Last week I pointed out that the bottom of Baltimore’s lineup suddenly held some newfound credibility. Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo and Blaze Alexander all found their swing in the month of May. In some ways, that was all the Orioles could really ask for from that group. The young bunch provided Baltimore a boost, and the production led to more wins.
Cowser and Mayo provided additional power threats, and Holliday and Alexander eliminated any automatic outs from the bottom of the lineup.
The emergence led to reduced at bats for a struggling Tyler O’Neill and Weston Wilson while injecting confidence into the lineup as a whole. That’s the type of thing that can push a team over the edge. Unfortunately, the Orioles needed more than one gentle shove.
Baltimore still needs more from its starting rotation. It needs several relievers to click at the same time. The team needs more from Gunnar Henderson, and it needs the defense to make a few more winning plays. I’m not sure how many of those things will actually happen this season, which makes me wonder if the Orioles can squeeze even more value out of the players I focused on last week.
Alexander feels like a guy that should probably never see the heart of the order, but the other guys feature some real pop. The Orioles gave Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo a breather on Monday. Craig Albernaz wrote Cowser’s name into the four hole, and Holliday hit sixth. Mayo slotted in seventh against the right-handed starter, and Alexander batted one spot above third catcher Sam Huff.
The thought of Cowser batting cleanup at the end of April may have led to a formal vote of no-confidence from the fan base. Instead, it felt passable for a day when both backstops needed a breather. Cowser entered the game slashing .327/.387/.673 with six home runs over the last 28 days. Nobody is ready to call him the most intimidating bat in the lineup—although is middle name is Dale—but the power is there.
Mayo may have taken the spot if the Mariners started a lefty. The 24-year-old entered the week slashing .300/.352/.680 with five of his eight homers coming against southpaws. Those are middle of the order numbers against lefties with some room to grow against right-handed pitching. Mayo started the week with a .262/.338/.557 line over the last month.
Cowser and Mayo will likely go as far as the longball will take them, but Holliday is a different story. The 22-year-old definitely has power in his bat, but his firepower could be nerfed after undergoing a hamate procedure earlier this year. Instead, Holliday still feels like a guy that could table set for the big guns this season. But if Holliday slides all the way to the top of the order, who is coming down?
Everyone thought the Orioles acquired Taylor Ward to hit dingers, but that hasn’t happened yet. Ward tallied a career-high 36 homers last season for the Angels. He entered this week leading the league in plate appearances at 298, but the free-agent-to-be had only three long balls under his belt this season. So what has Ward been doing for the Orioles?
Let’s all pretend that I inserted the “he gets on base” meme from Moneyball right here.
Ward started this homestand trailing only Nick Kurtz and Mike Trout for the league lead in walks. He ranked in the top 10 in doubles and on-base percentage, and his 118 OPS+ was only one point lower than his 119 total last season. It’s difficult to argue with those numbers, but it’s also fair to wonder if the power will return at some point this season. Ward reminded everyone that he can still go deep on Sunday, and he could slide to the middle of the order on days like Monday if Holliday seizes the leadoff spot.
While we’re wondering, would the Orioles ever consider sliding Henderson down in the order? The star shortstop entered the homestand with an OPS of .695. Henderson ended last week tied with Pete Alonso for the team lead in homers at 13, but he leads the team in strikeouts by a comfortable margin.
The Orioles probably cannot reach their ultimate goal unless Henderson figures it out. The blow to his confidence may outweigh the potential for some short term offense, but the Orioles could bump Henderson down for a game or two if they feel he needs a wake-up call.
Ideally, Baltimore’s best players keep these guys pushed toward the bottom of the lineup. A healthy Rutschman and Basallo, paired with expected results from Henderson and Alonso, should fill any vacancies in the heart of the order. Cowser and Mayo can supplement the lack of power coming from Ward, and Holliday should be able to hit just about anywhere. The Orioles are at their best when any guy one-through-nine can impact the game in a positive way. However, if the team finds itself in need of additional production, there could be a few hitters ready to take the next step.
