Going into the 2016 season, the verdict was pretty clear. The O’s have one of the most potent and dangerous lineups in baseball with zero weaknesses one through nine. The bullpen is battle-proven and can excel in any situation, and is also one of the best that MLB has to offer.
But the rotation? Not so much. All experts and pundits saw was a list of question marks that ran a mile long. Can Chris Tillman bounce back to his All-Star form? Can Ubaldo Jimenez ditch the Dr.Jekyll/Mr.Hyde act? Is Yovani Gallardo still a top tier starter? Can Vance Worley resurrect his career yet again? Is Kevin Gausman the Orioles’ one true hope for a staff ace in 2016 and beyond?
So far, none of these questions have been answered. In fact, even as early as it is in the season, these question marks seem to be growing. After eleven games, only two Orioles starters have pitched past the fifth inning, and during the O’s recent six-game road trip, O’s starters allowed 27 earned runs on 40 hits over 32.1 innings while posting a horrid 7.52 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP.
Tillman (1-1, 5.11 ERA) looked to be getting back to his All-Star form in his first two starts of 2016 before getting tagged for five runs in a third of an inning in the 6th inning versus Texas on Thursday. Jimenez was fantastic in his first start against the Twins, but against a better lineup, he allowed four runs on six hits over five innings against Boston. Gallardo (1-0, 5.63 ERA) turned in a solid and effective effort in his first start versus Tampa Bay, but has allowed nine runs on 16 hits over 11 innings in his last two outings against Boston and Texas.
Mike Wright got the win versus the Red Sox but allowed four runs on five hits over five innings, and while Worley has shown flashes of his 2011 and 2014 form, he has a 5.06 ERA in his first two starts and allowed four earned runs in the 2nd inning against the Rangers before finding his rhythm.
On the year, the Orioles rotation has managed to turn in just one quality start (it would’ve been two had Buck pulled Gallardo after the sixth on Saturday, but that’s another story), dead last in the league. In comparison, the 2-9 Atlanta Braves have posted four quality starts, the 2-9 Minnesota Twins have recorded five, and the Chicago Cubs already lead the majors with ten quality starts.
If that wasn’t enough to make you cringe, the O’s rotation doesn’t rank in the top half of the league in any major category. As of Sunday night, the O’s starting five rank 18th in WHIP (1.39), 18th in SLG (.433), 20th in OPS (.771), 21st in OBP (.339), 23rd in IP (56.0), 23rd in ERA (5.14) and T-26th in BAA (.284).
Thankfully for the O’s, the constant early struggles of the rotation hasn’t translated to the win-loss column. The Orioles are 8-3 because of their dynamic offense lighting it up almost every night in the early goings, and their phenomenal bullpen being just that. The bullpen, led by Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, and Brad Brach, is ranked 2nd in the AL in ERA (2.03) and IP (40.0). They also rank T-3rd in K (44), 6th in BAA (.221), 7th in WHIP (1.13), and 8th in OBP (.288).
Luckily for the rotation, it is only April 18th. There’s still 151 games left in a long season and looking at the O’s starters, especially when Gausman returns, there’s more than enough talent to turn it around and help the team make a serious run at a playoff spot.
Hopefully for the Orioles, the starting pitching can find a way to hit top form before the O’s red-hot hitting starts to downtrend and before the bullpen wears down.
Simply put, the O’s need more from their starters if they want to seriously contend for the division title and beyond.
