Zach Wilt: A few words of appreciation for Buck Showalter

Zach Wilt: A few words of appreciation for Buck Showalter
I was 9 in 1997, when the Orioles won 98 games and the American League East title. Davey Johnson's club fell in the AL Championship Series to the Indians and then the Birds had losing seasons for the next 14 years. Between that time I graduated high school and college at Towson University, got married to a lovely bride who endured by baseball obsession, and began my career. All the while I kept rooting for the Birds. It wasn't until 2012 that things finally started looking up for my favorite...

Zach Wilt: Will 100-loss season be a turning point for the Orioles?

Zach Wilt: Will 100-loss season be a turning point for the Orioles?
At 44-108, 2018 has officially become the worst season in franchise history for the Orioles. In 65 years of Orioles baseball, 2018 marks just the third 100-loss season. The Birds lost 107 games in 1988, when they began the year 0-21, and 100 games in their inaugural season in 1954. Their .289 winning percentage this season is their lowest in franchise history. With 10 games remaining this season, the Orioles sit 59 games out of first place in the American League East. The last team to finish...

Zach Wilt: Wondering about Buck Showalter's future

Zach Wilt: Wondering about Buck Showalter's future
One of the biggest pieces of the Orioles rebuild didn't come to Baltimore in a trade or free agent signing, but actually in a hiring from ESPN. Buck Showalter hung up his suits and put on a uniform again back on July 29, 2010. Showalter chose No. 26, to honor the late great Johnny Oates, and took over as the O's skipper on Aug. 3. He inherited a club with a 32-73 record, worst in the big leagues. The Birds responded to the hiring by defeating the Angels at Camden Yards 6-3, then winning the...

Zach Wilt: Breaking down Dylan Bundy's longball issues

Zach Wilt: Breaking down Dylan Bundy's longball issues
No pitcher in baseball has surrendered more home runs this season than Dylan Bundy. In 146 innings, Bundy has allowed 35 longballs, seven more than the next closest starting pitcher. That's 2.16 homers per nine innings, making Bundy the only starter in baseball with more than two. It's probably hard to remember way back to April, but I'll try my best to refresh your memory. At the end of baseball's first month, Bundy was sporting a 2.97 ERA and seemed to be on track to being the Orioles'...

Zach Wilt: What Adam Jones has meant to the Orioles

Zach Wilt: What Adam Jones has meant to the Orioles
Every season in Birdland concludes with Fan Appreciation Weekend. The Orioles organization thanks the fans for their support with video tributes, experiences and giveaways. This season is no different. From Sept. 27-30, the O's host the defending World Series champion Astros for a four-game series that includes an alumni autograph series, as well as giveaways for a coaster set, puffy vest and duffle bag. While I am sure people will be lined up along the gates at Eutaw Street for their duffle...

Zach Wilt: Sample size is small, but Cedric Mullins has impressed so far

Zach Wilt: Sample size is small, but Cedric Mullins has impressed so far
The 2018 campaign is a lost season for the Orioles that resulted in the front office disassembling the team at the trade deadline and planning for their long-term future. Fan favorites like Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop and Zach Britton were shipped off the Dodgers, Brewers and Yankees for prospects. Left in Baltimore was the team's leader and current longest-tenured Oriole, Adam Jones, who is in the final year of his contract. The veteran center fielder watched as his team was stripped for...

Zach Wilt: Alex Cobb's improved second half a positive sign for Orioles

Zach Wilt: Alex Cobb's improved second half a positive sign for Orioles
Throughout winter, I was hoping that the Orioles would be the winners of the Alex Cobb sweepstakes. It's no secret that the Birds needed to improve upon their starting rotation. Orioles starters had the highest ERA in 2017 (5.70), pitched the fewest innings of any American League team (846.0) and had the AL's second-highest walks per nine (3.74). I felt that adding Cobb, a proven starter who had faced the challenges of the AL East and was able to have a 3.50 ERA over six seasons with the...

Zach Wilt: Where does Tim Beckham fit in Orioles' future plans?

Zach Wilt: Where does Tim Beckham fit in Orioles' future plans?
Tim Beckham took the Orioles by storm last season. The shortstop was acquired at the 2017 trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays for 18-year-old right hander Tobias Myers, who was pitching in Aberdeen at that time. In his first 20 games in Baltimore, Beckham slashed a ridiculous .424/.443/.741 with eight doubles, five home runs and 12 RBIs. A change of scenery seemed to be exactly what Beckham needed. Quite possibly the best part about acquiring Beckham was that he wasn't just a rental for Dan...

Zach Wilt: Appreciating every moment with Adam Jones

Zach Wilt: Appreciating every moment with Adam Jones
The next era of Orioles baseball has officially begun. In the last couple of weeks, the front office has indicated that a full rebuild is officially underway. Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Kevin Gausman, Darren O'Day, Brad Brach and Jonathan Schoop were all dealt before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31. It was one of the craziest days I can remember in Orioles history. In return, the Birds have stockpiled minor league prospects and international signing bonus slot money to build up the...

Zach Wilt: Next O's playoff team will look markedly different from the last

Zach Wilt: Next O's playoff team will look markedly different from the last
Change is inevitable, but knowing that fact doesn't make dealing with change any easier. Over the last week, Orioles fans have witnessed two cornerstone players get moved to different contenders, while prospects come to Baltimore in hopes of building the franchise's next successful team. Manny Machado and Zach Britton contributed a lot to the success and turnaround of the club and played an integral part of the team's run to the postseason in three of five years from 2012 to 2016. On his way...

