Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - Baltimore Orioles | Profile & Projection | 623

Episode Date: March 9, 2023

Use code JOMBOYPRESEASON for 15% off your next purchase at SeatGeek* https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/JOMBOYPRESEASON*max discount $50, expires 3/31/2023The Baltimore Orioles were MLB's surprise team of 2022, but their offseason left much to be desired. How far can Adley Rutschman and the kids take this team in 2023? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oh. Birds? Birds? Birds? Bird team. Oh! Welcome back to team profiles and projections. Your 15th ranked team, Trev.

Smack dab in the middle. I want you to think about that for a second. The Baltimore Orioles? Arr? The Baltimore Orioles? more Orioles coming in higher than they've ever been in a TPP. They are at number 15 after their 83 and 79 season, shocked the baseball world. A lot of youth movement involved in that, and they move their fence.

What's going on, guys? Spring training is in full tilt, and with Seat Geek code Jamboy pre-season, you can get 15% off. any order to anything you want wherever there's a seat just make sure you're using seat geek john boy preseason go get it this year they added Kyle Gibson the hottie of all hoddies he is in the rotation twirling that pill probably on opening day Adam fraser that Adam fraser signing we're talking about Michael kivins in the pen okay reunited cole swervin ervin James McCann trade.

O'Hern, Darwin, and you might see them at different points. Franchie and Mazara. Are your underachieving outfielders? They'll be in the minors. They lost. Jordan Liles, club option decline, Brett Phillips, Hazes Aguilar, Tyler Nevin, couple other MLB bodies.

Rugi Odore unsigned. We've got to get him somewhere. You know, not the loud offseason that some were maybe hoping from the Orioles, but a couple vets in the mix. Trev, the Baltimore Orioles lineup. What does it look like to you? It's looking like a bunch of young studs is what it's looking like. Shout out Gibby, by the way.

I have to just give him an extra one because he's our guy. We know all about Cedric Mullen. He'll be out there, Adley Rushman. What about him? He's a stud. He'll be behind the plate. Gunner Henderson, where are you going to play, my friend? shortstop third base because where you play is going to dictate whether it's

Ramon Ureus or Jorge Mateo. Those guys will all be mixed in on the left side of the infield gunners, one of the better prospects and all of baseball. Anthony Santander. Say it, Jake. Say it. Santander. Thank you. Ryan Mountcastle at first base.

Kyle Stowers or Stowers, baseball reference does not have a saying for that. What's that called? pronunciation key. Austin Hayes. Left field. You mentioned Adam Frazier at second base. Depth pieces, James McCann will be behind the dish some games. Ryan McKenna and my guy, Taryn, Varvra.

We always root for him. So yes, I'm looking at this lineup. There's some young studs. You know, Jake. I'm all about the young studs. Speaking of young studs, Bieber. Tell me about that rotation, dog. Their rotation, one big young stud projected to be part of.

projected to be part of this year's team. But it begins with our guy Ghibi up top. And the other newcomer, Cole Irvin. Kyle Braddish, he found a good rhythm by the end of the year. Dean Kramer, close to many people's hearts around here. And Grayson Rodriguez is the top pitching prospect in baseball. That's the projected five to start the year. But Tyler Wells, D.L. Hall, Bruce Zimmerman, Spencer Watkins.

John Means is coming back at some point this year. They are probably all getting. some starts this year. And a couple guys in that bullpen who are difference makers. Felix Bautista, man. If you haven't seen that guy pitch yet, he looks from another planet where the ball comes out of. Dylan Tate, a couple other bodies.

Trevor, I normally kick to you because I like you. But I'm going to start because we've seen a lot of these baby birds. We got to, you know, a lot of Yankee games And as they became one of the stories of the season Got to see a lot of Orioles action And man, I had to eat crow last year I was tough on them I did not think they would win 60 games

I started yanking the Orioles social media chain And it was quickly egg in my face Because they started to go They started to be fun I'm really interested. I think it's more of a thing in football when a team is on the rise and they sneak up on you a little bit.

