3 disappointing Orioles who will have an outsized impact in second half

As we creep closer to the July 31 trade deadline, the Orioles are still working to address a number of roster holes before the final two-month stretch. Pitching is an obvious need for Mike Elias' club, both in the rotation and in the bullpen.

There are a few other spots that the O's could consider improving as well. They've been running platoons in the outfield in order to get younger guys like Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad the playing time they need. But there's still room for improvement out there, as well as with their infield depth.

Ramon Urias and Jorge Mateo are fine players and have performed well enough, but they're blocking guys like Coby Mayo and Connor Norby. The Orioles will have some tough decisions ahead when it comes to maximizing playing time for the guys who are going to help the team the most.

These three Orioles need to meet preseason expectations in the second half

Cedric Mullins is at the top of everyone's mind in Baltimore. The veteran center fielder has been a pivotal piece for the Orioles over the past several years, serving as a leader in the clubhouse while playing at an extremely high level.

However, he tanked in the first half of 2024. He's ceded playing time to Colton Cowser in center and has been dropped to the bottom of the lineup thanks to a career-worst year at the plate. His .215/.258/.380 slash line is doing more harm than good for this team and the O's have even reportedly considered trading him this summer.

Mullins can either be a catalyst for the offense in the second half, or he can be a weight dragging the lineup down. It's uncharacteristic of him to be hitting so poorly. If the O's are going to be competitive in October, they really need Mullins to be at his best.

As it stands, Dean Kremer would likely be the game 3 starter in a postseason series for the Orioles. That doesn't feel good enough, despite some of the positive things we've seen from him this year.

Kremer spent time on the IL with a triceps strain but outside of that, he's pitched to a 4.38 ERA with a 5.08 FIP. That's fine as a 5th or 6th starter but the O's have had to rely on him more than they'd have liked. Albert Suarez has been good in limited time but injuries to a number of guys, as well as Cade Povich failing to launch in his debut, have set the O's back a bit.

Regardless of whether Elias adds a starter at the deadline, they'll still need Kremer to pitch well down the stretch. Cole Irvin has crashed and their pitching depth beyond that is thin. Even if Kremer doesn't start in the postseason, he'll be an important piece leading up to it. The O's need him to be the high-3's / low 4's ERA guy he's been the past two years.

Austin Hays was on fire in June after returning from a calf injury earlier in the year. He'd crushed lefties to the point where Brandon Hyde was forced to platoon him and Heston Kjerstad in order to keep both hot bats in the lineup.

July has been a different story. An adductor injury has creeped in and Hays' performance has collapsed over the past two weeks. On the year, he's hitting .250/.301/.395 but his OPS is nearly 300 points higher against lefties than righties.

The O's have Kyle Stowers waiting in Norfolk and the lefty has hit well in limited time in Baltimore this year. If Hays can prove to be a good platoon bat, it'll be a huge benefit for Hyde and the O's. If they're forced to move on from Hays, the combination of Mullins, Cowser, Kjerstad, and Ryan O'Hearn, all of whom bat left handed, will leave some gaps in the lineup down the stretch.

The O's need to add a piece or two at the deadline but if they want to win in October, they need the guys who are already on the roster to step up and contribute at the level we expected them to at the beginning of the year.