MLB Betting – Baltimore Orioles 2020 Season Preview

• Orioles are a huge long shot to win anything in 2020 including their own division at +35000

• Bookmaker suggests looking more at Orioles win totals once the season start date is determined

• Bookmaker is offering an enticing welcome bonus with a maximum of $1000

Going through a full-on rebuild is never easy and there’s no guarantee things will come out peachy on the other side. The Baltimore Orioles are nowhere close to competing for a division title, but the makeover is progressing. In 2019 they had a seven-game improvement in the win column from the season before. That’s not saying much since they won only 47 times in 2018. It’s time for the young roster to get some time on the field and start developing into a future contender.

2020 Baltimore Orioles At A Glance

Baltimore Orioles World Series Odds +85000

Baltimore Orioles AL Pennant Odds +45000

Baltimore Orioles AL East Odds +35000

2020 Baltimore Orioles Overview

Odds for the O’s doing anything this season are astronomical. While it might be enticing to throw some change on them just for fun, the smarter move is to look at a win total when those numbers are revised if and when the season starts. We should continue to see them progress after totaling 101 victories over the past two seasons and if the rebuild continues on its upward trajectory the O’s will be a better wager in 2021.

Tearing the foundation down to its studs is a bold move and it takes time to recover. Just four years ago the club won 89 games and captured a wild card spot. A few players remain from that squad with Chris Davis hanging around only because they can’t give him away. The O’s got solid returns when dealing Manny Machado and others during their fire sale. Unfortunately, those players aren’t MLB-ready, yet.

Another thing holding them back is the AL East. The Yankees and Rays are two of the best teams, the Jays are ready to make a jump and the BoSox can’t be counted out. The good news is that the Birds probably won’t lose 100 games for a third straight season.

Pitching

There really is nowhere to go but up for this group. Last year the O’s had the worst ERA in the majors at 5.59. That’s tough to accomplish considering the Rockies played half their games in Denver. The pitchers never gave the team a chance conceding 306 home runs.

There was a bright spot in John Means, who enters the season as the undisputed ace. Means was runner-up in AL Rookie of the Year voting and was Baltimore’s lone All-Star rep. The lefty went 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA in 27 starts. He was the only O’s hurler to win at least 10 games.

Behind Means are some veterans in need of a career boost and youngsters looking to stamp their MLB passports. Asher Wojciechowski could be a nice middle-of-the-rotation guy after a solid showing near the end of last season. But counting on Alex Cobb, Wade LeBlanc and Tommy Milone to stabilize the group is a stretch. The O’s had 13 pitchers make at least three starts last year and the revolving door remains open with the club auditioning arms.

We’ll see much of the same out of the pen. Mychal Givens is the closer after saving a team-best 11 games. He also lost six times and compiled a 4.57 ERA. He has a lively arm with 12.3 Ks per 9 innings and he is a trade chip if things go well. The O’s would certainly make the deal to bolster their prospect pool. After that it’s a matter of Brandon Hyde throwing things on the wall to see what sticks.

Hitting

With anticipated struggles on the hill the O’s will rely on a solid yet unspectacular group of position players. They haven’t reached that next level for various reasons. There are a lot of young, unproven players looking to stick and a few castoffs that surprised in 2019. In just his third season Trey Mancini blossomed into a threat last year hitting .291 with 35 homers and 97 RBIs. The lineup was bolstered by Renato Nunez, who crushed 31 homers and drove in 90.

Hanser Alberto was plucked off the scrap heap and had a career year. Waived by three clubs previously and holding a career .192 average, Alberto hit .305 in 524 at-bats in 2019. The O’s could improve on their 4.5 runs per game if Davis can figure out how to hit a baseball. It wasn’t that long ago he led the majors in home runs while hitting .262. He hasn’t hit above .180 the last two seasons and will probably be out of a job with prospect Ryan Mountcastle waiting. Austin Hays, another top prospect, is expected to see plenty of time in the outfield.

2020 Baltimore Orioles Season Pick

The coronavirus pandemic will hurt with the development of their prospects. The O’s weren’t going to be in the hunt for anything but improved play and now that may not happen. Incremental steps are necessary to show the rebuild is working. If the youngsters show promise at this level the season will be a success.

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com