masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgTeams don’t set their season-opening starting rotations going only by spring training stats. But if they did it that way in Sarasota, here is how it might look for the Orioles.
Left-hander John Means, as we have known since last season ended, will get the opening day start at Boston. Manager Brandon Hyde will probably make that official today. Then Means will have two spring starts to build up to six or seven innings and be a full-go at Fenway Park.
Means’ ERA was 12.29 after his second…

Teams don’t set their season-opening starting rotations going only by spring training stats. But if they did it that way in Sarasota, here is how it might look for the Orioles.

Left-hander John Means, as we have known since last season ended, will get the opening day start at Boston. Manager Brandon Hyde will probably make that official today. Then Means will have two spring starts to build up to six or seven innings and be a full-go at Fenway Park.

Means’ ERA was 12.29 after his second spring start, but was anyone worried about that? There was no reason to be since he was healthy. In his last two spring games, Means has gone eight innings combined, allowing four hits and two runs with one walk and eight strikeouts. He’s ready to take the ball in Boston.

Based on spring numbers, the next four could be Dean Kremer, Keegan Akin, Bruce Zimmermann and Jorge López.

Will that be how the Orioles start the year? Who knows, really? That doesn’t include any of the three minor league vets they signed in Félix Hernández, Matt Harvey and Wade LeBlanc. It seems there is a decent chance at least one of those three finds his way into the rotation, and Harvey’s last outing was promising, as he touched 96 mph on the gun. LeBlanc has allowed two runs in five innings in two starts, but Hernández, with an elbow injury, may not be ready for the start of the year. We are still awaiting a timetable for him.

The Orioles could use the five I listed and then add one of the vets as part of a season-opening six-man rotation. That remains an option. Also we could see any of the above pitching in a long relief role. The O’s no doubt need to break north with at least one long man and maybe several of them.

Lopez-Delivers-Orange-Sidebar.jpgLópez has pitched to a 2.45 ERA over 11 innings and Zimmermann has been the pitching star of camp. The lefty has shown improved velocity and gotten great results: nine innings, one hit, no runs, three walks and 10 strikeouts. Kremer has allowed one run his last six innings and Akin has allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings in camp. He pitched three solid innings in relief in his last game.

In the last few games, the rotation has taken a turn for the better. The starters’ ERA is 3.32 in the past six games. And that counts only those that actually started the game. This stretch also includes seven combined innings for Zimmermann and Akin with one run allowed. Add those two outings to the others and ERA drops to 2.77.

But we know that overall, the O’s rotation remains a serious question mark. Both in who will be in it come opening day and how they will do when the bell rings. But at least in recent games, we’ve seen solid outings from several pitchers, providing some hope for the start of the 2021 season. A season that is rapidly approaching.

They’re No. 5, just like Brooks: MLBPipeline.com has ranked the Orioles as the No. 5 farm system in baseball. That’s a pretty solid ranking. The Orioles have five players in their top 100. They are catcher Adley Rutschman (No. 2), right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (No. 27), outfielder Heston Kjerstad (No. 69), lefty DL Hall (No. 70) and outfielder Ryan Mountcastle (No. 77).

The outlet also unveiled a new Orioles top 30 prospect list. It includes two recent international amateur signings, with Venezuelan-born shortstop Maikol Hernandez at No. 22 and catcher Samuel Basallo from the Dominican Republic at No. 28.

When the Orioles announced a new class of international amateur signings in January, those two players became the first international amateurs to sign seven figure bonuses in club history. Basallo was signed for $1.3 million and Hernandez for $1.2 million.