Baltimore Orioles: 2019 Roster Report Card For Each Player

Have the Baltimore Orioles solved their center field situation?

Trey Mancini- A+

35 home runs, 38 doubles, a .291/.364/.535 slash, 97 RBI, and 106 runs scored. Mancini is ready to step up and be a clubhouse leader for the Orioles and produced like one on the field. There’s still a possibility he gets moved this offseason or at next year’s deadline, but a new contract may not be a terrible idea. He rebounded well from a dismal sophomore season and a deeper look shows real, sustainable improvements.

Anthony Santander- A

The birth of the International Anthony Santander Fan Club was one of the more memorable moments of 2019 and was yet another example of why baseball is amazing. Santander was streaky in Triple-A before his call-up, but finished with 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and a .261 average in 93 games. The switch-hitter is a favorite to win an Opening Day nod in a corner outfield spot.

Stevie Wilkerson- D+

He may have made one of the most impressive catches of the 2019 Major League Baseball season on the final day of games against Boston and he may be extremely versatile on the field, but Wilkerson provided very little at the plate this season. He hit just .225 with a .669 OPS and struck out 30% of the time. He will stick around next year thanks to his versatility, but he needs to start producing at the plate soon.

Dwight Smith Jr. D

Early in the year, it looked as if Mike Elias had found a fun outfield piece in Smith, but the former Blue Jay ended the year with a .241 average and .297 OBP. He did contribute 32 extra-base hits, but produced a wRC+ of just 83 and recorded -12 Defensive Runs Saved in the outfield. He has options, meaning he will stick around in the organization. Will it be in the big leagues?

DJ Stewart– Incomplete

The defense was bad, we all saw that. He was unable to replicate his success at the Triple-A level due to multiple injuries and limited playing time in the big leagues. Stewart will have to fight for playing time in 2020, but he’s shown the potential to be successful, including a 20/20 season in the minor leagues. We’ll give Stewart a mulligan, but he has to show up in 2020.

Austin Hays– A+

Steve Melewski explained the late-season success of Hays well in this piece on MASN.com. Fantastic defense, a walk rate approaching 10%, a strikeout rate of 17%, and plenty of mature at-bats characterized the September performance of Hays. In just 21 games, Hays was worth 0.9 fWAR, good for fourth-best among all Baltimore Orioles hitters.