Complete Baltimore Orioles 2015 Spring Training Preview
The Baltimore Orioles are set to put on an encore performance of last year's ALCS run. A majority of their team is intact, and they are banking on many of their players taking the next step forward in their individual progressions.
While the Orioles have been extremely quiet this offseason, they will be looking to finish the 2015 season as a top 10 team in both offense (runs) and pitching (ERA), just as they did in 2014. Despite losing two of their lineup stalwarts in right fielder Nick Markakis and designated hitter/outfielder Nelson Cruz, the Orioles will have more than enough firepower returning to the lineup from the get-go.
Down on the farm, there isn't much depth past the top echelon of prospects, but the boys at the top expect to be game-changers at the major league level.
Spring training officially kicks off when pitchers and catchers report down in Sarasota, Florida on Feb. 19. The rest of the club reports on Feb. 24, and the first full squad workout takes place the following day.
Here is your complete spring training preview for the 2015 Baltimore Orioles.
Offseason Recap
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Key Additions
| Player | 2014 Stats |
| OF Travis Snider | 140 G, .264/.338/.438, 15 2B, 13 HR, 38 RBI, 37 R |
| RP Wesley Wright | 58 G, 0-3, 0 SV, 3.17 ERA, 1.386 WHIP, 37 K, 48.1 IP |
Analysis
As you can see, there wasn't a lot of front office movement this offseason concerning major league personnel additions. In fact, the only two key additions to the 40-man roster consisted of acquisitions who replaced former Orioles who left via free agency.
Lefty Wesley Wright signed a one-year, $1.7 million deal with Baltimore after finishing out a season with the Chicago Cubs. He set a new career-high in ERA with a full season's worth of innings.
Wright may not come close to the athletic ability of departed Oriole Andrew Miller, but having a lefty who gives up so few homers (two in 2014) plays well in Camden Yards.
Although not the most attractive name on the market, Travis Snider was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates that saw promising left-handed pitching prospect Stephen Tarpley sent in return.
Baltimore fans were shaken up when Nick Markakis decided to sign a four-year, $44 million contract with the Atlanta Braves, but the Orioles are getting a bargain with Snider.
Snider, who had a similar slash line to Markakis in 2014, is owed just $2.1 million this coming season. He also finished with a slugging percentage 50 points higher than Markakis and is a threat to hit 20-plus homers for the birds this season.
Key Losses
| Player | 2014 Stats |
| RF Nick Markakis | 155 G, .276/.342/.386, 27 2B, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 81 R |
| DH/LF Nelson Cruz | 159 G, .271/.333/.525, 32 2B, 40 HR, 108 RBI, 87 R |
| RP Andrew Miller | 23 G, 5-5, 1 SV, 2.02 ERA, 0.802 WHIP, 103 K, 62.1 IP |
Analysis
The departure of Markakis and Cruz from the lineup is a big blow, but Baltimore has several options for replacing their combined production.
Snider is the starting point for replacing the loss in offense. He can easily be plugged in as the starting right fielder. He could even be an improvement over Markakis, considering that he is regarded as an above-average defender.
The Orioles can also play both Chris Davis and Steve Pearce at first base or designated hitter, which should help make up for the loss of 30 to 40 homers from Cruz. That is especially true given the fact that Chris Davis is a candidate for a bounce-back season.
The loss of Miller is the most significant of the offseason. The 6'7'' lefty posted nearly a 2.00 ERA to go along with a 15.3 strikeout-per-nine ratio since being traded to the Orioles.
That kind of production can't be replaced, but the fact that the rest of the bullpen has remained intact is a good sign that it will remain one of the Orioles' strengths in 2015.
Injury Updates Entering Camp
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3B Manny Machado
After suffering yet another knee injury—this time to his right knee—toward the end of last season, stud third baseman Manny Machado is right on track to start Opening Day and even expects to be a full go right away in spring training.
Machado updated MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli on where he is right now in his recovery process:
"I've been through pretty much everything, catching my grounders, hitting," said Machado, who has also done some lateral movement. "I've been doing it all. The next step is just playing some games."
