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Here’s everything you need to know about the 2020 Baltimore Orioles from a fantasy perspective, which isn’t much for those playing in standard mixed leagues.
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Starting Lineup
| # | NAME | POS |
| 1 | Hanser Alberto | 2B |
| 2 | Anthony Santander | LF |
| 3 | Austin Hays | CF |
| 4 | Renato Nunez | DH |
| 5 | Chris Davis | 1B |
| 6 | Pedro Severino/Chance Sisco | C |
| 7 | Rio Ruiz | 3B |
| 8 | Jose Iglesias | SS |
| 9 | D.J. Stewart | LF |
Note: Trey Mancini had surgery to remove a malignant tumor in his colon on March 13. General manager Mike Elias said Mancini is home and “doing really well,” but there’s no timetable for his return to baseball. If able to play, he’ll start at first base or left field as the No. 2 or 3 hitter. Best of luck, Trey.
Better in OBP formats: Chance Sisco
Worse in OBP formats: Hanser Alberto, Renato Nunez, Austin Hays, Anthony Santander
Better than his ADP: Hays (293), Alberto (353)
Worse than his ADP: Nobody (besides Mancini) has a top-250 ADP. Nunez, the only one inside the top 300, still makes for a nice power play in deeper formats.
Bench bat worth rostering: Cedric Mullins (deep AL-only play at best)
Players most likely to lose a starting spot: Chris Davis, Rio Ruiz, D.J. Stewart
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Pitching Rotation
| # | NAME | R/L |
| 1 | John Means | L |
| 2 | Alex Cobb | R |
| 3 | Asher Wojciechowski | R |
| 4 | Wade LeBlanc | L |
| 5 | Kohl Stewart | R |
Better than his ADP: Asher Wojciechowski (his ADP is 646, so this isn’t saying much)
Worse than his ADP: John Means is the only one getting drafted beyond the deepest of leagues, and his 338 ADP is reasonable enough.
Starters least likely to stick in the rotation: Wojciechowski, LeBlanc, Stewart
Non-starter most likely to enter the rotation: Tommy Milone
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Bullpen
Projected closer: Mychal Givens (Job Security: Low)
Top backup: Hunter Harvey
Premier holds option: Harvey
Sneaky holds option: Shawn Armstrong
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Prospects
Relevant in 2020: Ryan Mountcastle, Yusniel Diaz
Worth a look for 2021 and beyond: Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez, DL Hall
Don’t believe the hype: Mountcastle
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Other Helpful Fantasy Info
Park Factor: A notorious hitter’s park, Camden Yards especially proved generous on power last season. Only Coors Field and Yankee Stadium a higher HR park factor than the 1.209 from Baltimore’s home. It rated second both for left-handed (1.193) and right-handed (1.241) batters. Then again, facing Baltimore’s pitchers also helps. (Isn’t that right, Gleyber Torres?)
Green Light Rating: Medium. The Orioles finished 11th in stolen bases (84) in 114 attempts, but 40 of those steals came from Jonathan Villar. Richie Martin (10) was their only other player with more than five. Manager Brandon Hyde may be willing to let his speedsters run, but he doesn’t have any left in his lineup.
Likeliest 2020 roster moves: A sizzling spring should give Davis one last opportunity to spark an improbable renaissance. If he comes out of the gate unable to buy a base hit like last year, he’ll quickly become a $23 million sunk cost riding the bench. Mountcastle never showcased significant power before taking advantage of Triple-A’s unprecedented hitter-friendly conditions in 2019, but the Orioles might as well see what they have in the 23-year-old. Depending on Mancini’s availability, he should eventually get a chance at first base or left field. Few, if any players on Baltimore’s projected depth chart have much job security.
Bold Fantasy Prediction: Hanser Alberto wins the AL batting title. He won’t draw walks, hit for power, or steal any bases, but the lowest strikeout rate of all qualified hitters (9.1%) last year at least gives him a solid chance of hitting .300 again.
Bland Fantasy Prediction: Hunter Harvey takes the closer’s job … and still doesn’t record 10 saves.
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Andrew Gould is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive and follow him @andrewgould4.
