The Orioles win games when they hit the ball out of the ballpark. Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías all bring more power potential than the players they replaced.
The Orioles gained another significant addition yesterday with the return of Ryan Mountcastle. The 27-year-old marked the third offensive contributor to rejoin the club this month. Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías all bring something different to the lineup, and Baltimore should see a significant boost at the plate.
The trio essentially replaced Coby Mayo, Liván Soto and Eloy Jiménez. That’s an upgrade on paper, but these guys bring more than numbers to the table. With the Orioles desperately in need of a shot in the arm, the reinforcements have arrived. Will it be enough?
The Orioles rank second in the majors with 228 home runs. Baltimore wins games when they hit the long ball, and all three of these guys can help make that happen.
There’s no doubt that Mayo holds a plus power tool, but he failed to leave the yard in 41 at bats. The rookie consistently appeared overmatched at the plate, and he’ll likely have to wait until 2025 for his first big league home run.
Jiménez managed only one homer in 100 plate appearances for the Orioles. The O’s attempted to tinker with his launch angle, but the big guy still hit the ball on the ground quite a bit. Jiménez found a way to contribute in August, but he slashed a miniscule 042/.148/.042 over his final 10 games with Baltimore.
The folks in the warehouse clearly have a thing for Soto. The Orioles claimed Soto twice before acquiring him at the deadline. Unfortunately, his defensive versatility does not come with power. Soto has one career homer in 35 MLB games.
On the other hand, Mountcastle immediately boosts the lineup’s power potential. He eclipsed 30 homers back in 2021 and has battled the left-field wall over the last few years. His return also allows Ryan O’Hearn to return to his primary role against right-handed pitching.
Mountcastle and O’Hearn still hold the potential to form one of the best platoons in the game. O’Hearn has struggled over the last two months, but he slashed an impressive 274/.335/.456 in the first half. The duo finished 3-for-4 in Mountcastle’s return last night, and the pair have combined for 26 homers this season.
Baltimore clinched a playoff spot with a 5-3 victory over the Yankees. After the win, both Brandon Hyde and Mike Elias mentioned how losing the trio impacted the team.
“We were missing a lot of our right-handed players,” Mike Elias said. Elias pointed to the loss of Jorge Mateo before mentioning the trio. “That’s not something you plan for.”
Elias credited all three players for having their timing back right away. Westburg finished 1-for-3 with a walk, and Urías launched an opposite-field homer last night.
Urías emerged as one of Baltimore’s better hitters before missing three weeks with a sprained ankle. He’s slashed .279/.356/.490 since the All-Star break and continues to pass the eye test. The guy just looks comfortable at the plate on a routine basis.
With Mountcastle hopefully helping O’Hearn, Urías and Westburg should reduce the burden on Jackson Holliday. The 20-year-old is still navigating his first season in the majors. Injuries forced the left-handed hitter to play second on a daily basis, but Hyde can now be a little more tactical with how he utilizes the rookie.
The Orioles do not need Mountcastle, Urías or Westburg to carry the team offensively. Anthony Santander launched his 44th homer last night, and Gunnar Henderson still has an outside shot at reaching 40 this year. These guys don’t need to swing for the fences, but they’re capable of reaching them.
Last night’s lineup featured nine players capable of leaving the ballpark in any at bat. That’s the type of lineup that can win games over the final week and into October.