If all goes according to plan with no further setbacks, Machado should take the next big step to superstardom.
C Matt Wieters
Matt Wieters, whose season was cut short after undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery in June, should also be ready to take to the field on Opening Day.
According to Ghiroli, Wieters doesn't anticipate catching a lot of early spring games. However, he will be making sure his body is in top shape by spending time in the weight room and conditioning:
"We are still in a phase where a lot could happen in the next few months. It could get a lot better, it could slow down. So we won't know until we go through a throwing program. But I'm preparing every part of my body to be ready for Opening Day, and that's all I can do right now.
"
Wieters will look to build off his start to last season, when he had a batting average of over .300 with five homers in 26 games played.
Coaching Staff Analysis
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Coaching Staff
| Position | Coach | Yrs With Team |
| Manager | Buck Showalter | 5 |
| Hitting Coach | Scott Coolbaugh | 0 |
| Asst. Hitting Coach | Einar Diaz | 2 |
| Pitching Coach | Dave Wallace | 1 |
| First Base Coach | Wayne Kirby | 4 |
| Third Base Coach | Bobby Dickerson | 2 |
| Bench Coach | John Russell | 4 |
| Bullpen Coach | Dom Chiti | 1 |
| Bullpen Catcher | Rudy Arias | 15 |
| Special Assignment Coach | Mike Bordick | 3 |
The Baltimore Orioles return all of their coaching staff aside from newcomer Scott Coolbaugh, who will be the club's hitting coach starting in 2015.
Coolbaugh comes over from the Texas Rangers. It's a club that manager Buck Showalter has some very close ties to and is familiar with.
It's worth pointing out that in Coolbaugh's first season in Texas and since his hire date of June 8, 2011, the Rangers led the majors in average (.294), homers (138) and slugging (.477).
Showalter is entering his sixth season with Baltimore and has achieved a 377-328 record since being hired in the middle of the 2010 season.
He has time and time again worked magic with castoffs from other teams, unlocking their true potential and bringing a ton of value back to a club that has been frugal over the past several years when it comes to signing big names to big contracts.
Last year's pair of pitching coach hires in Dave Wallace and Dom Chiti can't go unnoticed.
The Orioles' pitching staff had one of their best seasons in years thanks to the combined efforts of these two gentlemen. The hope is that they will mold the organization's young pitching studs into front-line aces—something fans of the club haven't had the luxury of witnessing for several years.
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Lineup Preview
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Projected Starting Lineup
| Player | 2014 Stats |
| 1. LF Alejandro De Aza | 142 G, .252/.314/.386, 24 2B, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 56 R |
| 2. 3B Manny Machado | 82 G, .278/.324/.431, 14 2B, 12 HR, 32 RBI, 38 R |
| 3. CF Adam Jones | 159 G, .281/.311/.469, 30 2B, 29 HR, 96 RBI, 88 R |
| 4. DH Chris Davis | 127 G, .196/.300/.404, 16 2B, 26 HR, 72 RBI, 65 R |
| 5. 1B Steve Pearce | 102 G, .293/.373/.556, 26 2B, 21 HR, 49 RBI, 51 R |
| 6. C Matt Wieters | 26 G, .308/.339/.500, 5 2B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 13 R |
| 7. RF Travis Snider | 140 G, .264/.338/.438, 15 2B, 13 HR, 38 RBI, 37 R |
| 8. SS J.J. Hardy | 141 G, .268/.309/.372, 28 2B, 9 HR, 52 RBI, 56 R |
| 9. Jonathan Schoop | 137 G, .209/.244/.354, 18 2B, 16 HR, 45 RBI, 48 R |
Analysis
Top to bottom, this projected lineup shapes up to be among the elites in baseball yet again.
Nearly every player is capable of belting out 20 homers apiece, and there is plenty of youth spread throughout the lineup for potential improvement.
The loss of Markakis and Cruz was expected to diminish Baltimore's offense significantly, but if outfielder Alejandro De Aza can perform adequately (as he has done in the past for the Chicago White Sox), the offense will find its footing fast.
