3 Orioles players who are proving their spring training stats were legit

Although the All Star break is considered the official midpoint of the season, the Orioles are at 71 games played this season, 10 away from the actual midpoint, that being 81 games out of the 162 in the regular season. Almost everything has clicked for the Orioles, in possession of one of baseball's best records.

Spring training feels like an eternity ago, doesn't it? It was three months ago that we were speculating who was going to make the roster and who wouldn't. Since the actual midpoint is close by, let's see which players currently on the roster are proving that their strong spring training performances were for real.

All Stats are prior to beginning of play June 20

Which Orioles are proving that their spring training statistics were legit?

Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF

Someone who didn't even make the opening day roster, O'Hearn made his Orioles debut on April 13. One of the many faces of the first base competition in spring training, O'Hearn had a .375/.444/.650 slash line, hitting three home runs, drawing five walks, and adding two doubles in 40 at bats.

In what could be increasing playing time, O'Hearn has ran with his major league opportunity this season. He has a .349/.389/.614 slash line, bashing five home runs with seven doubles and 19 RBIs 29 games. His 176 OPS+ is considerably above league average, as is his 1.003 OPS.

Austin Hays, OF

Hays was all but guaranteed a roster spot, whereas O'Hearn wasn't, but he still put up strong numbers in Sarasota. He had a .333/.381/.692 slash line, scoring six runs, hitting two doubles, working three walks, and hitting four home runs to drive in 10 total runs in 39 at bats.

So far this season, Hays has jumped out to a hot start and has earned some All Star Game merit. His .320 batting average leads the American League, and he's slugging .515 in 65 games. He has eight home runs, 31 RBIs, and 19 doubles, giving him a .875 OPS and 142 OPS+.

Félix Bautista, RP

Although he didn't play until late in spring training thanks to an offseason injury, big Félix was strong when he pitched in Sarasota before the season. In five games, Bautista allowed no runs, had a 0.86 WHIP that Tyler Wells would be proud of, had opponents hitting .067 off him, and struck out 10 hitters as opposed to three walks in 4 2/3 innings.

Mountain Time during the regular season has been just as sturdy. He has 33 1/3 innings under his belt, notching 19 saves. He has a 1.33 ERA, 1.57 FIP, and 0.990 WHIP, with an absurd 18.1 strikeouts per nine rate, which is more than some starting pitchers. Bautista has been about as reliable as it gets in the back of the Orioles bullpen, which features Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe as his primary setup men.