Can new hitting coaches help O's lagging OBP stats?
The Orioles seemingly always rank near the bottom of the American League in on-base percentage. It's an important stat and this year in the American League the average team OBP was .316. The Orioles ranked 12th among the 15 clubs in the AL at .304. Since they won the AL East in 2014, the Orioles have ranked 12th or lower in the league in team OBP five times in eight seasons. Their best mark was when they were eighth in 2020. When it comes to walk rate (the percentage of times a hitter walks...
Orioles

Scherzer finishes third to Burnes, Wheeler in close Cy Young race
Max Scherzer came up short in his quest to win the fourth Cy Young Award of his career, finishing third in a close three-way race for the 2021 National League honor, which went to the Brewers' Corbin Burnes. Burnes, with 12 first-place votes and 151 total points, narrowly beat out the Phillies' Zack Wheeler (12 first-place votes, 141 total points) and Scherzer (six first-place votes, 113 total points) in a down-to-the-wire race between three NL right-handers who each had compelling cases to...
Nationals

"Orioles Classics" #TBT: No turkeys in this feast of Birds baseball
It might have been George Will. Or maybe it was Casey Stengel. I get those two mixed up all the time. Anyhow, whoever it was that first said it, the great truism goes something like this: "There are just two seasons: baseball season and the void." And so it is we find ourselves staring across the vast emptiness between here and the spring. During this pause, we here at MASNsports.com will every Thursday give you a little taste of the coming week's "Orioles Classics" offerings, full game...
Orioles

How would we view another Cy Young for Scherzer?
We're used to paying attention to Cy Young Award announcements around here, because the Nationals have seemed to always have at least one serious contender for the honor each year, most notably the man who won it twice while pitching for Washington. Tonight, Max Scherzer will find himself in a familiar position, watching along with the rest of us as the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner is named around 6:45 p.m. He's seeking to become only the fifth pitcher in history to win the...
Nationals

Will a 100 mph fastball get this pitcher on the 40-man roster?
When it comes to some of the best bullpens in baseball, they seem to be filled with flame-throwing pitchers that can throws fastballs in the high 90s and maybe even touch 100 mph. Of course, velocity is not everything, but it sure has some importance, and teams keep rolling out those throwing some serious heat in the middle to late innings. As the Orioles decide which players to add to their 40-man roster this week, and thus protect those players from being taken in the December Rule 5 draft,...
Orioles
Taking a last look at possible protections in Rule 5 draft
Taking a last look at possible protections in Rule 5 draft
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles' 40-man roster is holding at 32 players and must be set by Friday, before a Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings that remains in limbo, as well as Orlando, with the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias will complete the task of protecting players, which follows the many transactions that cleared room for them. There will be the obvious calls and probably at least one that seems possible but falls a little short of a...
De Jon Watson named new director of player development
De Jon Watson named new director of player development
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The Nationals officially named De Jon Watson as their new director of player development this afternoon, promoting one of general manager Mike Rizzo's many lieutenants to the position that oversees the organization's minor league system. A veteran of 37 years in professional baseball, Watson had been a special assistant to the GM the last five seasons, during which time he was one of Rizzo's top scouts and talent evaluators. Watson now returns to a role he previously held elsewhere: He led...
Nationals name De Jon Watson Director of Player Development
Nationals name De Jon Watson Director of Player Development
Pete Kerzel
Orioles
The Washington Nationals named De Jon Watson their Director of Player Development on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Watson spent the last five seasons (2017-21) as a special assistant to Mike Rizzo. He returns to the player development role where he will oversee Washington's Minor League system. Watson brings extensive player development experience, having led the Los Angeles Dodgers player development system from...
How will Fuller and Borgschulte mesh on Orioles coaching staff?
How will Fuller and Borgschulte mesh on Orioles coaching staff?
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The decision by the Orioles to make two hires for the position of hitting coach, splitting them between someone outside the organization and a young instructor in their minor league system, had been anticipated for weeks. As well as the arrangement, growing in popularity in the industry, to abandon the assistant role and go with co-hitting coaches. I wrote about it here. What I didn't know is exactly how it would work. How would Ryan Fuller, formerly the hitting coach at Double-A Bowie and the...
Tuesday morning Nats Q&A
Tuesday morning Nats Q&A
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
It's been a relatively slow start to the offseason for the Nationals, but that wasn't unexpected. Aside from a few changes to the coaching staff and player development department, we weren't really anticipating a lot of action in October and November. But the offseason is starting to progress, and of course there's the specter of the Dec. 1 expiration of the collective bargaining agreement looming in the not-too-distant future. Everyone in the sport is keenly aware of what may or may not...
More of this, that and the other
More of this, that and the other
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Ryan Mountcastle is inching up the Rookie of the Year voting. Just in time to no longer qualify for the award next season. Mountcastle finished sixth in the American League, receiving two second-place votes and four third place. His 10 points left him one behind Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase. The Rays' Randy Arozarena was first with 124 points, followed by the Astros' Luis Garcia (63), the Rays' Wander Franco (30) and the Rangers' Adolis García (27). The Rays' Shane McClanahan was...
After Bowie's solid year on offense, O's promote from within
After Bowie's solid year on offense, O's promote from within
Steve Melewski
Orioles
As I talked with and interviewed several hitters that were having big seasons on the Orioles farm during the 2021 season, it became clear that those players believed in the organization's hitting program. At times, we saw that program embrace the talent it drafted and acquired and turn their program into results. It was likely encouraging for Birdland to see this and yesterday it led to Double-A Bowie hitting coach Ryan Fuller getting promoted to the major league staff. Fuller joins Matt...
Orioles promote Fuller and hire Borgschulte as hitting coaches
Orioles promote Fuller and hire Borgschulte as hitting coaches
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles made two hires this afternoon to fill out their coaching staff in 2022. Ryan Fuller has been promoted from Double-A and joins Matt Borgschulte, summoned from the Twins organization, to serve as co-hitting coaches. Fuller was the Baysox's hitting coach and full-season hitting coordinator. Borgschulte worked as hitting coach with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. The duo replaces Don Long, who was informed after the season that he wouldn't return. As reported earlier this month,...
For Nats' possible offseason road map, look back to 2009-10
For Nats' possible offseason road map, look back to 2009-10
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The last time the Nationals found themselves in this position - 95-plus losses, a franchise rebuild - Mike Rizzo had just completed his first season as a major league general manager. His 2009 club was a mess, a 103-loss train wreck made up of parts left over from Jim Bowden's tumultuous tenure, with an in-season managerial change (Manny Acta to Jim Riggleman) but a No. 1 overall pick ready to be spent on a once-in-a-generation right-hander from San Diego. In discussing his decision to embark...
This, that and the other
This, that and the other
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The results of the Baseball Writers' Association of America Rookie of the Year voting will be announced tonight beginning at 6 p.m. on MLB Network. The National League winner will go first. Ryan Mountcastle isn't among the three finalists in the American League, but we'll find out where he's slotted behind the group. Mountcastle can't do better than fourth after trailing Tampa Bay's Randy Arozarena and Wander Franco and Houston's Luis Garcia. Critics of Franco, formerly the No. 1...
       
875 876 877 878 879 880 881 882 883 884