Five reasons the Orioles can win the World Series

By: Corey Johns

When the Orioles were swept by Boston two weeks ago it appeared they were playing themselves out of the postseason that they set themselves up for, but the bird rebounded from that disastrous series by sweeping the Diamondbacks and winning series at Toronto and at New York to end the year with a 7-2 record over their final nine games. That clinched the Orioles spot in the postseason and while maybe the team was a little underwhelming after the All-Star Break, the second-season means ever team is starting fresh and can go on their big run to win it all.

Las Vegas has given the Orioles the worst odds to win the World Series at just 20-1, but Las Vegas is a long way away from Charm City and may not quite see all of the reasons why the Orioles could win the whole thing and lift the Commissioners Trophy for the first time since 1983.

They have a ridiculous amount of power

The Orioles have built their franchise around the long ball and this year has been their most dominant year hitting home runs. Their 253 home runs this season are fifth-best in history and 28 more than the next closest team in the Major Leagues this year. And the power doesn’t just come from a small handful of guys who crush the ball. Mark Trumbo led the Majors with 47 home runs, but five other players hit more than 20 balls out of the park and seven total Orioles had double-digit home runs. Teams don’t have to pitch to Trumbo, but then they are left facing Chris Davis (38), Manny Machado (37), Adam Jones (29), Jonathan Schoop (25), Pedro Alvares (22), and Matt Wieters (17). Even though JJ Hardy had a down season with only nine home runs, his power at short stop is undeniable.

The rotation can trim the fat

The starting rotation of the Orioles has been a problem for decades and this year their starters had a miserable 4.72 ERA that nearly cost the Orioles a spot in the postseason, however, a lot of those issues had to do with streaming pitchers and not settling on anybody on the back end. In the playoffs, the Orioles can go with a three- or four-man rotation instead of a five-man rotation that also needs to work in spot starters. So the team will no longer have to send out guys like Wade Miley (6.17 ERA), Mike Wright (5.79 ERA) or Tyler Wilson (5.37 ERA) and can sent out their more reliable guys like Kevin Gausman, Chris Tillman and Dylan Bundy with Ubaldo Jimenez and Yovani Gallardo coming in as needed.

The bullpen is the best

As inflated as the combined starters’ ERA is for the Orioles, their bullpen has the best ERA in the American League and finished barely back behind the Dodgers and National for the best bullpen ERA in all of Major League Baseball. Zach Britton leads the group and if any closer deserves consideration for the Cy Young award, it’s him. Britton went a perfect 47-for-47 in save opportunities this year with just a 0.54 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and a 9.9 K/9. When the game gets to Britton, it’s over, but the Orioles really are only playing six-inning games now with Brad Brach and a returned-to-form, healthy Darren O’Day setting Britton up. Brach has a 10-4 record out of the bullpen with a 2.05 ERA and 9.3 K/9. O’Day has not allowed a run in his last three outings after a stint on the disabled list at the end of August and into September. Mychal Givens has not allowed a run since early September either.

They have the star power

Since their breakthrough in 2012, the Orioles have more been a collection or really, really good players with fridge star Adam Jones leading the way. He did a great job, but teams could focus in on taking him out in the postseason. In 2012 he hit just .077 and in 2014 he batted only .222. Jones still might be a star, but he is no longer the only big star and emotional leader on the Orioles. Now the Orioles also had Manny Machado, who didn’t play particularly well in the 2012 playoffs back when he was only a 19 years old and he missed the trip two years ago, but now at 24-years-old he is no only the team’s best player, but he’s proving to be the best player in the league too. And more than just those too, Chris Davis might be a step behind those two on the star list, but he’s as powerful as they come, and still it was Mark Trumbo is led the team in home runs this season. Teams can no longer just focus on taking one guy out of the game when facing the Orioles, the club has a lot of difference-makers, in the lineup, and in the bullpen with Zach Britton.

They’ve been here before

In 2012 when the Orioles ended a long-stretch of misery with a trip into the playoffs and then won the Wild Card, it was a great moment for the club; but at the same time, just that was the end of an incredible season. Two years ago the Orioles then finally won the American League East, ending a 17-year drought of division titles. Again, the champagne was popping, there was a great celebration and it was a great time to be an Orioles fan, but that was the end of an incredible season. This time, the Orioles aren’t just happy with making the playoffs or winning a division. This team has expectations to win, to hit bombs in the postseason and to get some big wins. They aren’t just happen to be there. They now know what it takes to win in the postseason; they won a wild card game before and an ALDS. They know it’s time to take the next step and win it all.

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