The subtraction of Cruz's home run totals definitely takes its toll, but the return of both Machado and Wieters, along with added homers coming from De Aza, should more than make up for the loss of Cruz.
Also, don't sleep on second baseman Jonathan Schoop. The power-hitting youngster collected 16 homers in 2014. That number will only go up as he becomes more comfortable with major league hitting and his role with the Orioles.
Rotation Preview
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Projected Rotation
| Player | 2014 Stats |
| RHP Chris Tillman | 34 GS, 13-6, 3.34 ERA, 1.230 WHIP, 150 K, 207.1 IP |
| LHP Wei-Yin Chen | 31 GS, 16-6, 3.54 ERA, 1.228 WHIP, 136 K, 185.2 IP |
| RHP Bud Norris | 28 GS, 15-8, 3.65 ERA, 1.216 WHIP, 139 K, 165.1 IP |
| RHP Kevin Gausman | 20 GS, 7-7, 3.57 ERA, 1.315 WHIP, 88 K, 113.1 IP |
| RHP Miguel Gonzalez | 26 GS, 10-9, 3.23 ERA, 1.296 WHIP, 111 K, 159 IP |
Analysis
The Baltimore Orioles' starting rotation took a huge step forward in 2014. They finished up the regular season with the seventh-best combined ERA in MLB after finishing the previous season at 23rd.
One of the biggest factors in the rotation's success this past season was staff ace Chris Tillman. Tillman, who achieved the feat of pitching 200 innings for the second time in two seasons, managed to post a personal best season ERA when starting more than 15 games.
MASNSports.com's Roch Kubatko reports that, according to general manager Dan Duquette, there is "mutual interest" in extending Tillman even though he cannot become a free agent until 2018.
24-year-old Kevin Gausman should follow up on his first successful season in the majors and continue to develop aspects of his game.
In an interview with MASNSports.com's Steve Melewski, Gausman explained what he needs to work on when spring training commences:
"Just being more consistent. I am always working on my slider and trying to refine it. I felt it was really good when I was coming out of the bullpen. And it was that way in 2013 with my slider coming out of the bullpen. I just need to trust it and throw it and let the grip do the work. Other that that, just try to be more consistent. My main focus now is getting strong, be strong and ready for spring training.
"
If the Orioles' rotation stays healthy and intact, look for them to take MLB by surprise yet again.
Bullpen Preview
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Projected Bullpen
| Player | 2014 Stats |
| RHP Ubaldo Jimenez | 25 G, 22 GS, 6-9, 4.81 ERA, 1.516 WHIP, 116 K, 125.1 IP |
| RHP Brad Brach | 46 G, 7-1, 0 SV, 3.18 ERA, 1.171 WHIP, 54 K, 62.1 IP |
| RHP Ryan Webb | 51 G, 3-3, 0 SV, 3.83 ERA, 1.257 WHIP, 37 K, 49.1 IP |
| LHP Wesley Wright | 58 G, 0-3, 0 SV, 3.17 ERA, 1.386 WHIP, 37 K, 48.1 IP |
| LHP Brian Matusz | 63 G, 2-3, 0 SV, 3.48 ERA, 1.316 WHIP, 53 K, 51.2 IP |
| RHP Tommy Hunter | 60 G, 3-2, 11 SV, 2.97 ERA, 1.104 WHIP, 45 K, 60.2 IP |
| RHP Darren O'Day | 68 G, 5-2, 4 SV, 1.70 ERA, 0.888 WHIP, 73 K, 68.2 IP |
| LHP Zach Britton | 71 G, 3-2, 37 SV, 1.65 ERA, 0.904 WHIP, 62 K, 76.1 IP |
Analysis
Baltimore's bullpen continues to be one of its foundations of success. The unit finished sixth in all of baseball in regular season ERA.
Much of the success can be credited to the big three of Andrew Miller, Darren O'Day and Zach Britton, who held down the back of the bullpen. Each posted sub-2.00 ERAs (Miller's ERA was 1.35 with Baltimore).
The bullpen will be returning two-thirds of their sub-2.00 club, as Andrew Miller signed with the New York Yankees earlier this offseason.
