Midday Mailbag

Have the Orioles developed enough starting pitchers? | MAILBAG

 

Question: For the most part, the Orioles have come up on the short end of the stick as far as trades. We let two of our most prized potential future starters, Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers, go to Miami for basically nothing in return, so far.  Most of the pitchers  that we have acquired have been average to mediocre, with the exception of Corbin Burnes and Zach Eflin. The Orioles need to do a better job developing their own pitching. Why is that? Is it scouting or coaching? From: Ricky Templeton

Answer: Ricky, while the Orioles don’t broadcast it, it’s obvious that they shy away from using high draft picks on pitching. They have had great success in drafting position players, but they haven’t drafted pitchers with high picks. Jackson Baumeister, who was drafted with the 63rd overall pick in 2023, was sent to Tampa Bay as part of the Eflin deal.

They have made some other good trades. Kyle Bradish was acquired in a trade, and Cade Povich was acquired in the deal that sent Jorge López to Minnesota two years ago. Chayce McDermott was acquired in the Trey Mancini trade, too.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

Question:  Are there any stats as to how many home runs the Orioles lost  to the left-field wall this year compared to the visitors? I know Ramón Urías definitely lost one in the playoff game that would’ve really helped. From: Doug Smith

Answer: Doug, according to Baseball Savant, Oriole hitters lost 21 home runs to the left-field wall while Oriole pitchers were saved 29 in 2024.

Both Urías and Jordan Westburg lost home runs to the wall this year. In the three years since the left-field wall has been changed, 72 Oriole hitters have lost home runs as opposed to Oriole pitchers saving 65.

Ryan Mountcastle has lost 11 home runs while Cole Irvin had 10 home runs saved.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.

Share
Published by
Rich Dubroff

Recent Posts

  • Rich Dubroff

Bautista’s return should elevate Orioles’ bullpen in 2025

The Orioles lost three starting pitchers to season-ending elbow surgeries in June. One of their…

November 8, 2024
  • Midday Mailbag

Will Orioles re-sign John Means? | MAILBAG

Question: Is there any chance John Means will remain an Oriole? From: John Dill Answer:…

November 7, 2024
  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles’ Elias says multi-year contracts to free agents ‘definitely on the menu’

I enjoy looking at team power ratings, whether it’s during the season or in the…

November 7, 2024
  • Peter Schmuck

Peter Schmuck: The mysterious disappearance of Danny Coulumbe

Pardon the overly dramatic headline, but it really is hard to believe that the Orioles…

November 6, 2024
  • The Bird Tapes

The Last Game at Memorial Stadium

BaltimoreBaseball.com is delighted to be partnering with John Eisenberg, the author and longtime Baltimore sports…

November 6, 2024
  • Midday Mailbag

Why did Orioles not re-sign Coulombe? | MAILBAG

Question: I was surprised to see the Orioles are letting Danny Coulombe go.  Were there…

November 5, 2024