Baltimore Orioles: Machado Call-Up Signals All-in Mentality

They clearly are not just happy to be in it in August. They aren’t just happy being invited to the party; they want to be the star of the party. The management of the Baltimore Orioles has said from the very beginning they are in the divisional and wild card races to win it. And after a 9-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners gave them their 60^th victory on the season, they showed just how serious they are, purchasing the contract of Manny Machado. Machado the team’s top draft pick in 2010 is expected to make his major league debut tonight.

It’s amazing, to be quite honest, that the Orioles are still in the race. Their run differential is -47. -47! Every other team in the A.L. East has a positive run differential. In fact, the Boston Red Sox have +32 run differential, the second highest in the division behind the division-leading Yankees. The Orioles are 23^rd in all of baseball with a .245 average. They hit .238 with RISP, the sixth worst in all of baseball. They have a team ERA of 4.06. The starting pitching has been in flux all season, with ten pitchers making starts over the course of the season.

So, how are they doing it? Well, the bullpen is one of the main reasons. The Orioles' bullpen, after being awful last year, has posted an ERA of 3.06, second best in all of baseball.  The back end of the bullpen which features Pedro Strop and Jim Johnson has been excellent all season. Johnson has 33 saves in 36 chances this season, while Strop has posted a 1.27 ERA and a .187 batting average against.

Offensively, the Orioles have lived and died with the long ball. They have belted 137 home runs, fourth most in the big leagues. They don’t walk much, they strikeout a ton, they don’t steal many bases, but boy, do they hit the long ball.

The most important stat that points to why this team is still in the race is this: The Orioles are 22-6 in one run games; the best mark of any the teams competing for playoff spots in the A.L.

 Most of the season, we’ve asked when will this team collapse? That’s a fair question with all the numbers going against them. Historically teams with that poor of a run differential don’t finish with winning records, let alone make the playoffs. And maybe this team won’t make the playoffs, but the point is they’re exhausting all resources possible to make it. Is Machado a rushed prospect? Possibly, is he ready? Maybe not. His bat has heated up since the All-Star break and he crushed another homerun last night. Machado isn’t with the big club to be the savior of the team. He’s coming into a situation where he can be a cog in the wheel of a potential playoff team.

A potential playoff team? Who would have thought we’d be saying that back in March?