I think the Orioles got to be under the radar and sneak up on teams a little bit last year. I don't think they'll have that this year. I don't know if it'll matter, because there's still a lot of talent, man. Mullen's Santander, what he did last year was a massive season. Ureyes with a gold glove

and some pop. Austin Hayes and Mountcastle can both slap it around. And then Adley Rushman and Gunner Henderson, you're talking super prospects. So the talent really has started to fill in in Baltimore. The biggest question for me is that starting rotation and just the effect of people are now on the birds and that changes the whole level of expectation. This is why I really like this team.

it takes some time when you're a young guy you got to get some of bats under your belt they gave these guys who they're going to rely on for the next five years they gave them some of bats last year and I'm talking about I mean Adley comes up Gunner comes up Kyle Stowers comes up

I'm calling Stowers they all debut last year and then this year we're going to get Grayson Rodriguez there's another guy Jordan Westberg who's like an infield another infield dude that's going to come up when you give these guys a little bit of taste they understand what it takes to compete at the big league level day in a day out when you have some success like adly had and some of these guys had it boosts that confidence you go into the

off season you work hard you understand what you need to work on and set yourself up some goals for this season understanding what big league life is like and now you come out and yeah sure is there going to be a book on you because you got some big league events yes but some of these guys are have the pedigree and have shown enough that I believe they'll be able to make those adjustments and that's what you want in your prospects to be able to make adjustments they're going to have to to I think this group can and this is going to be one of the more exciting teams to watch and you know what I feel like we're going to have some ups and downs and that's going to be okay and if you're a bird's fan here you got to understand that we're going to go on some winning streaks we're to be

riding the highs then we're going to go on some low streaks we're going to go on some losing streak. And you got to ride that out. Last year, they did a really good job in one-run games. They were 23 and 24, so right there at the median. Played decent against teams over 500, 42, and 47. I'd take that. And then they were 41 and 32 on those teams below 500. Continue to do that. I think that's a recipe right there. If you can put those numbers up again, bring some of these young guys up, possibly make a mid-season acquisition for, I don't know, a bigger bat somewhere. We're looking at a potential playoff team again here in 2023. Well, and that's the really interesting part of this,

part of this that's had my mind spinning a little bit. They won 83 games last year. Did they get better? I think so. And depending how much the youth develops, you'd have to think so. So it's like, where does that get you? Is that a couple more wins?

Is that a few more wins? The division has to be mentioned immediately. The New York Yankees are the New York Yankees. They won 99 games, Rodon, a couple other things. The Blue Jays. You know, we know all about their movie. The Rays.

We haven't gotten to them on the list yet. You know, the Rays are going to be around it. And we flirted with the Red Sox a little bit. You know, there's a formula there. I'm scared about the Orioles effect, but Trev, something that you hit on there that's now changed my opinion is maybe they are a barometer team this year.

You know, we talk about it. I think it was the Angels for a little bit. Now that they're on the radar, I think we might see them because they have talent now, that when they play a lesser team, they might go to work and the birds might dominate. If they play considered better teams, which, hey, let's be honest,

there's 14 teams on this list that the fans voted as better teams. And there could also be Orioles hype is real right now that even some of the teams we just talked about, you know, if they came, if they had a Texas set tomorrow

and Texas was throwing de Grom, Martin Perez, and Avaldi versus Gibby, Braddish, and Cole Irvin, I don't know. On paper, I think we'd lean Texas.

So that's where I'm very interested to see because now I'm doing my jakey circles a little bit. They won 83 games. They should be better. But they're also going to have a little bit of a target now that I don't know how that plays over the course of 162. I'm interested to see, you know, with this young lineup, like will they perform better against, like, power, pitchers,

guys with plus stuff? or and then like kind of not do it against crafty veterans like can they be exploited in that way or are these guys just good enough or they don't care because what i think about when i think about young guys coming up they just have seen power stuff their entire career so it doesn't phase them anymore and sometimes those crafty veterans when they're just kind of you know doing what pitches are supposed to do present the ball to strike and letting it work out of the zone uh if they do that are we're going to see some chase and some bat-a-batts and snowball and stuff like that. I think second year is going to be interesting for them because like I said, there is a bookout.

I believe these guys can make adjustments, but we got to see it. Like Adley Rushman came out like gangbusters last year. I think he can absolutely make adjustments and do it. But I wouldn't be surprised if he had a couple cold months or a cold month here in 2023. It's just how the game works. It's interesting you brought up. The Rangers and this team, have been kind of a barometer team for us. If we set them up three games set right now, who would we take?

