Saturday Bird Droppings: The Orioles are cursed no more

Good morning, Birdland!

That felt good. The Orioles, finally, beat the Yankees at Camden Yards. And they did it, in large part, due to the offensive contributions of rookie Ryan Mountcastle.

No matter how you slice it, Mountcastle has been impressive since his promotion two weeks ago. He is hitting .356/.420/.600 with a 177 wRC+, three home runs and seven runs scored. His 20% strikeout rate is right around where it was expected to be, but his 10% walk rate has been much better than anticipated. Whether those few extra weeks at the alternate site were needed or not, the 23-year-old came to the big leagues ready swing the bat.

What might have been most surprising, and downright impressive, is how fast Mountcastle is on the bases. MLB Pipeline gives him a 45-grade for running, which is slightly below average.

But, so far as big leaguer Mountcastle ranks in the 79th percentile in sprint speed and averages 28 ft/sec, which is third on the Orioles behind Andrew Velazquez and Cedric Mullins. On what appeared to be a ground ball to third base on Friday night, Mountcastle hustled down the line to beat out the throw. This guy can boogie a little bit.

It turns out that it’s fun to have talented young players on your favorite baseball team. Huh!

Links

Santander exits G1 of DH with oblique injury - Orioles.com
Oblique injuries are rarely the type of thing that only keeps a player out for a couple of days. With only three weeks remaining in the 2020 season, it is within reason to wonder if we will see Anthony Santander back on the field this year.

Orioles Add Zac Lowther To Player Pool - MLB Trade Rumors
Given how late he has been added, Zac Lowther is unlikely to debut for the Orioles this season. But adding another intriguing young arm to the mix is fun, and it could mean the O’s are looking at promoting him at some point in 2021.

Orioles trainer Richie Bancells remembers when The Streak almost ended. His trust in Cal Ripken Jr. never wavered. - Baltimore Sun
This weekend is about to be inundated with “The Streak” content, deservedly so. Hearing from one of the guys that kept Cal Ripken Jr. in shape for much of that streak is worth your time.

MLBPipeline.com’s Jim Callis on O’s organizational ranking and more - Steve Melewski
Who knows how this rebuild is going to turn out for the Orioles, but Mike Elias sure seems to be making all of the right moves to put the organization in a position to succeed.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday this weekend? Happy birthday!

Right-handed pitcher Calvin Maduro turns 46. He played in three seasons with the Orioles from 2000 through 2002, during which time he had a 5.39 ERA over 173.2 innings and 49 appearances.

Jimmy Haynes celebrates his 48th birthday. The former pitcher started his 10-year MLB career with two season in Baltimore from 1995-96. He appeared in 30 games and compiled a 7.01 ERA.

Happy 85th to Tom Patton, a catcher that played in just one game for the 1957 O’s. He went 0-for-2 at the plate and threw out one or two attempted base-stealers from behind it.

This day in history

1926 - The minor league Orioles beat the big league Yankees 18-9. Babe Ruth goes 0-for-5 and gets into a dugout fight with teammate Mark Koenig.

1995 - Cal Ripken Jr. ties Lou Gehrig by playing in his 2,130th straight contest. The O’s also beat the California Angels 8-0.