We are just about three weeks into the 2016 Major League Baseball season, and teams are starting to establish early leads in their respective divisions. One of the surprises of this season so far has been the Baltimore Orioles’ hot start to open the Spring.
They currently lead the American League (AL) East with a mark of 11-7, which couldn’t have been possible without recent series wins against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox and defending division champion Toronto Blue Jays.
One part of this team that was not a surprise heading into this season was the potential of this Orioles offense, which is currently tied for third in runs scored with the Texas Rangers at 81 through their first 18 games. The team is also tied for first in the AL in Home Runs with the Houston Astros, mashing a total of 27 bombs so far during the young season.
The Orioles’ most noteworthy performer up to this point has been their newly acquired rightfielder, Mark Trumbo. Last year Trumbo was traded from Arizona to Seattle, with Seattle hoping that a return to the AL would boost his offense back to what it was during his days in Anaheim as an Angel.
Trumbo hit a lackluster .263 with an on-base plus slugging percentage of .735 in 2015, with only 13 home runs, 13 doubles,and 41 RBIs in 96 games as a Mariner.
This year, Baltimore has revived Trumbo, and through his first 18 games he has been hitting .366 with an OPS of 1.020 and already has five home runs on the year to go along with 16 RBIs.
Trumbo was named co-AL Player of the Week along with Houston’s Jose Altuve during the week of April 17, a stretch in which he hit .320 with 11 RBIs, five home runs, two home runs in one inning, a new Orioles record, and had an OPS of 1.306.
Trumbo’s hot start has been undeniable, and in a lineup with Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Manny Machado and fellow potential bounceback player DH Pedro Alvarez, their offense has the capability to be one of the best in the league and secure their return to their 2014 glory with another division championship win.
The AL East is very much up for grabs, as the older New York Yankees have a lineup full of frail, aging stars and a rotation full of uncertainties led by injury-prone ace Masahiro Tanaka, not to mention veterans Mark Teixeira and the aging Alex Rodriguez. Staying healthy may prove to be a daunting challenge this year for the Yanks.
The Rays will once again try and win on a budget, but with Chris Archer headlining the rotation, their pitching can be expected to be as potent as it was during the Joe Maddon era.
The Blue Jays have the most formidable lineup in the division, right next to the Orioles, and a full year of Troy Tulowitzki may be what the Jays need to remain the top offense in baseball.
Paired with a full year of young hurler Marcus Stroman, their rotation may be able to make up for the departure of former Cy Young Award-winner David Price to Boston during the off-season and allow them to make a return to the playoffs.
Finally, the Red Sox are certainly always a threat, as they followed their trend of buying big-name free agents after a bad year of losing. New closer Craig Kimbrel and new ace Price can reshape the look of this team. However, Pablo Sandoval remains an enigma at third and may not even be able to hold on to his starting spot despite a bloated contract that is emblematic of his ever-expanding beltline.
As usual, the AL East is packed to the brim and will prove to be a challenge for the O’s, but with the big guys in their lineup and hopefully some stand-out performances from sporadic contributors in the rotation such as Ubaldo Jimenez and Yovani Gallardo, they have the potential to be right on the mark in 2016.
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