That's a very interesting thought process right there. A lot of interesting thoughts in here, Trev. That's what I do. Huh. Because I'm like on these Orioles. And as much as we were like off the Orioles last year, where we were just feeling bad for Brandon Hyde, he turns them around,

he puts together this magical season, even though it was 83 games, we'll call into the magical season. Because compared to what they have been, over the last couple of years it seemed like magic. Huh. I think I'm still buying on this team.

I think they have the type of farm system that they can draw upon this year to get some guys up that are going to perform at an above average clip and I think they'll be able to sustain enough where they're going to be in competition. You keep adding young guys, that's a recipe.

Rotation scares me, bro. I'm sorry. I'm with you, Trenu. because that bullpen between Batista you know he's he's fighting Deval for like my favorite reliever

to watch I mean his where his pitches end up from that big body are insane um Seano Perez not sure if I'm saying that right but he's a fun lefty Tate Gibbons like they found some guys in the bullpen that was one of their weaknesses for a while that rotation now that you know

you know, when the birds come into town for a weekend set, you know you can't, you know, kind of chill out. Let's swing the sticks. Let's pad the stats a little bit. That's who they were for a couple years. We're going to Camden. It's a hitter's park. Now it's not.

I think the whole vibe there has changed. And yeah, that starting rotation. I hope our guy Gibby's good and he might be the wily vet that makes everyone hit fly balls to left field. and guess what? Those are out at Camden's now. They used to be three-run homers. They are fly ball outs.

So maybe him and Irvin, they pitched that ballpark and it works and the young guys take a step up and the rotation, if the rotation is not a problem, if they can be a middle-of-the-pack rotation, this Orioles team will take a step up. I don't have confidence in that. Interesting. I have a take here, though.

know how that's going to go over. I took my glasses off and turned my hat around because I'm serious now. I like that. Adley Rushman had a really good year last year. I think he's going to be a cornerstone for them. That's not a hot take. What I think needs to happen though for these other young guys to come up and have success, I think Adley needs to go out and do it again this year at the level he did it last year. Because if Adley regresses a little bit this year, I feel like the vibe of rounds that would be to tell these other guys that are coming out, look, this this game is fucking hard, man, and you're going to go through struggles, which is the right lesson.

But sometimes you got to be dumb in this game. And if Adley goes out and just goes off again to start the year, those other prospects are going to be like, hey, bro, I play with Adley. Like, he's good, but I'm good too. I'm going to come up and do the same shit he's doing. So it's that, like, that confidence level. And that's what you need in a guy. look,

Cedric's going to do it. He's a tried and true, proven MLB player. But I think most of these guys came up with like Adley right around them. And if they see him continuing to have success, I think it's going to make them more confident as they come up.

And they're going to say, we don't care that this is the big leagues. It's the same game. Here's our boy doing it. We can do it too. By the way. Is that fair to put the pressure on him like that? A little bit.

He was so good last year. And he, he's Trev, if he gets better and he plays 130 games, you're looking at an eight war guy. Like, you're talking about an MVP candidate.

So it's tough to wrap our heads around that when you haven't see a guy do that. The other part of this equation, Gunner Henderson, he's the number one prospect, man. Yeah. And he had a cup of coffee, and he hit and ran and played a little bit.

So, like, he wears some of that burden too. And we mentioned our starting rotation nerves if Grayson Rodriguez comes up, the number one pitching prospect, and he's a guy, that changes a lot of the formula. So there's a lot of unknowns with the Orioles.

They're coming off a big overachieving season, which has to make you just a little bit nervous. But yeah, I mean, Gunner Henderson and Adley Rushman are supposed to be a guy. like we're adly rushman was so good as a young catcher last year and that's that almost scares us more right like you almost to be better than that is really hard and he probably can do that but you almost don't want to put that on a guy because if he does what he did last year that's still incredible this is what i'm thinking now too Okay.

I think this defense is going to be fucking legit, huh? Like, watch Jorge Mateo play, and you're automatically a fan of his. Like, the guy can do it. He won the Fielding Bible Award at shortstop last year. So the nerds, they love this guy. Foolish Bailey probably fucking love, probably has a poster of him on his wall.

Because that's what foolish is. Nerd. Ramon Urias, where are you even going to play? You won a gold glove last year. Is it possible that we see Gunner at third, Mateo at short, Ramon Ureus at second, and then Frazier kind of mixed in a mansion?

