Baltimore Orioles: The Most Pleasant Surprises Of The First Week

The Baltimore Orioles have an elite infield-hitter in Trey Mancini.

So that headline isn’t totally accurate, however, five of Trey Mancini’s nine hits this season have been infield singles. The Baltimore Orioles outfielder/designated hitter is hitting .450 with two home runs, a slugging percentage of .800, and an OPS of 1.229. But his early production hasn’t all come from the plate, Mancini has been making plays in the outfield, right field at that.

In a piece by Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun, manager Brandon Hyde spoke about Mancini’s early success at the plate.

“He’s got the chopper to third going — he’s got three of those,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “But he’s swinging the bat so good. He is so strong. To be able to drive the ball like he can to the middle of the field is really impressive, and he’s taking great at-bats, playing good defense. Made a sliding catch — playing great baseball.”

His .500 BABIP isn’t sustainable and he has yet to draw a walk in 21 plate appearances, but a hot start like this has clearly had a positive effect on his mindset and confidence at the plate. Coming off a sophomore season in which he hit .242 with a .299 on-base percentage, Mancini needs a bounce-back season and to show that he can be not only a leader in the clubhouse but a leader on the field.

All three of these positive takeaways are small takeaways with the opportunity to add up to something bigger. Jesus Sucre’s ability to call a game and command the trust of his pitching staff can be a huge boost for a young pitching staff and for what is sure to be a very long list of arms set to pitch in an Orioles’ uniform at some point in 2019.

Dwight Smith Jr.was acquired for nothing and Trey Mancini is showing early glimpses of being a stable option in the middle of the lineup. Last season, the heart of the Orioles lineup (three, four, and five hitters) ranked 25th in baseball with a 98 wRC+. The expectation isn’t for Mancini to continue to ride this wave to an All-Star appearance, but more production from the heart of the lineup will lead to more run support for the pitching staff, more wins, and a positive developmental experience for this young roster.

The Baltimore Orioles will look to make it five-straight wins on Wednesday afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays. Nate Karns will take the mound to open things up with first pitch scheduled for 4:00 pm.