Baltimore Orioles: Camp breaks and north we go

With an 8-3 loss to Tampa this afternoon in Sarasota, the Baltimore Orioles break camp with a record of 10-17. That translates as a .377 win percentage, which translates to between 59-60 wins over 162 games played. That might be where the Orioles end up, and it might not be. Keep in mind that often these spring games are controlled scrimmages, and nothing more. But nevertheless, the Birds closed Grapefruit League play with a 10-17 record.

The Orioles’ starting rotation will be as follows (some of these names we already knew): John Means, Matt Harvey, Bruce Zimmerman, Jorge Lopez, and Dean Kremer. It’s also worth mentioning that we don’t know how the rotation will be used. In the past, Hyde’s shown a willingness to use starters as “openers,” or to pull them quickly if the situation warrants it. So whether or not all of these guys are going to be looking to go seven or eight innings in games is another story.

The Orioles will have an off day tomorrow, and a team workout on Wednesday, after which they’ll fly to Boston for Thursday’s Opening Day game at Fenway Park. That rotation will be tested early with three games at Fenway, and then three in New York against one of the best lineups in baseball. I suspect if they can head for home next week for the home opener with a .500 record, they’ll be satisfied.

Once the final roster is set, stay tuned for my 2021 season preview. depending on the timing it may well be on Thursday. Who knows – time will tell. But one way or the other, the regular season starts Thursday!