Zach Wilt: It's time for All-Star Game to return to Camden Yards

Zach Wilt: It's time for All-Star Game to return to Camden Yards
Yesterday on Twitter, the Orioles shared one of my favorite moments from Camden Yards history. It's hard to believe, but 25 years ago Ken Griffey Jr. hit the Warehouse during the Home Run Derby in Baltimore. It's one of my favorite moments in the ballpark's history and one that hasn't been duplicated all these years later. Griffey's shot traveled 465 feet into right field perfectly smacking the bottom of the Warehouse on the fly. "Wind blown," the young Griffey laughed when talking about...

Zach Wilt: O's last blockbuster set franchise up for next decade

Zach Wilt: O's last blockbuster set franchise up for next decade
On every Orioles road trip this season, I wonder if Manny Machado will return home with the rest of the club. Was Sunday's 8-2 victory over the Angels the last time Machado played in front of the home crowd at Camden Yards as an Oriole or will we see him suit up again on Monday against the Yankees? We'll see what happens over the next three days as the Birds take on the Twins in Minnesota. Like many in Birdland, I've got my eyes glued to Twitter, waiting for that breaking news about an...

Zach Wilt: Could O's offensive downturn have been predicted?

Zach Wilt: Could O's offensive downturn have been predicted?
The Orioles' offensive struggles in 2018 are well documented. We all know that this club has had a tough time scoring runs. That's putting it lightly. The Birds rank 29th in runs this season. Their team batting average also ranks 29th and they are the only offense in baseball with a negative Wins Above Replacement. These rankings seems like a dramatic fall from where the club was just a few seasons ago. The 2014 AL East champion O's offense ranked fifth in baseball in WAR (26.7) and led...

Zach Wilt: All-Star Game nod long overdue for Nick Markakis

Zach Wilt: All-Star Game nod long overdue for Nick Markakis
A familiar face is leading the National League's All-Star voting for outfielders: our old pal, Nick Markakis, who at 34 looks like he will finally get a very well deserved first trip to the mid-summer classic. I can't think of anyone more overdue for the honor. Markakis has spent 13 years in the big leagues playing in more than 1,900 games. As Orioles fans are well aware, nine of those years were spent in Baltimore, where he was drafted in the first round in 2003, played through the minor...

Zach Wilt: Pitching staff has been hurt by O's reliance on longball

Zach Wilt: Pitching staff has been hurt by O's reliance on longball
Through 67 games this season, the Orioles pitching staff has totaled 32 quality starts. They rank seventh in the major leagues in that category. If you had told me back in February that the O's rotation would rank in the top third of the league in quality starts in 2018 after finishing 27th a season ago, I would have predicted a playoff team with a serious chance of winning the American League East. Who saw this coming? Instead, the Orioles have a winning percentage below .300. They are 27 1/2...

Zach Wilt: Taking numbers with a grain of salt

Zach Wilt: Taking numbers with a grain of salt
Playing the "on pace for" game is dangerous for any sports fan. A team that reels off a bunch of wins early could be on pace for one of the best seasons ever. Remember the Dodgers last season? They had a 44-7 stretch that went from June to August and put them on a pace to win more games than any team in history. They finished 2017 12 wins shy of 116. Sure, it was a good season, but it wasn't what we were all expecting. We see this type of stuff all the time when hitters get hot at the plate....

Zach Wilt: It's time for Orioles to call up some prospects

Zach Wilt: It's time for Orioles to call up some prospects
Over a third of the way through the 2018 season, it's clear that the Orioles need some changes. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say. When you're 21 1/2 games out of first place, it isn't a stretch to say that things aren't working. These are the types of situations where the team needs to just do something different than what they've been doing everyday because clearly the routine just isn't working. This is particularly true with the Orioles offense, which scored...

Zach Wilt: Breaking down Jonathan Schoop's struggles at the plate

Zach Wilt: Breaking down Jonathan Schoop's struggles at the plate
Jonathan Schoop took a huge step forward at the plate for the Orioles last season. The second baseman earned his first trip to the All-Star Game and slashed .293/.338/.503 while totaling a team-high 3.8 fWAR (5.2 on Baseball-Reference.com). Schoop was 25, turning 26 in October, and chatter began about him becoming a cornerstone upon which the Orioles could build their next winning franchise around. He played 160 games in 2017 after iron-manning through 162 the previous season. Schoop saw...

Zach Wilt: A few thoughts on Trey Mancini's improved eye at the plate

Zach Wilt: A few thoughts on Trey Mancini's improved eye at the plate
A look through the Orioles stats is a pretty fun trip these days. You get to see Manny Machado's name quite a bit. He's the team's leader in batting average, home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, hits, slugging percentage, WAR and I'm sure a bunch of other categories. It's no surprise, given the success the Orioles shortstop has had at the plate this season. He continues to amaze each and every night and sometimes it's hard to look past Machado to see what the rest of the O's offense is...

Zach Wilt: Defense has let down Orioles this season

Zach Wilt: Defense has let down Orioles this season
It's easy to point to the Orioles' struggles on offense and in the bullpen for their 8-23 record. You don't have the American League's worst winning percentage when your bats and arms are going good. There are many stats to point to and blame for the O's place in the standings. A 25.2 strikeout percentage is one of them, it's the highest in the AL and third in baseball behind the Padres and Phillies. A 4.37 ERA for the bullpen is another, nearly half a run higher than their total a season...