team have different quantitative weights also in game outcomes. Batting outweighs fielding; starter and bullpen innings are roughly split; and so on.

Yet another way to look at would be: which aspect achieves a higher ranking in the league? (Anybody know offhand how we ranked in 2022?)

[spiritof66]

Well, what's the question?

The team's gonna have some success in that it will win a bunch of games -- maybe as few as 75 or as many as 85. Are we being asked what the main driver of that success will be? Has to be the bullpen and inner defense (that is, not OF defense), in whichever order you like.

What has to exceed expectations/improve the most for the team to succeed, whether you define success in terms of improving on the 2022 record, contending for a wildcard spot, or playing in the post-season? Has to be the starting rotation.  

[HakunaSakata]

2 hours ago, RZNJ said:

The team can win if the starting pitching is average.   The question basically is "what do you consider the strongest part of the team"?   

For this team just to have average starting pitching Gibson and the young SPs all still need to improve upon what they did last season. Also, the OP asked two different questions in the poll and in the comment. 

Poll Question - What will most drive the team's success? I stand by my starting pitching answer.

Comment Question - What do you feel will be the team's strength? I'd answer bullpen and defense (it's a coin flip). 

[24fps]

The team's strengths are defense and bullpen.  If success is defined by proximity to the postseason and beyond, then the driver will be the rotation - and it ain't looking good at this point for 2023.