Baltimore Orioles: Predicting The Opening Day 25-Man Roster

1 of 3

BALTIMORE, MD – May 15: The Oriole Bird mascot runs on the field during a rain delay of the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 15, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Spring training games are underway, so let’s take a shot at predicting the Opening Day 25-man roster for the Baltimore Orioles.

Baseball. Is. Back. The magical sounds of fresh baseballs popping gloves and screaming off bats have returned and the Baltimore Orioles are playing pretty decent baseball. At the time of this piece, the Orioles are 2-1, with a number of young players showing early life in spring.

Before we get too far into spring training, I thought I would take a shot at predicting the Opening Day 25-man roster for the O’s. Typically at this point, we might be looking at one rotation spot up for grabs, a bullpen spot or two, and who rounds out the bench. However, this is the 2019 Baltimore Orioles and nearly every single position is up for grabs.

Outside of the top three rotation spots, first base, centerfield, left field, and second base, it is anyone’s ball game. The new man leading the charge in the Charm City, Brandon Hyde, has preached versatility on defense, leading me to believe there will be a wide variety of lineups used this season, along with a heavy reliance on the Baltimore-Norfolk shuttle, per usual.

I’ve said numerous times already that this season isn’t about wins and losses. If you are patient enough to sit through another 100+ loss season, you will get the opportunity to see some pretty exciting young prospects make their MLB debuts this year. Names like Yusniel Diaz, Keegan Akin, and Ryan Mountcastle are likely to be up at some point, Diaz probably much earlier than any other prospect on the farm.

Until guys like Diaz earn the call, who will the Orioles name to their 25-man roster? Let’s start by taking a look at the starting rotation and bullpen.

Baltimore Orioles roster prediction: Starting rotation and bullpen.

There are a lot of unknown factors to consider when taking a shot at predicting this roster. What type of manager will Brandon Hyde be once the regular season gets rolling? What exactly is Mike Elias looking for out these players in 2019? We don’t know!

With that being said, let’s have some fun and see just how wrong I can be!

Starting rotation: Dylan Bundy, Alex Cobb, Andrew Cashner, David Hess, Yefry Ramirez

The first three names are locks, obviously. All three need to rebound in 2019 and could have multiple teams calling by this year’s trade deadline. For now, they form three-fifths of the Orioles rotation.

David Hess had a much better second half to his rookie season, recording a 3.81 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 11 appearances (as opposed to his 6.06 ERA/1.53 WHIP in the first half). His slider was effective (.227 average against/.193 XBA) and if he can produce a few more swings and misses, he can hold a spot and allow the younger arms to stay in the minors a bit longer.

I’m not putting Nate Karns in the starting rotation. After not pitching in the pros last season and logging just 45 innings in 2017, Karns seems better suited in the bullpen where he can rack up the strikeouts. Sorry, I forgot to mention- spoiler alert.

As far as Yefry Ramirez goes, I’m a huge fan. I’m not sure of what else he can prove in the minors and he is the type of player who can really benefit from the new analytical approach the Orioles are bringing to camp. His changeup is solid and there’s good movement on his fastball, he just needs to fine-tune his command.

Bullpen: Mychal Givens, Richard Bleier, Pedro Araujo, Miguel Castro, Tanner Scott, Paul Fry, Nate Karns.

This bullpen won’t stay intact very long. Givens and Bleier are locks, especially with Bleier appearing to be healthy. Araujo will hang around until his service requirement is met before being sent to the minors. After that, picking who makes the active roster was a little difficult.

Castro has a live arm with a 95-96 mph fastball and a slider and changeup which are effective at keeping the ball in the ballpark and runners off the basepaths. His strikeout and walk numbers are downright ugly but if he can turn these numbers around (15% K, 13% BB), Castro can be a dangerous reliever.

For the final two spots, we have Paul Fry and Tanner Scott. Fry quietly put together a solid rookie season. Appearing in 35 games, he recorded a 3.35 ERA (3.11 FIP), gave up just one home run, and struck out nearly nine hitters per game.

Mike Wright will be given every single opportunity to showcase his stuff since he is out of options, but can he outperform the other names on this list? Not likely. Armed with a fastball that averages 97 mph, Scott struck out 32% of hitters last season and posted a FIP two full runs lower than his ERA (3.40 FIP/5.40 ERA). Scott is dynamic and should breakout with Mike Elias and his team running the show.

Bonus names: Branden Kline will be on this roster before very long. I don’t know of a single Orioles fan who isn’t a fan of Kline, who could take Araujo’s spot on the roster once he has satisfied his Rule 5 time. Jimmy Yacabonis is also a candidate to break camp with the team. His slider is lethal but he has an option so he could begin the year in AAA while the new regime decides how best to utilize him.

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 01: Chris Davis #19 of the Baltimore Orioles scores in the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 1, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Baltimore Orioles roster prediction: position players.

Catchers: Chance Sisco, Austin Wynns

No real surprises here. I really liked the signing of Jesus Sucre but as of February 26th he remains stuck in Venezuela with visa issues. He’s brand new to the organization and no one is sure as to when he can get into camp and start familiarizing himself with his new teammates and the Orioles pitching staff, so, unfortunately, Sucre is a longshot here.

Infielders: Chris Davis, Jonathan Villar, Richie Martin, Renato Nunez, Rio Ruiz, Alcides Escobar.

The biggest surprise here is the signing of Alcides Escobar in the first place. All initial reports indicate that Hyde and his staff like what they see in Escobar, who can play up the middle in the infield and in the outfield. While Jonathan Villar would prefer to play shortstop, his move to second base seems solidified.

This setup includes a starting lineup of Chris Davis at first, Villar at second, Escobar/Richie Martin at short, and Renato Nunez at third base. Both Martin and Escobar provide the flexibility that the Orioles have been preaching and Rio Ruiz can man the hot corner, someone who Hyde has publically stated that he is impressed by.

Outfielders: Cedric Mullins, Trey Mancini, DJ Stewart, Joey Rickard

By default, fans are going to see Trey Mancini in left field until changes/big decisions are made concerning guys like Trumbo and Chris Davis. Fair or not, Mancini has been pinpointed as a team leader, despite this being just his third year as a big leaguer. He seems willing to take on this role, which is a positive sign for a franchise in need of someone to look up to with Adam Jones still unemployed.

More from Birds Watcher

Austin Hays will be on the major league roster at some point in 2019, but will begin the year in the minors after recent ankle surgery. He’s healthy and checking off the boxes very early on in spring, so all signs are pointing up.

In the meantime, Cedric Mullins will man centerfield and be one of the few bright spots on this roster. Stewart (LHH) and Rickard (RHH) may split time in right field while Hays and Yusniel Diaz stand outside of the gates at Camden Yards and bang on the entrance on a daily basis.

Designated Hitter: Mark Trumbo

It looks like he is healthy and progressing well. Trumbo needs a big season, not because he has a place on a winning Orioles roster down the road, but because he needs to impress other teams who may be in the market for a slugger to help get them over a playoff hump.

Mike Elias Continues To Impress. dark. Next

Let me know where I went wrong or why Jack Reinheimer should be on this roster. What does your 25-man look like?

Home / Orioles News

Spring training games are underway, so let’s take a shot at predicting the Opening Day 25-man roster for the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore Orioles roster prediction: Starting rotation and bullpen.

Baltimore Orioles roster prediction: position players.

More from Birds Watcher

Schedule