A look at the Orioles by month -- 2024

[Frobby]

Back by (my) popular demand!

March/April 2024

19-10 record

11-6 at home

8-4 on the road

5-0 vs. AL East

2-4 in one-run games

1-2 in extra innings

Batting

5.41 runs per game was 1st in the AL

.254 BA was 2nd

.312  OBP was 7th

.450 SLG was 1st

.762 OPS was 1st

1.55 HR/game was 1st

.278/.320/.467 with RISP (286 PA, 255 AB, 71 H, 91 TOB, 119 TB) ( .787 OPS with RISP was 5th in the AL)

Pitching

3.68 ERA was 7th in the AL

4.10 runs allowed per game was 7th

1.17 HR/game was 10th lowest

3.60 starters' ERA was 6th

5.61 IP/Start was 2nd

3.81 bullpen ERA was 9th

9 saves was tied for 4th 

16 save opportunities was tied for 4th

7 blown saves was tied for 3rd most (4-way tie)

Defense

12 unearned runs was 8th fewest in the AL

0.45 errors per game (13 errors) was 3rd fewest

8.2 fangraphs defense was 5th best

+0.6 UZR was 8th (+2.5 OF, -1.9 IF)

+7 OAA was 4th (+5 OF, +2 IF)

-2 Rtot was 10th

+5 Rdrs was 9th

Conclusion:

This year's 19-10 March/April record was very similar to last year's 19-9, but the way the Orioles got there was very different.  Last year the O's started off winning a ton of close games (7-2 in one run games), and had a very weak performance from our starting pitchers (5.25 ERA, 4.99 IP/start) but a very stout performance from the bullpen (2.76 ERA, best in the league).   This year, the offense was league-best, the starters did a solid job and the bullpen was shaky.   This year's team was +38 runs in March/April (157 RS, 119 RA in 29 games) whereas last year's version was +25 (147 RS, 122 RA in 28 games).   Defensively, the O's have been solid overall but some of their miscues have cost them pretty dearly.  Overall, it was a very good start for the O's in 2024 even though it feels as if it could have been even better.  I'd gladly take 5 more months just like it!

[Frobby]

May 2024

17-9 record

9-5 at home

8-4 on the road

5-3 vs. AL East

4-3 in one-run games

2-1 in extra innings

Batting

4.54 runs per game was 4th in the AL

.234 BA was 8th

.299  OBP was 10th

.416 SLG was 3rd

.715 OPS was 3rd

1.31 HR/game was 2nd

.257/.345/.455 with RISP (232 PA, 191 AB, 49 H, 80 TOB, 87 TB)

Pitching

2.86 ERA was 2nd in the AL

3.27 runs allowed per game was 2nd

0.58HR/game was best in the AL

2.34 starters' ERA was 2nd

5.47 IP/Start was 6th

3.65 bullpen ERA was 6th

10 saves was tied for 2nd 

14 save opportunities 

4 blown saves 

Defense

10 unearned runs was tied for 9th fewest in the AL

0.42  errors per game (11 errors) 

+1.4 fangraphs defense 

+12.6 UZR (-0.2 OF, +12.8 IF)

+4 OAA (+1 OF, +3 IF)

+15 Rtot

+14 Rdrs 

Cumulative through May

Batting

5.00 runs per game was 2nd in the AL

.245 BA was 4th

.306  OBP was 9th

.434 SLG was 2nd

.740 OPS was 2nd

1.44 HR/game was 2nd

.269/.333/.462 with RISP (518 PA, 446 AB, 120 H, 171 TOB, 206 TB) ( .795 OPS with RISP was 5th in the AL)

Pitching

3.29 ERA was 2nd in the AL

3.71  runs allowed per game was 3rd

0.89 HR/game was 4th lowest

3.01 starters' ERA 2nd

5.55 IP/Start was 4th

3.73 bullpen ERA was 7th

19 saves was 4th 

30 save opportunities was tied for 1st

11 blown saves was tied for 2nd most (3 -way tie)

Defense

22 unearned runs was 6th fewest in the AL

0.44 errors per game (24 errors) was 3rd fewest

+9.4  fangraphs defense was 4th best in the AL

+13.2 UZR was best in the AL (+2.3 OF, +10.9 IF)

+11 OAA was tied for 2nd (+6 OF, +5 IF)

+13 Rtot was 5th

+19 Rdrs was 7th

Conclusion:  Despite many complaints about the offense this month, the O's were 4th in the AL in runs/game and 3rd in OPS.  BA and OBP were down significantly, but the SLG and the .800 OPS with RISP kept the offense moving.  The real story in May though was the pitching (2nd in the AL in ERA at 2.86), especially the starting pitching (also 2nd, at 2.34b ERA).  The relievers were sort of middle of the pack, but saved games at a better rate (10 of 14) than in March/April (9 of 16).  The defense was excellent by all metrics.  Overall the O's outscored opponents by 33 runs in May (118-85 in 26 games) after doing so by 38 runs in March/April (157-119 in 29 games).  That will work!

