Evaluating the 4 teams the Orioles could face in the Wild Card Round

Barring a historic Yankee collapse, the Orioles will most likely be the number 4 seed in the American League and hold the first Wild Card spot. This means that they will host the number 5 seed in the best of 3 Wild Card round. The question remains: who will that team be?

Statistically, there are four teams the Orioles could face: the Tigers, Royals, Twins, and Mariners. The Tigers and Royals are currently tied for the second Wild Card spot, so it is probable that the Orioles will face one of them.

How do they stack up against each of these teams? Below are the Orioles' head to head records with each of the four teams as well as each team's OPS and ERA ranks in MLB. For reference, the Orioles' team ERA is 3.95 (15th in MLB) and OPS is .750 (5th in MLB).

Tigers: 2-4, 22nd in OPS, 3rd in ERA

Among the four potential opponents, the Orioles have the worst record against the Tigers. However, the Orioles did outscore the Tigers 20-18 across those four games. While the Tigers' pitching staff is one of the best in baseball, their lineup is relatively weak. Their .299 OBP is third worst in baseball, so the Orioles easily out-hit them.

While the Tigers edge the Orioles in pitching, the Orioles would definitely have the offensive edge in this series and have to capitalize on this advantage.

Royals: 4-2, 13th in OPS, 8th in ERA

The Orioles outscored the Royals 29-27 in their six matchups. However, the Royals are the most balanced among the potential matchups. They are the only team with a top 15 OPS and ERA, so the Royals might be their most difficult opponent considering how balanced their hitting and pitching is.

Twins: 3-0, 10th in OPS, 21st in ERA

The Orioles swept the Twins in their first series and outscored them 22-9. And, they play them again for their final three games of the season.

The Twins' pitching is the weakest among the four potential matchups and their hitting is the strongest. Despite relying on their bats, they were held to only 9 runs across their 3 game set with the Orioles back in April.

This matchup is very unlikely, as the Twins would have to pass both the Tigers and Royals. However, if they somehow manage to sweep the Orioles and the Tigers/Royals/Mariners lose out, they would enter the Wild Card Round with some serious momentum against Baltimore.

Mariners: 4-2, 22nd in OPS, 1st in ERA

Finally, the Orioles won four out of six games against the Mariners and outscored them 27-17.

While the Mariners' offense is weak, their pitching is dominant. Starters Miller, Gilbert, Kirby, and Castillo all have an ERA under 3.65, and this could be dangerous in a short Wild Card series.

Similar to the Twins' situation, a lot would have to happen for the Orioles to play the Mariners so this is incredibly unlikely. As of now, it is most likely that the Orioles will play the Tigers or Royals.

The O's have the edge in the season series against the Royals. In that respect, they would prefer facing the Royals because the Tigers took four out of six games from them this season.

However, the Royals can hit and pitch at a high level, whereas the Tigers' lineup is not that dangerous. So, an argument could be made for wanting to face the Tigers too.

Regardless, the Orioles will be in the playoffs for a second straight season. And, with last year's early ALDS exit fresh on their minds, the O's will hopefully gain their stride and make a deeper run this October.