Michael Baumann got his first taste of the major leagues and while he didn’t blow anyone away, it’s pretty difficult to have any hard takeaway from that first cup of coffee. He’s perhaps best suited for a bullpen role, where his sneaky fastball can play up even more, along with his changeup that plays well against righties and lefties. Unfortunately, an abductor strain ended his season prematurely, but he’s expected to be a full go, whenever spring training finally starts. Over his final six starts, Akin tossed 31.1 innings with a 4.05 ERA, throwing his only two Quality Starts of the year and limiting opponents to just one run in three of those six appearances. If there’s a positive to extract from last season, it’s the way Akin ended the year after finally moving past the injuries and health issues. When he was on the mound, the strikeouts dipped, the walks remained an issue, and his ERA ballooned. Other internal options for the rotation will include LHP Keegan Akin, RHP Michael Baumann, LHP Alexander Wells, LHP Zac Lowther, RHP Dean Kremer, and RHP Kyle Bradish.Īkin showed promise as a possible back-end option in 2020, but was hit hard in spring training, didn’t make the Opening Day roster, sliced his finger at home and missed a few weeks of the 2021 season with COVID. If that can be cleaned up and he can stay healthy, there’s a viable rotation piece here. 711 against his fastball, which produced minimal swing-and-miss. His slider and changeup (32% combined usage) are highly effective pitches, but opponents slugged. LHP Bruce Zimmermann continues to show promise, but injuries wiped out a big chunk of his 2021 campaign. There won’t be any shortage of young options in 2022, with the hopes that at least one or two take command of a rotation role. One of the biggest disappointments of 2021 was the failure of any young pitcher to take a real step forward. If one or two of these names can provide some early-season stability before being flipped at the deadline, I’d be happy. Fellow BSL Analyst Stephen Loftus went over a few names he likes on short-term deals earlier this offseason. Once the lockout is over and the free agent frenzy before spring training begins, another veteran arm or two could very well be signed to help. Lyles went at least six innings in 18 of his 32 outings last season, allowing three or fewer runs in 12 of those outings. If he can at least pair with Means to work deep into games, Lyles will provide added value by helping out the bullpen. I wrote my thoughts on the signing and one or two interesting notes I found already, but he should be fine, as long as more help is on the way. The only other proven veteran in the mix is recently acquired RHP Jordan Lyles. The only question is whether or not the Orioles decide to hold onto Means and keep him around for when the organization turns the corner, or do they continue to stockpile the farm system by shopping him in 2022? The farm system is in a pretty good place, with the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft, and largest draft pool, upcoming, so unless another team comes in with a huge overpay, Means should be safe. He isn’t an ace, but has proven that he can be an effective major league starter. His high-quality change is still his bread-and-butter pitch and his curveball has continuously improved to be a viable second out-pitch. Means rebounded from a tumultuous 2020 season, posting a 3.62 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 134/26 K/BB mark across 146.2 IP. We know that LHP John Means is going to sit atop the starting rotation, once again. Could a second Top 100 prospect and arm residing just outside of the Top 100 take up the other two spots? More on that later. My fellow On The Verge co-hosts have covered the partially set but intriguing infield situation and the strongest and deepest unit of the roster in the outfield, which I encourage you to check out, if you haven’t.Īs for the pitching staff, more specifically the starting rotation, there are plenty of question marks and very few firm answers, but by the end of the season, one rotation spot should be held by the top pitching prospect in all of baseball. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.If you have been anxiously waiting for the next installment of our Baltimore Orioles depth chart preview series featuring the 2022 starting rotation, buckle up. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated.
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