Spring training ended, and the season never started. If Major League Baseball ever gets underway in 2020, here’s a look at what the Orioles have to offer.
The Baltimore Orioles enter their second full season under GM Mike Elias. Going into 2020, the O’s are looking towards the future after a 52-108 season, Baltimore’s second consecutive 100 loss season. Led by outfielder and first baseman Trey Mancini, 27, the Orioles are one of baseball’s youngest teams. The club features only five players over the age of 29.
(Update: Baltimore Orioles slugger Trey Mancini announces he has stage 3 colon cancer.)
The pitching unit returns three regular starters from 2019: John Means, Asher Wojciechowski, and Alex Cobb. Means, 26, is looking to improve on his 2019 All-Star season. The left-handed pitcher ranked in the top 30 in ERA and top 40 in wins with 12. Prospects like Keegan Akin and Dean Kreamer are expected to make their debuts this season, as well.
Possibly the least consistent position for the Orioles in 2019 was their relief pitchers out of the bullpen. The team could not find its every day closer, the pitcher who finishes the game when winning by three or fewer runs, with Mychal Givens blowing eight save opportunities.
Despite the dreadful season, the orange and black did find a few bright spots. Pitcher Hunter Harvey, 25, was called up from the minors in September and pitched in seven games, becoming a lock-down force for the O’s. The hard thrower pitched to a 1.42 ERA and only gave up three hits and one run in his short time spent with the club. The Orioles will look for him to be even better in 2020.
Miguel Castro has been with the club for a couple of years now as a relief pitcher. He stands at a towering 6’7 and has flirted with the thought of being a starting pitcher. He has the ability to throw more than three innings, but can he start for five plus innings? Only time will tell.
Baltimore also brought in veteran shortstop Jose Inglesias in the off-season. Inglesias, 30, is a career .273 hitter with a solid glove in the field. He previously played for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds.
Austin Hays, 24, has the chance to be one of the few bright spots on this team. With a batting average of .304 in September of 2019, Hays finally has his chance to secure a spot in the big leagues. Hays was brought up in September of 2017, but injuries have thus far derailed his career.
The team does have a few players who will begin 2020 in the minors, but may be called up to the big leagues this summer. Catcher Adley Rutschman, who was taken with the first overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft, is projected to be up with the O’s in 2021 but play throughout the minors in 2020, moving from Frederick, Single-A, to Bowie Double-A, and maybe even Triple-A Norfolk.
Ryan Mountcastle is a young prospect for the Orioles at the age of 22. He is expected to make his debut sometime during the season but does not have a set position. He may start off as a third baseman, then move to first base or even to left field. Mountcastle is able to go with the pitch, slap base hits into the outfield, but also has the ability to smash baseballs over the fences. His ability will help the Orioles in the upcoming years.
The Orioles may not be in the position for a postseason birth 2020, but a number of youngsters are presenting Baltimore with options for the future.
MOOSE PRINTS 
Go O’s
LikeLiked by 1 person