2021 Roster Review: Baltimore Orioles

52-110 (5th in Division; 30th in MLB)

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SP Wins: 24 (30th)

RP Wins: 28 (26th)

Saves: 26 (28th)

1+ Save: 6 (Cole Sulser, César Valdez 8, Tyler Wells 4, Dillon Tate 3, Paul Fry 2, Adam Plutko 1)

100+ Ks: 2 (John Means 134, Jorge López 112)

.260+ AVG (min. 350 PA): 1 (Cedric Mullins .291)

65+ Runs: 4 (Mullins 91, Ryan Mountcastle, Trey Mancini 77, Austin Hays 73)

65+ RBI: 3 (Mountcastle 89, Mancini, Hays 71)

10+ HRs: 8 (Mountcastle 33, Mullins 30, Hays 22, Mancini 21, Anthony Santander 18, DJ Stewart 12, Maikel Franco, Pedro Severino 11)

5+ SBs: 2 (Mullins 30, Jorge Mateo 5)

BEST BUY: Anthony Santander

Santander has been averaging about 30-100 over the last three seasons (33 HR/95 RBI per 162 gms since ’19), but he has struggled to stay on the field with just 93 and 110 games in his last two full seasons (2019 and 2021). He still hit the ball with authority this year despite the injuries that piled up (ankle, hamstring, knee). The skills are there for him, it is a matter of staying healthy and finally reaching that 500+ PA level.

ON THE RISE: Austin Hays

Hays was solid in his first full season, hitting 22 HR with a .769 OPS in 529 PA. He was particularly strong down the stretch with 12 of his homers and a .279/.325/.509 line in the last two months. He will be just 26 years old next year and can definitely build on this season, possibly even approaching a 30-100 level if the Orioles lineup around him improves.

OFF THE RADAR: Ramón Urías

Confession time: I didn’t realize Luis and Ramón were brothers! Although in some fairness to me, Baseball-Reference doesn’t have it on either guy’s profile and that is usually where I get my confirmation on familial connections in baseball. I’ll definitely have more on Luis Urías in the Milwaukee piece, but Ramón caught my eye over the summer with a .288/.371/.420 line and 5 HR in 232 PA. He has a top 100 Max EV (112.7 mph) and could be a sneaky 20 HR/.270 AVG glue guy for deeper formats if he has the SS job from day 1. He also has dual-eligibility at SS and 2B, plus a third eligibility at 3B in leagues that require just 10 games.

HOT TAKE: Trey Mancini hits a career-high 40 HR in 2022.

Mancini’s season was a colossal win no matter how you slice it. Considering that he was returning from colon cancer, just logging 616 PA was an accomplishment on its own and it is certainly hard to get after him for a slower second half. Like many players – none of whom did chemotherapy treatments last year like Mancini – he wore down a bit after the break with a .711 OPS and 5 HR in 254 PA, but I think his strength and stamina will be back next year and fuel a new career best in homers at 40. He hit 35 back in 2019 and was on pace for 33 through 69 games this year so maybe this isn’t a super-hot take, but 40 bombs from a 30-year-old who won’t be too expensive in drafts is definitely a win.

ICYMI: John Means saw his strikeout rate plummet in the second half, dropping from 26% in his first 12 starts to just 20% in his last 14. His home run rate was an issue all year, but also rose across those two samples as well, going from 1.6 to 2.0. I really want to like Means, but we’re at a point where his name value might be exceeding his fantasy value.