The Orioles have notably issued very few intentional walks this season, a trend that aligns with their strategic approach on the mound. As of early August, the Orioles’ pitchers have only issued seven intentional walks, placing them among the lowest in the league. For comparison, only three American League teams have issued fewer intentional walks: the New York Yankees with five, the Cleveland Guardians with four, and the Houston Astros with two. In total, only six major league teams have issued fewer intentional walks than the Orioles this season.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Oakland Athletics lead the American League with 26 intentional walks, followed by the Boston Red Sox with 22, the Toronto Blue Jays with 21, and the Texas Rangers with 20.
The Orioles’ pitching philosophy emphasizes carefully working around powerful hitters and focusing on pitching to the edges of the strike zone or off the plate. Their approach involves trusting their pitchers to handle challenging hitters without necessarily resorting to intentional walks. Manager Brandon Hyde has explained that adding extra runners on base isn’t always the best strategy and that the team prefers to make hitters chase pitches rather than intentionally walk them.
Hyde discussed the Orioles’ approach during a recent game against the Toronto Blue Jays. In that game, with the Orioles leading 4-3, right-hander Yennier Cano faced Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with two outs and a runner on second base. Despite having an open base, the Orioles chose to pitch to Guerrero. Guerrero hit a deep drive to right field, but right fielder Anthony Santander made a crucial catch to preserve the lead.
Hyde acknowledged that the decision to pitch to Guerrero rather than intentionally walk him was based on a trust in Cano’s ability to execute pitches on the edge of the strike zone. He admitted that Cano left a pitch too much over the plate, allowing Guerrero a strong opportunity. Hyde also noted that Alejandro Kirk, the batter following Guerrero, is also a dangerous hitter, which influenced the decision to pitch to Guerrero instead of putting another runner on base.
Hyde’s comments highlight a broader philosophy where the Orioles’ pitchers are encouraged to avoid giving in to hitters by walking them intentionally. Instead, they are expected to focus on pitching effectively to the corners and edges of the plate. This approach doesn’t always succeed, as Hyde noted, and sometimes pitches end up in the middle of the plate, as seen in Guerrero’s at-bat.
In terms of intentional walks drawn by Orioles batters, they have only been walked intentionally 11 times this season, placing them roughly in the middle of the American League rankings. The Cleveland Guardians lead the league with 24 intentional walks drawn, followed by the Red Sox with 22 and the Rangers with 18. At the other end, the Los Angeles Angels have drawn the fewest intentional walks, with just three this year. The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds follow with five each.
In recent game action, Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin delivered an impressive performance, pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing just four hits in a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. This win allowed the Orioles to take sole possession of first place in the American League East, as the Yankees’ game was rained out. The Orioles are currently 69-48 and have a strong record of 25-12 in division games.
The Orioles have also demonstrated their dominance at Tropicana Field this season, winning all five of their games there and allowing only eight runs over those games. Their impressive performance includes a 7-1 record against the Rays this season and a 15-5 record in their last 20 games against Tampa Bay.
Eflin has been particularly effective for the Orioles, boasting a 3-0 record and a 2.33 ERA in three starts, with just two walks and 17 strikeouts over 19 1/3 innings. Notably, the Orioles have seen four pitchers achieve the feat of going seven innings without allowing a run this season, including Eflin’s recent outing, as well as performances by Cole Irvin, John Means, and Kyle Bradish earlier in the year.
