Baltimore Orioles: Four positive takeaways from 2018

Outfielder DJ Stewart brought a patient approach to the plate in 2018 that should translate to success next year

As a September call-up, DJ Stewart didn’t have much of an impact on the Baltimore Orioles 2018 season, but he did show us that he’s ready for the major leagues.

It took Stewart 5 games for him to get his first hit, but he then reached base in 8 of his final 12 games. In 17 games total, Stewart collected 10 hits, six of which went for extra bases, and he stole 2 bags and slugged .550.

Stewart was used strictly in a platoon role for the Orioles, with 44 of his 47 plate appearances coming against right-handers.

However Stewart’s minor league splits are fairly even; in 2018 he actually OPSed .783 against lefties compared to his .692 mark against righties for Triple-A Norfolk. He posted the same .783 mark against lefties in 2017 in Bowie, and he had a .794 mark at High-A Frederick in 2016.

This would lead us to believe the Orioles shouldn’t have reservations about using him in an everyday role.

Stewart’s deceptive speed should allow him to run a BABIP over .269 and the 25% strikeout rate is a bit high for him; that should come down with more time at the major-league level.

Stewart’s patience shows in his 48.4% swing rate, but we’d like to see him be more aggressive early in the count. He saw 74% first-pitch strikes this year and if that remains steady, he’s going to fall behind in the count far too often. If he can ambush a few first-pitch fastballs early in 2019, it might bode well for his approach in the future.

Stewart profiles as a corner outfielder due to the limitations with the glove and his below average arm strength, but with his approach at the plate, a smooth swing and surprising speed on the bases he can be an everyday player for the Orioles.