Most Valuable Orioles

Before looking ahead to the winter that will shape the 2021 Baltimore Orioles, let’s pay homage to their performance during a historic 2020 Major League Baseball season. It was a season that the Orioles seemingly shocked everyone by staying competitive for most of the 60 game sprint. In fact, they were officially eliminated from the playoffs until yesterday.

This season was never about the wins and losses. It truly wasn’t about the playoffs, although it was quite thrilling to see the Orioles in the playoff hunt and nipping at the Yankees’ heels for a period of time. This season was about giving players experience, giving them a chance to prove they can be a part of the next Orioles’ run. In that context, this season was a resounding success.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

And, there were certainly some great performances this year. A group of players showed enough to be included in 2021’s plans. Some showed enough that will garner them some interest from other teams, either as a free agent or a trade. And, while some showed that they won’t be in future plans, let’s stay positive and acknowledge all of the good of 2020.

Most Valuable Offensive Player

There are a couple of candidates who could receive this “award”.  Anthony Santander was one of the hottest hitters in the sport for a period. But, an oblique strain ended his season in early September. Still, his .261/.315/.575 line with 13 doubles, 1 triple, 11 home runs, and 32 RBI in 37 games is quite impressive. In fact, as of this writing, he still leads the Orioles in RBI and is second in home runs and doubles. At minimum, the 25 year old switch hitter has earned the every day right field job for 2021 and will be a potent bat in the middle of the order.

Jose Iglesias deserves some love as well as the 30 year flirted with a .400 season before missing time as well. In 36 games, the veteran has hit .377/.406/.515 with 15 doubles, 1 home run, and 21 RBI. His season is remarkable, even in this truncated version that was further truncated with injuries.

And, yes, one can make a case for Hanser Alberto. Sure, he is slumping and the slash line doesn’t look as good as it did a few weeks ago, but he’s one of only two Orioles to appear in 50 games (again, as of this writing), he leads the team in runs scored, is second in doubles, and is still slashing a respectable .286/.308/.394 line. There is something to be said about a player performing in an everyday role and actually maintaining his presence in the lineup.

But, the true most valuable offensive player wasn’t even on the Opening Day roster. That was purely procedural as it had nothing to do with talent. Since the day Ryan Mountcastle has stepped foot on a Major League field, he has hit. Through 30 games, he is hitting .314/.373/.505 with 5 doubles, 5 home runs, and 21 RBI. His 10 walks are fourth highest on the team in his limited time. It is easy to say that it is only a 30 game sample. It’s also a very true statement. But, when judging through the lens of a 60 game season, Mountcastle’s half season has been nothing short of sensational. Aside from the injection of offense, Mountcastle’s arrival and his performance meant much more to the organization as he can truly be considered someone who can fill a middle of the order spot for the foreseeable future.

Most Valuable Starting Pitcher

This is another tough one as one could argue that Tommy Milone’s six game run and prospects he’s bringing back to the organization as a result of his trade to Atlanta make him the most valuable starting pitcher. But, let’s keep it on the field. You could look at the young arms like Keegan Akin who has made 7 appearances, including 5 starts. In 22.2 innings, he’s allowed 22 hits, 9 walks and struck out 31 batters. It’s an impressive start.

Dean Kremer has made just 3 starts, but the overall results are quite impressive. In 16 innings, he’s allowed just 8 hits, and has struck out 20 batters. He has shown control problems as his 9 walks indicate. But, there is promise.

But, promise doesn’t necessarily mean valuable, at least yet. The most valuable O’s starter might just have been Alex Cobb. He took the ball 9 times, throwing 45.1 innings, giving up 46 innings, walking 16, and striking out 34 batters. While his 5.10 FIP  and 4.76 ERA are lackluster and pedestrian, the fact that he took the mound when called up, averaged about 5 innings per start, and demonstrated health is quite valuable on a number of fronts. With one more year remaining on his contract at a $15 million price tag, Cobb does become a tradable pitcher. That $15 million isn’t all that high considering recent deals handed out to the likes of Kyle Gibson. League average pitching is going to cost clubs around $12-$15 million per season. Contenders looking to fill out their rotation will be interested. And, even if the Orioles don’t find a deal in the winter, they could do worse than having Cobb start the year in the rotation and trade him at next year’s deadline.

While it flies in the face of the idea of conventional value, Cobb gave nearly league average results, improved his trade value, and provided a consistent veteran presence this year.