They gave me a million bucks this year. What do you think about that? I think yes, and it's the beauty of sports because it could be a beautiful clockwork. You know, we play this line up versus lefties, we play this line up versus righties, or, hey, someone's hurt for three weeks, so playing time's not an issue,

or, you know, what if Adam Frazier, guy who made an all-star team, gets off to a hot start? And Eureas is picking it, and he looks good. And now I love Mateo, man. That dude's speed is special, and he learned how to pick it. Like, that guy can rack up war with the best of them

just from speed and defense, never mind if the offense ticks up at all, that I don't know, you know, if you're an Orioles fan and we start talking like, Gunner Henderson hasn't, you know, he sat a whole series. You know, then you start to get into those tough baseball questions. I'm just saying.

Why are you going dark on us all this sudden? I'm just saying. We're positive here. It's a beautiful thing when it works and you have options. It becomes a scary thing when, you know, if you're losing series and some guys aren't getting playing time. It's just how it works on every sports team ever. So I'm just laying out the equation for the people and they can make their decision.

decisions, Trev. Did we ever find out of DeGrom was French? Do we ever? My brief research said probably of German descent. That makes sense. French Polynesian.

I mean, I don't have his baseball reference in front of me. I don't think I've looked before, but I wanted to play a name game again. I feel like this is going to be a great part of this TPP. Gunner Henderson. I'm going to guess he's born in the South.

Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you have to. But it's an, It's a gunner like G-U-N-N-A-R. Like, don't you think they should have done like a gunner? Well, his middle names Randall with 1L like Gritchick.

Oh. Born in Montgomery, Alabama in 2001. Oh, my gosh. Yep. He looks like it too. You want to. Josh Willingham. You know him.

He's from Alabama. Okay. Big fan Alabama people. Brian Dozier. What's the... Mississippi. What's the over under on the Baltimore? This is low.

This is low. Really? 76 and a half. Really? Yes. Is that under the Red Sox? Red Sox are 77 and a half. One game lower.

Hmm. Is Vegas factoring in the youth here? And you guys were both over on the Red Sox. Your nightmare scenario with Gunner Henderson riding the pine. Hey, that wasn't, you know, Ureus is on the bench too. Trev, as BPD just mentioned, we were over on the Red Sox at 77 in it. Did I go over on the Red Sox? That's one of the few that we've been 100% aligned on.

All over on Minnesota, all over on the Red Sox. Our favorite team. All under on the Tigers, under on the Reds. I think those are the only universals. Trev, the Yankees. Over on the Marlins. The Yankees are going to be good. The Toronto Blue Jays are going to be good.

Tampa Reyes are going to be pretty good. And the Red Sox are going to be something. The Orioles won 83 games last year. In theory, they got better. Why do I want to take the under? Is that your answer? I posed a question. Because you're a betting man, that's why.

I'm a gambling man. You got crushed on this last year because you were like, I'm hammering the yunder on a 60 and a 60 and a half over under and they 1.83 right in front of your face and now you're like, hey man, the chalk's going to be running to take the over on these guys and you want to go the other way. Yeah.

I look at this lineup and this organization and I see them another year away from being like, okay, like in the Mariners' breath. I think. That's if Adley continues to play at the level that Adley is there

and some of these guys come up and are guys, guy guys. So I don't know if the playoffs are a possibility this year. I mean, they are a possibility, but I wouldn't have them in my top six in the American League right now. but that number, 76 and a half,

seems light to me, so I'm taking the over. I don't see this team as anything, but I see right on 80 wins as kind of like a soft floor for me. I think this team's a 500 clubber better. It's just how good can you be in that division, and yet they're playing less games in the division, right? Like they're, you know, they've just,

They trimmed off before coming into this season. They trimmed off five Yankee games, five Blue Jay game, five Rays games. Five Red Sox games. Man, that's an interesting line. Dulan, Jimmy's pick to influence you. Yeah, put Jimmy's picking here. Jake is, what are you doing, bro? Jimmy is taking the over.

Now you really want to take the other. Go ahead and do it, bro. East Coast bias, man. they got a formula they're turning the page that number's too low the number's wrong it's the over that number's not right

young kids we love the young kids that number's not right that number means Adley Gunner Grayson they're all not good and they're good

It's the show, though, bro. Don't have to tell me. Was Brandon Hyde the next manager of the Yankees? Is that what everyone's saying? Rumors. Tweet about it.