Hello everybody, and welcome back to this series breaking down the 2022 Orioles Roster. For previous posts in this series, click the below links:
O’s Roster Breakdown: Starting Pitching
Today, we will look at what I consider the Orioles’ best position group: the outfield. The outfield has the best overall players when healthy, and some underrated players. My main issue with this group is their collective inability to stay healthy, especially in the corners.
But with all that said, let’s get into this breakdown. As in previous posts, I will be separating the breakdown into sections: most known, the most unknown, the most underrated piece, free-agent options, underrated options outside the Majors, and how they will perform. So let’s dive into the outfield.
The Known
Cedric Mullins was one of the best stories for the Orioles in 2021. He transformed from depth at the Double-A level in 2019 to a 30/30 player in 2021. Mullins hit .291/.360/.518 with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He was in the 86th percentile in sprint speed and was also one of the best fielders in Centerfield according to Outs Above Average. Mullins probably won’t hit 30 home runs again, but I still think he can be an above-average hitter with great defense in center. I will say that he did have average exit velocities; however, I don’t believe Mullins is the type of hitter that will rely on high exit velocities. Mullins is an entertaining player to watch due to his speed, contact ability, and great defense with his above-average power.
Mullins is the best player on this roster right now, and I don’t think it is close.
The Unknown
Hays’ and Santander’s Health
This is my biggest issue with this group, and it stinks that it is injury concerns. I think Austin Hays and Anthony Santander are really good players when healthy; the issue is that neither player has ever played over 140 games in a season. Hays did play 131 games last year, but he was playing through a core-muscle injury that required off-season surgery. He never really looked 100% throughout the season. Santander played 110 games last year, and also never seemed fully himself after suffering a left ankle injury in April. These injury questions have affected the ability of these players to shine because they aren’t playing at 100% even when they are on the field. Again I am not attacking these players as this is out of their hands, but these injury questions are seriously holding back the potential of this outfield. I like Hays and Santander when they are healthy as they do have upside offensively and defensively, but their stats are poorly affected when they are on the field due to injuries, and they can’t even get on the field a lot of the time.
Here’s hoping Hays and Santander stay healthy because I like the potential of these two.
Most Underrated
Austin Hays
Just because I said he was injury-prone doesn’t mean I don’t like him. A fully healthy Hays is one of the more underrated storylines to the 2022 Orioles. Hays is really good defensively in left. Don’t let the below-average to bad numbers he put up defensively last year hide that fact. Like I mentioned, that core muscle injury affected how much he could move last year. Hays also has a good arm in left. He also puts up a good-to-great slugging percentage with 20 to 25 home run power. Hays needs to make a lot more contact and improve his on-base ability. He doesn’t walk much, and he needs to lower strikeouts and make more contact. Despite his flaws, I still think he has become a little underrated.
Hays just needs to stay healthy, and I think he can show his potential.
Free-agent Options
Marwin Gonzalez
Technically I am breaking the rules here just a bit because Marwin Gonzalez is used as a utility player, but he would more than likely play outfield if he signed with the Orioles. My issue with the outfield core is that there aren’t enough quality options if one of the corner outfielders gets hurt. Ryan McKenna is a 4th outfielder/pinch hitter, and DJ Stewart doesn’t do enough for me. The Orioles need a little insurance if Hays or Santander has to miss time this year. Gonzalez isn’t that great of a hitter, but he is helpful as he is great defensively anywhere you want him to play. Gonzalez can give the Orioles some insurance if Hays or Santander get hurt.
Underrated option outside the Majors
Kyle Stowers
I already did my full write-up about Kyle Stowers in my top 20 list, so I will keep this brief. Stowers has power for days and has explosive bat speed. He matches this bat speed and raw power with a long swing to uppercut baseballs. This causes him to hit many home runs, which can be exciting when he is on. For me, Stowers’s most prominent issue is his lackluster approach mixed with that very long swing that causes a ton of strikeouts. Stowers has good defense in the right field with a strong arm, so I think he will get his shot in the majors in 2022 (hopefully, we won’t lose a considerable part of the season). Stowers can add some serious power to this lineup if he stays a little more consistent.
How will they perform?
This all depends on health. If Hays, Santander, and Mullins all play at least 150 games and are playing 100%, this outfield has some serious potential. Of course, this just might not be realistic as Hays and Santander just seem not to be able to stay healthy. If these two miss a good chunk of games, the potential of this outfield goes way down. However, I still think these are really good players when healthy, and Hays and Santander could be interesting trade pieces in the future. I especially can’t wait to see if Santander can stay healthy because I still think he can be something between his 2020 shortened season and his 2021 season. I am also excited to see the potential major league debut of Stowers and other prospects.
Thank you for reading this Roster breakdown series. I hope I brought some hope to you to show you that while the Orioles will lose a lot of games in 2022, there are still some parts of this roster to look forward to, and it can be exciting. Now let’s hope we don’t miss too many games in 2022 due to the lockout.
