Baltimore Orioles Starter Closing In On Rotation Spot After Strong Performances
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Entering camp, it looked like the Baltimore Orioles knew who would hold four out of the five starting spots in their rotation.
Newly acquired ace Corbin Burnes would be No. 1, followed by Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and John Means.
Injuries have changed that.
With Bradish and Means missing time to start the year, there are now three open spots that players in camp are fighting to earn.
Tyler Wells seemed to be the fifth starter on paper prior to Spring Training games starting, and after the injury news, he looked like a lock to be in the rotation.
But, the right-hander would have to earn that spot after his struggles down the stretch in 2023 forced the Orioles to option him to Double-A and bring him back as a reliever.
So far, Wells has delivered.
Across two starts, he's allowed only one earned run on three hits, giving up an opponent's batting average of .158 over six innings pitched.
The 29-year-old has proven he can perform at the Major League level.
Prior to the All-Star break last year, he was statistically Baltimore's best pitcher with an ERA of 3.18 across 18 appearances, 17 of them starts, and 104 2/3 innings pitched.
The Orioles think he ran out of gas during the second half when he put up a 7.07 ERA.
Wells has been working on things to help him become more consistent throughout the long season, something that Baltimore thinks will help him have a much better year.
"It's all about just kind of keeping a consistent mindset. It's going to be the biggest thing for me this year is just being in tune with myself and in tune with my mind and body, and that's what I worked really hard on this offseason, especially on the body aspect," he said according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.
Having him be steady will be a huge help for this club.
They know what they're getting in Burnes and Rodriguez, and what they're hopefully getting in Bradish when he comes back, and Means if he can return to form.
If Wells can be a solid No. 5 in this rotation for the entire season, then this will be one of the best starting units in the league.
