Maybe their biggest strength in 2022, the 2023 Baltimore Orioles bullpen has left a bit to be desired.
At the back-end, All-Star closer Félix Bautista has been arguably better than his breakout 2022 campaign, posting 0.92 ERA and an astounding 17.6 K/9 in 45 games played so far this season.
On the other hand, the rest of the O’s bullpen has been hit or miss for most of the year. Yennier Canó had a torrid start to the year, posting video game numbers throughout April and earning a trip to the All-Star Game in Seattle. But as of late, he has really come back down to earth.
Since June 1, Canó has an ERA of 3.10 and a WHIP of 1.52. While these numbers certainly aren’t awful, they serve as a reminder that he is not the elite set-up man many thought he was.
Cionel Pérez, who had a breakout season in 2022, has also regressed in 2023. His walks have gone up while his strikeouts have dropped a tick, ballooning his ERA to 4.68 on the year, though recently he’s started to show some flashes.
Mike Baumann has made the necessary improvements from his 2022 season, bringing his K/9 from 6.0 to 9.6 but has still struggled at times with his command. He’s been big for the Orioles when they’ve needed him, but whether or not he can be a reliable option in a potential postseason series has yet to be determined.
Bryan Baker has struggled in his last few appearances. While statistically he’s been formidable, O’s fans can attest to the fact that he always seems to come up short in big moments. He hasn’t been able to command his arsenal, which has resulted in hanging pitches late in counts that batters can handle.
Danny Coulombe, who was acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations, has actually been very effective for Baltimore. He’s pitched to an impressive 3.12 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He’s still one of the more consistent left-handers for the Orioles, and they will need him in big games for left-on-left matchups.
Shintaro Fujinami, who was an acquisition from the Oakland Athletics, has some insane stuff, but his command at times is very spotty. He had a very rough outing in Tampa Bay this past weekend, almost blowing a huge divisional game, but retired all six batters faced in Philly last night.
Unfortunate injuries to Dillon Tate and Mychal Givens have made life a little tougher for manager Brandon Hyde, and we’ll have to see if guys like Keegan Akin, Nick Vespi or Logan Gillaspie can step up and help bridge the gap to Bautista. As of now, it looks like a couple of bullpen arms acquired within the next week are a necessity if Baltimore wants to contend for the AL East Division Title.
Are you concerned about the Orioles bullpen, or will they turn things around? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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