The Orioles again will have multiple major league hitting instructors next season, but with some new faces this time.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
MLB’s hot stove season hasn’t been much to write home about so far. None of the big-name free agents or trade candidates have landed anywhere. Neither have the lower-tier players, for the most part. All signs point to another slow-developing offseason, so get comfortable and prepare to wait.
The Orioles are one of the many teams that has yet to add a major league player, but they have been busy reconstructing their coaching staff, particularly on the offensive side. The O’s have promoted Cody Asche, most recently their offensive strategy coach, to the hitting coach position. Asche replaces the Orioles’ co-hitting coaches of the past three years, Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller, both of whom left the organization this offseason, with the former going to the Twins and the latter the White Sox.
But Asche won’t be alone. The Orioles plan to hire his former Phillies teammate, Tommy Joseph, as assistant hitting coach, and it was reported yesterday that the Birds will promote minor league hitting coordinator Sherman Johnson to join the big league staff as well.
So, for the second straight season the O’s will have three hitting instructors on the major league staff. Let’s hope the arrangement works better than it did in 2024, when none of the Orioles’ hitting coaches seemed able to prevent the Orioles’ offensive collapse in the second half and the postseason. Of course, that’s not necessarily the coaches’ fault; ultimately it’s the players who need to perform and often failed to do so. Still, adding a couple of fresh voices to the coaching staff isn’t the worst idea in the world, and hopefully these new additions can help mold a more robust offense out of this talented crew of O’s hitters.
Links
Because You Asked – The Gallows Act II – School of Roch
A fresh-out-of-surgery Roch Kubatko, who had his heart valve replaced by a cow’s, dutifully fields bovine-related jokes along with Orioles questions in his latest mailbag.
A great honor for former Orioles outfielder and Rookie of the Year Al Bumbry – Steve Melewski
Congrats to an underrated Oriole for winning the Middle Atlantic Scouts Association’s “A Life in Baseball” award. Not too shabby for a guy who, as Bumbry tells it, never even dreamed about playing baseball as a kid.
What factors would Corbin Burnes consider in choosing a team? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com
That’$ a tough que$tion. What factor$ doe$ a free agent u$ually con$ider when choo$ing a team? I’m ju$t not $ure.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles right-handed pitchers were born on this day: Dylan Bundy (32), John Stephens (45), and Darwin Cubillán (52).
On this date in 1983, Cal Ripken Jr. was named the AL Most Valuable Player, becoming the first player in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in consecutive seasons. Cal led the league with an 8.2 WAR as well as 211 hits, 47 doubles, and 121 runs, all career highs. He garnered 15 first-place votes for the award, beating out his teammate Eddie Murray, who was runner-up with 10. (Cal would actually have an even better season the next year, yet finished 27th in the MVP vote. Awards voters back then were not particularly enlightened.)