Happy April Fools day, everyone! I don’t have a trick for you, although some may call any analysis after only five games a “joke.” We’ll call this one an “observation” from Baltimore’s first homestand just to be safe.
The Orioles entered the season with plenty of uncertainty in the bullpen. New closer Ryan Helsley looks the part after only a few games. Rico Garcia still knows how to leave the bases loaded, and Anthony Nunez looks like a rookie that could make an instant impact.
Baltimore misses Andrew
Kittredge, but the veteran reliever will make his first rehab assignment later today. With Kittredge sidelined, new skipper Craig Albernaz has provided former starter Tyler Wells three opportunities out of the bullpen. Wells struggled during all three appearances.
The first came on Opening Day when Wells entered to protect a two-run lead. Trevor Rogers had just tossed seven scoreless innings, and the Orioles jumped ahead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Baltimore could have really used a shutdown inning after taking the lead, and the occasion marked our first chance to see who Albernaz would trust in a high-leverage situation.
Wells retired Kody Clemens before allowing an extra-base hit to Byron Buxton. Luke Keaschall drove in Buxton with a sacrifice fly, but Wells kept the lead intact by striking out Ryan Jeffers to end the inning. The run seemed harmless enough, and the Orioles won the game 2-1.
Wells made his second appearance under similar circumstances. The 6-foot-8 righty entered with the Orioles holding a three-run lead in the eighth inning of the series finale. This time, Wells ran into trouble right away. He issued a leadoff walk to Josh Bell before allowing a base hit to Victor Caratini. Minnesota sent James Outman to pinch hit for Austin Martin, and Wells walked Outman to load the bases.
Wells struck out Royce Lewis for a crucial out number one, but Tristan Gray smacked a changeup to center field for an RBI-single. Wells bounced back again by striking out Clemens, but Albernaz brought in Yennier Cano to face Buxton with two outs. Cano made the most of the high-leverage chance by striking out the All Star center fielder and striking a pose.
Wells technically earned a “hold” in both appearances, but the shaky start led to an appearance in a lower-leverage situation. Wells entered Monday night’s game with the Orioles trailing by two in the ninth inning. Unfortunately, he followed a similar template to his first two outings.
Wells allowed a one-out double to Jake Burger, a base hit to Andrew McCutchen, and an RBI-single by Josh Smith. He minimized the damage with a strikeout and a fly out, but he prompted some modest concern during a third consecutive outing with a run allowed.
Again, it’s crucial to point out the small sample size, but Wells’ situation garners slightly more attention than normal. He broke into the big leagues as a reliever, but the Cal State product started 50 of 55 games over the last four seasons. Wells made four starts last September after missing almost the entire season, but he moved to the bullpen this year after the Orioles signed Chris Bassitt, brought back Zach Eflin, and traded for Shane Baz.
Wells could experience some growing pains as he shifts back into full time relief. The velocity on his four seamer is slightly elevated at 94 MPH and could continue to climb as the season goes on. Wells averaged 95.2 MPH on the heater as a reliever back in 2021, but his fastball sat 92-93 MPH over the last few seasons.
Somewhat surprisingly, Wells gravitated toward his offspeed pitches in his first three appearances. He threw 23 changeups, 18 sliders, 13 cutters and 12 four seam fastballs. Baseball Savant also credits Wells with one curveball on the season. For context, he threw the four seamer 36.5 percent of the time over those four starts last September.
There’s no reason to panic right now, but it will be worth monitoring how the Orioles use Wells over the next few weeks. The righty may have squandered an early opportunity to seize the eighth-inning role, but Albernaz will likely try out several options as Kittredge works his way back to Baltimore.
Wells entered the season as a guy that could potentially throw multiple innings, work in high leverage, or both. With Wells already making an adjustment back into the bullpen, the Orioles may look to minimize the uncertainty in his role early in the year. Baltimore will be a better team if Wells becomes a weapon out of the bullpen, but it may take some time for the reliever to settle into his new position.
