From The Banner · Andy Kostka · · 2m
Orioles Press Conference Takeaways
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz and president Mike Elias address season struggles and future plans after rainout ending.
In brief
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz and president Mike Elias address season struggles and future plans after rainout ending. Orioles manager Craig Albernaz identifies execution as the key issue for their 79-82 season, with Gunnar Henderson’s wrist injury impacting performance. Originally reported by The Banner.
Execution is the buzzword
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz identified execution as the key issue for their 79-82 season, with 88 unearned runs and lost winnable games.
“Execution is the biggest thing.”
Gunnar Henderson’s wrist injury
Shortstop Gunnar Henderson admitted to a wrist injury for half the season but will not require surgery, impacting his .715 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
“I really don’t like making excuses, because everybody’s banged up at this point in the year.”
Orioles front office changes
Sig Mejdal left analytics oversight, and Matt Blood departed player development, with Elias aiming to expand the front office with outside voices.
“With our ownership group now, we have a good opportunity to sort of participate in that growth a little bit more than we’ve been doing.”
Analytics in modern baseball
Elias emphasized analytics as an essential part of baseball success, despite criticism when results are poor.
“It’s clearly an enormous part of success in this sport nowadays.”
Pete Alonso’s impact
Pete Alonso led MLB in RBIs and homers for the Orioles, but Elias won’t commit to pursuing high-profile free agents each offseason.
“We have owners now that really have the ability to do that.”
Orioles season ends in rainout
The Orioles season ended with a rainout, not a game, leaving the team tired of losing baseball.
“We’re tired of losing baseball.”
Manager’s focus on fundamentals
Albernaz stressed mental consistency over physical ability, with players needing to execute game plans correctly.
“It’s really more of a mental piece than actually physical.”
Henderson’s performance despite injury
Henderson produced an over .700 OPS and 24 homers despite his wrist injury, with Albernaz proud of his resilience.
“It’s still productive for a shortstop at this level.”
Free agency strategy
Elias plans to pursue free agents when the scouting department has confidence, not every offseason.
“We’ll pursue it when we have confidence.”
Orioles’ organizational review
The Orioles will undergo a full organizational review to improve team fortunes after the season ended in a rainout.
“Baltimore will undergo a full organizational review to improve the team’s fortunes.”
Henderson’s bat handle change
Henderson switched to an axe handle bat, but his average against fastballs remained at a career-low .232.
“I felt like bat knob changes helped that out.”
Orioles’ front office size
The Orioles’ front office size ranks 29th out of 30 in MLB, prompting Elias to seek outside voices for growth.
“Baltimore’s front office size is 29th out of 30 in Major League Baseball.”
The big picture
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz identifies execution as the key issue for their 79-82 season, with Gunnar Henderson’s wrist injury impacting performance.
