At the beginning of spring training, the Baltimore Orioles appeared to have four of the five starting spots in their rotation set. Corbin Burnes, their newly acquired ace, was slated to be No. 1, followed by Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and John Means.
However, injuries have altered those plans. Both Bradish and Means have been sidelined to start the season, leaving three open spots that players in camp are competing for.
Tyler Wells was initially seen as the fifth starter on paper before spring training games began, and with the recent injury developments, he appeared to be a sure bet for a spot in the rotation.
However, the right-hander would need to earn that spot after his struggles towards the end of the 2023 season led the Orioles to option him to Double-A and bring him back as a reliever.
So far, Wells has shown promise. In two starts, he has only allowed one earned run on three hits, holding opponents to a batting average of .158 over six innings pitched.
The 29-year-old has demonstrated his ability to perform at the Major League level. Before the All-Star break last year, he was statistically Baltimore’s best pitcher, posting a 3.18 ERA across 18 appearances (17 starts) and 104 2/3 innings pitched.
The Orioles believe that Tyler Wells struggled in the second half of the season due to fatigue, leading to a 7.07 ERA during that period.
Wells has been focusing on improving his consistency throughout the long season, which Baltimore believes will lead to a much better year for him.
“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, as reported by Roch Kubatko of MASN.
Having Wells perform consistently will be a significant asset for the club.
The Orioles are confident in their pitching rotation, understanding Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez’s capabilities, as well as Kyle Bradish’s potential upon his return, and hoping for John Means to regain his previous form.
If Tyler Wells can maintain a solid performance as the No. 5 starter throughout the season, the Orioles believe they will have one of the best starting rotations in the league.
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