Written by Michael Klopman
Baltimore has a new bat contributing to its big home run totals: phenom Trey Mancini, who has already hit seven homers dating back to September of last season when Mancini made his Major League debut. He’s now only the third player since 1913 to hit seven dingers in his first 12 games.
All of that is great news for the Orioles. Every team could use more power, even Baltimore (plus that lovely on-base percentage is something the O’s have desperately needed). But there’s a problem here, albeit a pretty “good problem to have,” as Orioles manager Buck Showalter said when a reporter brought up the notion that Mancini is forcing his way into the lineup. Mancini happens to be a first baseman, but that’s Chris Davis’ primary position. The 25-year-old could be Baltimore’s designated hitter, but that’s where Mark Trumbo is usually slotted. The O’s also have a bunch of outfielders not named Adam Jones — Hyun Soo Kim, Seth Smith, Craig Gentry, Joey Rickard (currently on the DL) and possibly Michael Bourn, if he can make the Major League roster once he returns from a broken finger — to man left field and right.
“We’re going to need all of them,” Showalter continued.
Smith has a slash line of .280/.357/.640 with a 170 OPS+ in eight games. Kim is batting .294, but isn’t playing nearly as much as one would think considering he had an OBP nearly 40 points higher than Manny Machado’s in 2016. As Matt Kremnitzer of Camden Depot put it last week, platooning Kim just feels like a “poor use of resources.” And then there’s Gentry and Rickard, who haven’t been particularly good hitters, but are solid defensively.
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