Most Valuable Relief Pitcher

This is another difficult one as the Orioles traded their two best relievers at the deadline. Mychal Givens gave 12 stellar performances, striking out 19 batters in 13 innings. His trade to the Rockies may also be another reason to give him the most valuable designation as the Rockies once again clearly overpaid for a relief pitcher.

Hunter Harvey is an exciting pitcher, but he didn’t appear in enough games for consideration. But, his 7.2 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts show promise as a future closer. Dillon Tate also showed promise in his 12 appearances that saw him strikeout 14 batters in 16.2 innings.

So, without a slam dunk candidate, the most valuable relievers—yes, relievers—are the pair of southpaws, Paul Fry and Tanner Scott. Scott leads the team with 24 appearances, pitching 20.1 innings, allowing just 10 hits, 3 runs, 10 walks (not good), and striking out 22. His 3.57 FIP is still solid, but it does show a little bit of luck and some good defense helped him.

Fry appeared in 21 games, pitching 20.2 innings, allowing 21 hits, 6 runs, 8 walks (also not good), and striking out 26. Fry’s 3.85 FIP is also solid, but his 2.61 ERA also demonstrates his luck and defensive support. Both lefties would be better served as specialists, but with the new rules, they were forced to pitch to three batters per appearance. Both did quite well in that role.

Best Free Agent Signing

Ok, Pat Valaika was a waiver wire selection (twice), but he still gets this recognition here. Appearing at every infield position and both corner outfield spots, the 27 year old utility man managed to play in 49 games and accumulate a solid, but unspectacular line of .248/.287/.442 with 4 doubles and 7 home runs. While Jose Iglesias had an amazing season as a free agent addition, it was Valaika who filled in for him, filled in for everyone needing a day off, and provided the fourth highest home run total on the team.

Best Rebound Season

The talk at the beginning of the season was whether or not Chris Davis would be able to bounce back from some historically poor seasons. He did not, but another player definitely capitalized on playing time despite being cast aside at Spring Training and Summer Camp. Cedric Mullins was given a starting job in 2019 and simply looked overmatched. In 22 games, he posted a .094/.181/.156 line. His weak contact and failure to get on base got him shipped to the Minor Leagues and seemingly banished. When Austin Hays went down this season, Mullins was given an opportunity and he seized it. Through 43 games, he is hitting .275/.326/.367 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, and 7 stolen bases. In addition to playing an excellent defensive center field, Mullins leads the Major Leagues in bunt hits. His rebound has put him back in the Major League roster picture as his defense, his speed, and his bunting ability can play a role on a contending club as a fourth or fifth outfielder.

Most Promising End To 2020

John Means was a question mark heading into the season. Many wondered—like me—whether or not his stellar 2019 season was a fluke. And, judging by his final line of 9 starts, 37.2 innings, 35 hits, 11 home runs allowed, 6 walks (that’s really good), and 33 strikeouts with a 5.02 ERA, it certainly looks like it was. But, a closer look gives much more hope. Means’s first five starts were, well, awful. In 5 starts, he pitched 14.2 innings, allowed 16 hits, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts, and 6 home runs with an 8.59 ERA. But, then September happened. After failing to pitch into the fifth inning in any of his first 5 starts, he concluded with four consecutive starts of pitching into the 6th inning. Means had 4 starts in which he pitched 23 innings, allowed 19 hits, 3 walks, and struck out 22 batters. He did give up 5 home runs, but pitched to a 2.74 ERA. Means will still enter 2021 with questions, but his month of September is a nice turnaround and one that will ease the mind of Orioles’ management and fans.

Players We Want To See More Of In 2021

Of course, the obvious answer is Mountcastle, but we already know what he’s about. The two most exciting players that the Orioles need to see more of is Austin Hays and Hunter Harvey. Both were somewhat limited with injuries, but both also showed quite a bit of promise. Hays started terribly, but rebounded nicely before missing a chunk of time. In 28 games, he’s posted a .240/.306/.310 line while playing an above average center field. There’s definitely talent; he just needs time on the field. Harvey showed in his 7 innings that he has closer stuff. The hope is that a healthy offseason, a full camp, and defined role will allow Harvey to tap into his full potential.

With the playoffs beginning next week, the Orioles front office will get to work on constructing the roster for 2021. There is promise to build off of. The young players who made their way to the big club showed talent and the ability to perform at the Major League level. Undoubtably, there will be quite a bit of change. But, many of the 2020 performances will have a profound impact on the 2021 Baltimore Orioles. We acknowledge that today and then look to build on that moving forward.