Welcome to another year of Three Up, Three Down, Birdland! We’ve already experienced quite the rollercoaster of emotions in this young season. We’ve had a couple fun blowouts to get things started, some maddening spells where, already, the whole team seems to forget to hit at once, web gems to go with frustrating defensive miscues, and TWO walk-off wins.
That’s a whole lotta baseball packed into six games. Plenty of good news: the Birds are 4-2, and we get to do it all 156 more times. Keep the antacids handy.
Let’s see who earned honors and demerits in our inaugural edition of 2024.
Three Up
Adley Rutschman
Though he’s yet to get on the board with a home run, Adley Rutschman is leading O’s regulars with a 168 wRC+, thanks in large part to that .440 OBP, which has also resulted in him leading the team with six runs scored. In 25 PA, Adley has seven hits including two doubles (would be three if not for an INSANE throw by KC’s Hunter Renfroe last night), four walks, and hasn’t struck out a single time. That’s tied with Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon for the most PA this season without a single K (h/t @OriolesStatist1)
Now we just need him to put a few in that river up in Pittsburgh this weekend.
Ryan Mountcastle
Right behind Rutschman on the team’s wRC+ leaderboard is Ryan Mountcastle at 164. Mounty scaled Walltimore once, was robbed by the top couple inches of it another time, and in 26 PA managed a slash line of .300/.385/.550. Perhaps most impressive for Mounty, though, is he trails only Rutschman among O’s regulars in both walk rate (15.4%) and strikeout rate (11.5). Four walks, only three strikeouts, second on the team in RBI with seven, and had a couple other balls absolutely smoked, just right at defenders. The Statcast data matches the eye test too, as Mounty’s average EV of 94.2 is nearly four MPH higher than his career average. In every other ballpark in baseball, he’d have at least two homers, and three in a few.
Ryan has also dazzled with the glove, saving his infielders several errors with picks, and making a key diving stop himself in Monday’s win over KC.
Corbin Burnes
The O’s shiny new acquisition, ace Corbin Burnes, was exactly as advertised in his Opening Day debut at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He went six innings, struck out 11, didn’t walk a batter, and allowed just a first-inning solo home run to Mike Trout (certainly no shame in that). Things were bumpier in his second start last night against Kansas City, as he gave up nine hits and two earned runs, striking out only three. He was a bit unlucky, as the first run probably doesn’t score if A) Brandon Hyde was playing actual outfielders in the outfield (Jorge Mateo missed a diving catch that Cedric Mullins probably brings in), and B) Salvador Perez wasn’t channeling the 2014 Royals with a ridiculous bloop RBI single. Still, credit to KC, who barreled up quite a few of his offerings.
The impressive thing was that Corbin still got through 5.2 on 100 pitches despite all the traffic on the bases. He still hasn’t walked a batter, and the team is 2-0 in his starts.
Burnes ERA is 2.31, with a FIP of 2.03 and an xFIP of 2.34. His 10.8 K/9 is better than 2023’s 9.29, right in line with 2022’s 10.83. Opponents have a .300 BABIP, far above his career average of .283.
Honorable Mentions
James McCann (4-for-8, walk-off 1B), Jordan Westburg (walk-off HR), Gunnar Henderson (128 wRC+)
Three Down
Austin Hays
Leading off our Downs is Austin Hays, who has looked absolutely miserable at the dish to start the campaign. In another case of the numbers matching the eye test, Hays’ stats speak for themselves:
21 PA 2 1B 0 2B 0 3B 0 HR 1 RBI 3 BB 6 K .111/.238/.111 -2 wRC+
At just 28 years old, Hays is too young to look so washed. He should be in his baseball prime, but the bat has been awful since mid-July of last season. He has just one barrel, per Statcast data, and his average launch angle is (you might want to sit down)…5. Last year he was at 10.4, and his career number is 11.2. League average is 12.2, so he’s never lifted the ball as much as his contemporaries, but this is beyond the pale.
Hays has plenty of rope as a veteran leader on this club, as he should. But with so many outfielders pounding on the door in Norfolk, his seat should be getting a little warm. Now, Heston Kjerstad and/or Kyle Stowers aren’t equipped to man LF at OPACY like Hays, but they could play RF/DH while Colton Cowser takes over left. At the very least, Hays could find himself in a strict platoon role with Cowser very soon.
Ramon Urias
Speaking of players whose seats are heating up, Ramon Urias‘ should be the opposite of his bat: on fire. With Connor Norby, Coby Mayo, and oh yeah, that Holliday guy, pounding the ball at Norfolk, there’s no getting around it – Ramon Urias’ utility on the Baltimore Orioles has reached its logical conclusion.
Here’s how Urias’ 2024 has begun: 0-for-14, 1 BB, 1 K.
Did you know? He hasn’t homered since July 9 of last year.
Let’s just be honest here. There’s no place for this player on the 2024 O’s:
The organization has too much talent to be running a player like this out there, even in a part-time role. We appreciate all that Urias did over the years. He’ll always have his Gold Glove.
But, flatly, it’s time to move on.
Cole Irvin*
Cole Irvin teased us with some increased velocity at the start of March in Sarasota, but it doesn’t appear to have been fully sustainable. In his first outing, Tuesday against the Royals, the velocity on Irvin’s four-seamer (92.4) was basically the same as a season ago (92.2). His cutter was a little harder (87.7 vs. 85.5). Interestingly, Irvin’s curveball usage was WAY up. He threw it just 14.3% of the time last year, but nearly 35% the other day. It did well for him, as KC managed just a single off it with a 26.7% whiff rate.
They did their damage on the four-seamer and cutter: six hits including the double (cutter) and the triple (4S).
His final line gave the team a chance, if the bats could have woken up: 5 IP, 4 ER, 7 H
So after going through all this, I realize that, in the end, that’s certainly not awful for your fifth starter. So I’m giving Cole an asterisk up there.
Hey, it’s the first week of the season for everyone, bloggers included.
Dishonorable Mentions
Cedric Mullins (37% K, 71 wRC+), Mike Baumann (6.00 ERA, 7.65 FIP, 6 BB/9), Dillon Tate (9 BB/9, 5.60 xERA, 5.31 xFIP)
