Baltimore Orioles: These Three Hitters Enjoyed The Dog Days Of Summer

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BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 07: Rio Ruiz #14 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 7, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

These three Baltimore Orioles hitters have made the biggest improvements from the first half of the regular season to the second.

Who made progress in 2019? Who no longer has a role in the Baltimore Orioles organization? Who makes this team better in 2020 and beyond? These are some of the bigger questions that needed to be answered this season in the first year of a complete rebuild in Birdland. We have some answers, but there are plenty of questions surrounding this roster as the offseason approaches.

General manager Mike Elias is already underway with the next phase of the rebuild, making sweeping personnel changes down in the minor leagues, within the scouting department, and in the front office. In just a few weeks, he will turn to the roster as players are released, new talent is brought in, Rule 5 eligible players are added to the 40-man, and maybe a trade or two gets done. The only thing we know about this offseason is that it will be busy and a lot of fun to watch unfold.

Before we get deep into the offseason talk, I want to talk about that first question that kicked off this article. Who made progress in 2019? Trey Mancini has recorded career-highs in nearly every offensive category, including 34 home runs, 36 doubles, 101 runs scored, and 93 RBI. He’s been solid all season and was deservedly named the Most Valuable Oriole of 2019. Anthony Santander has also shown sustained success at the plate this year and all but cemented his place in the 2020 Opening Day starting lineup.

But who improved the most from the first half of the season to the second half of the year? The Baltimore Orioles saw three players make significant strides over this time span, all of whom have major questions surrounding their role in 2020.

Does Rio Ruiz have a role with the Baltimore Orioles next year?

Infielder Rio Ruiz has saved his best work for the final few weeks of the regular season. While struggling to consistently produce for much of the season wasn’t the plan for Ruiz, ending on a high note and leaving the powers that be with a positive image as they head into the offseason is exactly what Ruiz needed.

In 79 games before the All-Star break, Ruiz hit .235 with five home runs, a .305 on-base percentage, a .092 ISO, and a 69 wRC+. For every big defensive play and clutch hit, Ruiz had a week of struggles and hitless nights.

It’s hasn’t all been great since the break, but Ruiz is currently hitting .239 with six home runs, a .317 OBP, a .257 ISO (0.94 before the break), and a wRC+ of 107 (37 games). His near 40 point jump in wRC+ from the first to the second half of the year is the highest among all Orioles hitters.

A lot of shifting is going to happen around the Orioles infield this offseason, which could mean more regular playing time for Ruiz, at least until the Orioles decide Rylan Bannon is ready to come up to the bigs (primarily a third baseman, might be better at second base).

If a door does open for Ruiz, he has to show more consistency and his play this September (.245/.307/.531) is a good start. It’s also important to remember that he’s just 25 years old and getting his first major workload in the majors. Making the big improvement that Ruiz has made tells me he’s starting to settle in and adjust to major league pitching. Now, we see if he can take the next step in spring training. If he can be a reliable utility man with a little pop in his bat, the Orioles will have themselves a solid role player.

Next, we look at an Orioles hitter who is very quietly having a fantastic season.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 11: Jonathan Villar #2 of the Baltimore Orioles watches his three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 11, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. The home run was the 6,106th in the majors, breaking the MLB record for most home runs in a single season. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Jonathan Villar‘s future with the Baltimore Orioles is up in the air, but he’s had a fantastic 2019 campaign.

The Jonathan Villar we saw during the first half of the season was another start to a typical Villar season. A decent average (.259), some pop (10 home runs), speed (17 stolen bases), and producing right around league average (95 wRC+). His aggressive nature on the basepaths which led to a number of unnecessary outs has been well documented, but Villar was producing in a variety of different ways and making positive contributions to the ballclub.

Mike Elias wasn’t offered the type of return he wanted at the deadline, leaving Villar in Baltimore to finish out the regular season with the Orioles. After a tremendous second half of the season, it will now be interesting to see if teams up their offer for Villar or if the Orioles decide to keep his bat in the lineup for a bit longer. He’s arbitration-eligible and there is the option of the Orioles parting ways with Villar this offseason, if they rather not pay and use a rookie like Bannon or Mason McCoy instead in 2020.

What we do know is that Villar has put up some of the better numbers in the American League since the All-Star break and has many fans thinking he could have been the Most Valuable Oriole of the 2019 season. My vote would have gone to the eventual winner, Trey Mancini, but Villar made a solid case.

Since the break, the 28-year-old switch hitter is slashing .293/.359/.500 with 13 home runs, 11 doubles, three triples, and 32 RBI in 67 games. He’s also swiped 21 bags while being caught just three times. That’s a near 40 point increase in batting average and on-base percentage and a jump in wRC+ from 95 to 123.

Overall, Villar is having a career-year with the Orioles. He’s played in every game up this point and has been worth 3.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Fangraphs. That’s nearly double his combined fWAR with the Brewers and Orioles (2.0). Villar has also posted career-highs in home runs (23), runs scored (106), RBI (69), and ISO (.182).

I still don’t think another team offers enough for Mike Elias to say yes to a trade. To be honest, knowing that 2020 isn’t going to be much better than 2019, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Orioles keep Villar around. If he can produce at a high level for another half a season, maybe then someone pays up at next year’s trade deadline.

Last but not least, we look at one final Orioles infielder who has seen a big improvement at the plate since the All-Star break.

BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 12: Hanser Alberto #57 of the Baltimore Orioles throws to first base during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 12, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

Expect to see Hanser Alberto continue in his utility role with the Baltimore Orioles.

Hanser Alberto was a part of the Orioles roster, then he wasn’t, then he was again before the season started. Odds are pretty high that many Orioles fans never even noticed. Now, here we are in late-September and Alberto ranks fifth in the American League with a .310 overall batting average and a monster .396 average against left-handed pitching.

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He has been on a bit of cold streak recently, but overall, Alberto has posted a wRC+ of 112 since the All-Star break, a notable spike from his wRC+ of 86 in the first half of the season.

In 60 games, Alberto is hitting .312 with an .817 OPS and nine home runs (three in the first half). Believe it or not, he’s actually lowered his strikeout rate from 9.8% to 8.1% and increased his walk rate from 2.5% to 3.7%. Ladies and gentlemen, Alberto is drawing walks. Alright, so it’s only nine walks in 246 plate appearances, but it’s an improvement.

There was rumored interest in Alberto at the trade deadline and those rumors have continued late in the season, with at least one unnamed team expressing interest in a possible offseason deal. However, will any return package make this organization better? No. Will Alberto be a valuable presence on this roster with the ability to play multiple positions while the roster continues to shake out over the next year or two? Yes.

There’s one more week in the 2019 regular season for these three to put an exclamation point on their second-half performances. Even better to be able to do so against the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.

Next. Orioles 2019 Minor League Award Winners. dark

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These three Baltimore Orioles hitters have made the biggest improvements from the first half of the regular season to the second.

Does Rio Ruiz have a role with the Baltimore Orioles next year?

Jonathan Villar‘s future with the Baltimore Orioles is up in the air, but he’s had a fantastic 2019 campaign.

Expect to see Hanser Alberto continue in his utility role with the Baltimore Orioles.

More from Birds Watcher

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