After failing to live up to his big-money contract signed prior to the 2014 season, Ubaldo Jimenez found himself relegated to bullpen duty.
There's no telling how the starting rotation will hold up over the course of the next season, so Jimenez will need to focus on refining his delivery and control if he hopes to be effective when the time comes for a starting opportunity.
Prospects to Watch
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SP Dylan Bundy
It's been a long time since the Orioles drafted Dylan Bundy with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft. Fans are getting restless waiting for the next Mike Mussina.
All in all, the righty phenom has only made 32 starts in three professional seasons due to Tommy John surgery and, more recently, a strained right lat muscle that shut him down in mid-August this past season.
There's still a lot to love about Bundy's tool set. The fact that he is still only 22 years old and under team control for a very long time gives hope that he will step in and become a dominant ace for years to come.
The road to being a valuable team asset starts with a successful spring training and no injury setbacks. Club spots are limited, and since the Orioles are content with their starting rotation heading into 2015, they will almost certainly keep Bundy in the minors to develop his confidence. They may just give him a call later on this summer.
SP Hunter Harvey
Hunter Harvey's first full professional season was a large success by all accounts.
The 20-year-old righty made 17 starts for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, collecting seven wins and putting up a 3.18 ERA in the meantime.
Harvey also struck out an astounding 106 batters in 87.2 innings pitched and looks more than ready for the next rung up the minor league ladder.
With a devastating curve and an above-average change, Harvey should turn into a middle-of-the-rotation rock for years to come in Baltimore.
1B Christian Walker
First baseman Christian Walker is the top offensive prospect to keep an eye on this season.
Walker tore up the minor league circuit last season, batting for an average of .288 and reaching base at a .357 percentage across two minor league levels.
He also crushed 27 homers on the season and even got his first major league homer out of the way in late September of last season.
Walker should be a fine asset and on-base weapon for the Orioles offense if they have room for another bench player. He still needs to work on his defense.
Breakout Candidates
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3B Manny Machado
Manny Machado continues to be talked about as a prime candidate for a breakout season not just among Orioles' fans, but also among baseball pundits across the country.
It's easy to see why. His elite defensive ability sets him far ahead of just about any other third baseman not named Adrian Beltre.
The part of Machado's game that needs work is the hitting and, more specifically, the power.
Machado was projected to flourish into a defensive whiz that could belt out 25-plus homers in a season. He hasn't come close to those lofty projections the past two seasons, but after two successful knee surgeries, Machado may finally be able to tap into his power potential.
SP Kevin Gausman
Kevin Gausman is primed for a breakout following a lights-out performance in the postseason. He had eight innings worth of work across three games that resulted in a 1.13 ERA and seven strikeouts.
Gausman comes equipped with a nasty arsenal of pitches as well as a fastball that touches 100; all he needs is the confidence and execution to dominate opposing batters all season long.
Gausman won't turn into an ace-type pitcher over night, but an ERA in the low three's at season's end would point to even greater things to come for the young stud.
Position Battle Predictions
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Right Field: Travis Snider vs. Steve Pearce vs. David Lough vs. Dariel Alvarez
As written previously, right field will be the most hotly contested position for the Baltimore Orioles this spring training.
The Orioles are hoping, first and foremost, that whoever wins the starting job in right will be competent enough to play sound defense, a characteristic that has defined the success of Baltimore's more recent seasons.
Luckily, new addition Travis Snider is considered an above-average defender and can even match former Oriole Nick Markakis's offensive output, but with added power potential.
Steve Pearce doesn't seem like a long-term solution in right field defensively speaking. His true calling will be as the full-time first baseman or full-time designated hitter. He may also split time with Chris Davis at those two positions.
As for David Lough, he will most likely return to his role from last season, entering the game as a late-inning defensive substitution or a pinch-runner (barring injury or inefficiency from the right field starter).
Even though Dariel Alvarez had a breakthrough season in 2014, he will almost certainly open up the season with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides since there will not be many bench spots left on the 25-man roster. He still needs to develop skills both as a hitter and defender in order to be ready for the Baltimore club.
Winner: Travis Snider
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
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