You can file this one at the very top of “Nobody Saw This One Coming.” And we’re not just talking about the Orioles’ 70-42 record, or even that it’s the best in the American League — or second best in all of baseball.
When manager Brandon Hyde broke camp this spring, at the very top of his wish list was the desire to have the Orioles’ talented, but very young team, display the kind of consistency that would make them legitimate contenders in the American League East, considered the toughest division in baseball. To say that he’s been rewarded tenfold would be a classic understatement.
After 112 games of a season that thus far has been nothing short of remarkable, the numbers say that the Orioles are the most consistent team in baseball. And it’s hard to argue.
They may or may not vary in degree of importance, but here’s what those numbers say heading into a three-game series against the Astros:
Overall record: 70-42, .625 winning percentage
Home record: 35-21, .625
Road record: 35-21, .625
Night record: 42-25, .627
Day record: 28-17, .622
More than enough to get an idea, for sure, but wait … there’s more.
The Orioles’ record in 36 series to date is 22-11-3, which computes to a .611 winning percentage.
The record is 11-6-1 in series at home and 11-5-2 on the road — winning percentages of .611, of course.
As if all that isn’t enough, here are the two most amazing statistics of all:
The Orioles are 25-11 in the first game of a series, a stunning .694 pace. Their record at home in those games is 11-7 (.611 one more time). Which leaves us with the most amazing number of all — the Orioles are 14-4 in the first game of the 18 series played on the road, an otherworldly .777 winning percentage.
It is a big reason why they have swept seven series this year while avoiding a sweep for the last 75, dating back to last year. And an even bigger reason why, for 112 games at least, the Orioles have been the most consistent team in baseball.
So Hyde has gotten everything he could’ve asked for in that department — and he gets props for judicious use of a roster that has had to make adjustments on the fly. While being the best model of consistency.
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The Orioles earned very high grades for their 40th anniversary celebration of the 1983 World Series championship team. The 20 members of that team who took part clearly had a memorable return, even if they admit it’s hard to believe it’s been that long since the O’s won it all.
To a man they seemed to have a good knowledge of the current team and, though there really is very little similarity, seemed to like the comparison in one key aspect. That team was noted for its “family” feeling, and to that end, this current bunch seems to have a lot in common with the one from 40 years ago.
That was particularly meaningful as members of this year’s team, none of whom were alive in 1983, nevertheless were enthusiastic spectators of the ceremonies before the Aug. 5 game. Despite the separation by generations, it’s important that current players are made aware of the organization’s legacy. That seemed to be in place this weekend, to everyone’s credit.
Jim Henneman can be reached at JimH@pressboxonline.com
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox