Seton Hall
The Baltimore Orioles are having a season to forget
Date: August 8, 2019By: Ben Harris
The Baltimore Orioles are the laughing stock of the MLB this season. They have the second-worst record in baseball, currently sitting at 38-76, only ahead of the 33-win Detroit Tigers. Tensions are high, and production is low. Not only did Chris Davis try to fight manager Brandon Hyde Wednesday night during a frustrating loss to the Yankees, but it capped off a three-game sweep at home.
Outfielder D.J. Stewart even took a fly ball to the head, whiffing on a sliding outfield catch attempt. A play very representative of this season. But in addition to their pitiful record, poor team chemistry, and awful play, the O's are recording some of the worst, yet, most intriguing statistics in baseball history. They are literally losing in ways that we have never seen before.
Baltimore's pitching staff has been their biggest struggle by far. They have surrendered a league-high 708 runs to this point. The 2003 Detroit Tigers had the worst record of any team in the 21st century, and they gave up 928 runs in that dismal 49-113 season. This Orioles team is currently on pace to exceed that 928 mark, with a dreaded 48 games left in their season.
If Baltimore lets up just over four runs per game the rest of the season, they will pass Detroit's infamous number with flying colors. With another league-high 5.38 team ERA to this point, it is safe to say the Orioles will get there.
If you thought those run totals were sad, the longball stats are even more upsetting for the DMV's most outcasted franchise. Baltimore has allowed 234 home runs so far this season, which is 34 more than the second-highest Seattle Mariners. The Cincinnati Reds allowed 258 homers in 2016, currently holding the MLB worst-record. If the O's continue their current pace, they will allow 347, a daunting 89 more than the Reds.
Baltimore has unfortunately played their worst against their division rivals, specifically the New York Yankees. As previously mentioned, New York just swept the Orioles in Baltimore. This sweep makes the Bombers an undefeated 10-0 at Camden Yards this season. Additionally, they hit 16 home runs in this most recent sweep, totaling them up to 43 at Camden Yards this season, the single-season record for a visiting team.
In their 15 total games vs New York this season, Baltimore is 2-13, letting up 52 home runs. Oh yeah, and they still have one more four-game series left to play in the Bronx, so the numbers are probably going up once again. In 2019, this series has been utterly dominated by the Yankees.
This article was not written to embarrass the Baltimore Orioles organization in any way, shape or form. It is simply intriguing that a team is breaking records, some of which have stood for a long time.
Sure, they are not ones they would like to be breaking, but to be statistically this awful, and still not have the worst record in baseball in just so interesting to me. Hopefully, Baltimore learns from this season of historical disappointment and rebuilds their club soon.
Ben Harris can be reached at benjamin.harris@student.shu.edu.
