July 1, 2013

Orioles Very Good; Yankees Mostly Incapable

The Sunday Night Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees could, at its core, be defined as a comparison between two teams at vastly different points in the lifespan of a franchise. The Yankees, struggling with age and injuries- and embodying what can only be called a rebuilding era (by their standards)- showed a lack of skill in just about every area. The Orioles, struggling with only the limitations of human ability (though, at this rate, we might need to find out exactly what species Chris Davis belongs to), have most every player in or near their peak, with the lone exception of Manny Machado, who still isn’t able to legally purchase alcohol. So there’s that.

Baltimore’s sweep of the three-game series pushed the Yankees back into fourth place in the AL East, while the Orioles remain only 2.5 games behind the Red Sox for the division lead. For a team that somehow still starts David Adams, losing five straight and falling behind Tampa Bay in the standings will probably be a lot to overcome. At this point, the only proven productive hitters are Robinson Cano and the still-underrated Brett Gardner, even though the young Zoilo Almonte has been playing well since his call-up. Certain players in the Yankees everyday lineup wouldn’t help any team, but with this squad, Adams (.186/.252/.275), Vernon Wells (.223/.262/.364), and Lyle Overbay, who happens to be the starting first baseman, (.240/.280/.434), are absolute killers. With only one starting pitcher (Hiroki Kuroda) having an ERA+ over the 100 average, this team is basically done for.

On more optimistic notes, the Orioles look like a more complete team than last year, though it should be noted that sweeping the Yankees might not be the most immediate cause to proclaim a team particularly strong. With the starting rotation normalizing out to be a strong four-man rotation (for playoff purposes) of Chris Tillman, Jason Hammel, Miguel Gonzalez, and the no-longer-injured Wei-Yin Chen, the power in the lineup only accentuates the strength of the 2013 Orioles.

Obviously, what Chris Davis is currently doing is pretty incredible (and that really can’t be overstated), and the rest of the team balances in the lineup in a way that maximizes their offensive potential. Adam Jones and JJ Hardy each have 15 home runs as well and the Orioles lead MLB in home runs, but what’s also important is the stat that Manny Machado is currently leading the league in: doubles.

There’s no better way to score than the home run, and being able to hit many of them is very important, but a high home run number can be unsustainable from the first half of a season to a playoff run. The importance and value of the double can be a bit under-appreciated by some, but Baltimore’s high double rate (second in MLB) is another big piece of the reason why they have one of the top offenses in baseball despite holding a team OBP only a few points above league average. Hitting deep fly balls doesn’t necessarily last for a whole season, but hitting a lot of hard line drives typically does.

Despite the amount of deserved acclaim being given to Chris Davis’s home runs and Manny Machado’s defense, if the Baltimore lineup carries them to a playoff run, it may just as well be caused by the overall balance of the hitters and bench. Despite an average OBP, their power numbers are resulting in a high amount of runs, because scoring is coming from all parts of the Orioles lineup. They’re a dark horse, but still deserve mention as a potential pennant-winning team.