Edited June 1 by Frobby

[Explosivo]

Awesome work on this frobby, wow!

[Philip]

Damn those blown saves! Mike should be fired…

[Frobby]

June 2024

17-12 record

9-6 at home

8-6 on the road

9-4 vs. AL East

3-4 in one-run games

1-1 in extra innings

Batting

5.62 runs per game was 2nd in the AL

.273 BA was 4th

.333  OBP was 3rd

.513 SLG was 1st

.847 OPS was 1st

2.07 HR/game was 1st

.252/.293/.487 with RISP (263 PA, 238 AB, 60 H, 77 TOB, 116 TB)

Pitching

3.73 ERA was 3rd in the AL

4.21 runs allowed per game was 5th

1.03 HR/game was best in the AL

4.03 starters' ERA was 4th

5.54 IP/Start was 3rd

3.23 bullpen ERA was 2nd

8 saves was tied for 5th 

11 save opportunities 

3 blown saves 

Defense

15 unearned runs was second-worst in the AL

0.52  errors per game (15 errors) 

+2.8 fangraphs defense 

+0.0 UZR (+0.2 OF, -0.2 IF)

+0 OAA (+3 OF, -3 IF)

-3 Rtot

+14 Rdrs 

Cumulative through June

Batting

5.21 runs per game was 1st in the AL

.255 BA was 2nd

.316  OBP was 6th

.462 SLG was 1st

.778 OPS was 1st

1.65 HR/game was 1st

.263/.319/.471 with RISP (781 PA, 684 AB, 180 H, 248 TOB, 322 TB) ( .790 OPS with RISP was 4th in the AL)

Pitching

3.44 ERA was 1st in the AL

3.88 runs allowed per game was 3rd

0.94 HR/game was 2nd lowest

3.36 starters' ERA was 1st

5.54 IP/Start was 3rd

3.56 bullpen ERA was 4th

27 saves was 2nd

41 save opportunities was 2nd

14 blown saves was 4th most

Defense

37 unearned runs was tied for 10th fewest in the AL

0.47 errors per game (39 errors) was 4th fewest

+12.2  fangraphs defense was 6th best in the AL

+13.2 UZR was best in the AL (+2.5 OF, +10.7 IF)

+11 OAA was 6th (+9 OF, +2 IF)

+10 Rtot was 8th

+33 Rdrs was 5th

Conclusion:  Both the offense and the pitching were excellent in June, against mostly tough competition.   The offense was highlighted by outrageous homer production (2.07 per game), but the team BA and OBP also were very good, so it wasn't only a power show.   If there's any negative here, it's that the team didn't produce a good OBP in RISP situations (.293), though the .252 BA was decent and the slugging (.487) in RISP situations was outstanding.  On the pitching side, both the starters and the bullpen performed well, which was a big accomplishment considering the recent injuries and the fact that the team had only one off-day all month.  Probably the biggest downer was that the team gave up 15 unearned runs.   The overall defensive numbers were decent but it seems the mistakes came at inopportune times, or the pitchers didn't do a great job of minimizing damage after defensive miscues.  Not surprisingly, 10 of the 15 unearned runs came in Orioles losses, including three games where the loss margin was equal to or less than the number of unearned runs the O's allowed.  Still, it was a very good team performance in what was arguably the toughest monthly schedule we will face all year.

 

[Frobby]

A brief month-by month breakdown so far:

March/April: 5.41 runs per game (1st), 4.10 runs allowed per game (7th), 19-10 record

May: 4.54 runs per game (4th), 3.27 runs allowed per game (2nd), 17-9 record

June: 5.62 runs/game (2nd), 4.21 runs allowed per game (5th), 17-12 record

[Philip]

Really appreciate this. If I recall correctly, you’re a retired lawyer, so going from 100 hour work weeks to zero…and I’m glad, because it means you have time for these compilations. 
thank you!

[Frobby]

 

14 minutes ago, Philip said:

Really appreciate this. If I recall correctly, you’re a retired lawyer, so going from 100 hour work weeks to zero…and I’m glad, because it means you have time for these compilations. 
thank you!

Thanks for the kind words.   Truth is, I was doing these monthly compilations long before I retired.   I'm definitely doing more digging around on other topics, though, like the WAR by 27-game segment thread and other things.

[LookitsPuck]

Defense was atrocious, and Westy just was really, really bad in June.

Frobby, thanks for putting this together. Great work!

Edited Monday at 17:45 by LookitsPuck