The Baltimore Orioles, a team with a rich history and a passionate fan base, have often found themselves in the midst of rebuilding or retooling phases, particularly in recent years. While the team has shown promise with its emerging core of young talent and a revamped developmental system, the pitching staff has often been a key area of concern. As the team looks to solidify its position as a contender in the American League, one of the most critical components they are focusing on is their starting rotation.
The team’s pitching staff has been a mix of solid contributors and unfulfilled potential over the past few seasons, and one of the biggest questions heading into the upcoming campaign is how they will structure their rotation to maximize success. One approach that has been under consideration, and that the Orioles “won’t completely dismiss,” involves utilizing a more flexible and nontraditional pitching plan — potentially incorporating piggyback starts, bullpen games, or varying usage patterns based on matchups, workloads, and the overall development of their young pitchers.
This article will explore the rationale behind this approach, its potential benefits, and the challenges the Orioles face in implementing such a strategy. We’ll break down what a flexible pitching plan could look like, consider how it might help optimize the performance of Baltimore’s pitchers, and analyze how the club might balance innovation with the need for stability in their rotation.
The Importance of the Starting Rotation
At the heart of any successful baseball team is its pitching staff. While much of the attention over the past few seasons has centered around the Orioles’ developing hitters, including the likes of Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Ryan Mountcastle, the club’s pitching staff has often lagged behind in terms of overall performance and consistency. As the Orioles aim to compete in a highly competitive American League East division, having a reliable, top-tier rotation is key.
For years, the Orioles’ pitching staff has been inconsistent, with several underperforming veteran acquisitions, young pitchers still learning the ropes, and a bullpen that often was overworked due to lack of depth in the starting rotation. However, the tides have been turning, thanks in part to the team’s investment in player development and a more focused approach to identifying and cultivating pitching talent.
With a core group of young pitchers like Grayson Rodriguez, DL Hall, and Dean Kremer, as well as the emergence of some surprise contributors, the Orioles now have a promising pool of arms. But the team is still trying to balance the need for a stable, traditional rotation with the reality that its younger pitchers might need more development time and workload management than conventional methods offer.
What is a Flexible or Nontraditional Pitching Plan?
The traditional model for a starting rotation involves five pitchers who each take the mound every five days, with each pitching roughly six innings per start (in a perfect world). This model assumes that starting pitchers can go deep into games consistently, minimizing the workload on the bullpen. However, in today’s MLB, teams are increasingly experimenting with alternative approaches.
One such alternative is the piggyback system, in which two pitchers share a start. One pitcher might throw three or four innings, and then the second pitcher comes in to throw the remaining innings, often in relief. This method could reduce the wear and tear on individual pitchers, potentially allowing for more frequent appearances with lower injury risks and better overall performance, especially for young pitchers who might not yet be accustomed to a full starter’s workload.
Another concept within this flexible rotation structure is the bullpen game, in which one pitcher starts and then is followed by several relievers for the remainder of the game. This strategy can be effective in situations where the team has an off-day or a particularly deep bullpen and can afford to experiment. It also allows managers to utilize pitchers in situations that better play to their strengths — for example, using a pitcher who excels in short bursts for multiple one-inning stints rather than asking them to pitch five or six innings as a starter.
In the case of the Baltimore Orioles, the flexibility could come from a combination of these approaches, along with more strategic usage of pitchers based on matchups, inning limits, and individual needs. The key to this approach is to maintain versatility without losing the stability that a traditional rotation provides.
The Rationale Behind the Plan
The Orioles’ pitching staff is full of young talent, much of which has yet to prove it can handle a full 162-game season in the starting rotation. Many of these pitchers have faced challenges with consistency, particularly as they build the stamina and endurance necessary to last deep into games. A flexible pitching plan would allow the Orioles to better manage their pitchers’ workloads, particularly with young arms who may be prone to fatigue or injury due to inexperience.
One of the biggest factors influencing this approach is the recent trend toward pitching “depth” over “breadth.” With increased emphasis on relievers who can pitch multiple innings in high-leverage situations (often known as “multi-inning relievers”), it’s become less of a requirement for each starter to consistently pitch deep into games. Instead, teams are emphasizing the idea of building a deep bullpen with the ability to seamlessly transition between starters and relievers.
For the Orioles, this approach would offer several potential benefits:
- Managing Young Arms: As mentioned, the team’s pitching staff features several highly touted young arms, and giving them less pressure early in the season could prevent overexertion and allow them to develop without undue stress.
- Injury Prevention: The less strain placed on individual starters by relying on multi-inning stints or piggybacking systems could reduce the risk of injury. By spreading out workloads and not asking pitchers to go deep into games on a regular basis, the club might be able to preserve its pitchers’ long-term health.
- Optimizing Matchups: A flexible pitching plan allows for greater focus on opponent matchups. Managers can strategically deploy pitchers who are most likely to succeed based on a specific game scenario. For example, the team could utilize a left-handed pitcher in a game against a team with a predominantly left-handed lineup, or opt for a pitcher who excels in high-pressure situations if a game is on the line late.
- Depth and Flexibility: Having multiple pitchers capable of handling different roles — whether as starters, relievers, or in-between — increases the overall depth and flexibility of the pitching staff. With this depth, the Orioles would be less vulnerable to injuries or poor performances from any single pitcher.
Challenges and Potential Downsides
While the potential rewards of a flexible pitching plan are clear, there are challenges that come with it as well. For one, it can create uncertainty for pitchers, particularly younger ones, who may prefer the rhythm and consistency of a traditional rotation. For pitchers who have primarily been developed under the conventional model, suddenly being asked to take on shorter, less predictable outings could be a difficult adjustment.
Moreover, relying too heavily on a bullpen game or piggyback strategy could backfire if the team lacks sufficient depth in the bullpen. The Orioles would need to ensure that their relief corps is capable of handling these additional innings without running into fatigue, especially during a long season.
Another potential drawback is the logistical complexity that comes with managing this kind of system. It requires careful planning and communication between the pitching coach, manager, and players. Balancing the needs of individual pitchers, while also managing the overall strategy of the team, could become a difficult task.
