Baltimore baseball fans are familiar with the expression “The Oriole Way.”
In part, it refers to the Orioles organization from the farm system to the Major Leagues. But it’s better known as a broad prescription for how things, including the baseball fundamentals on the field, should be approached throughout the Orioles organization.
The approach began in the 1950s with general manager Paul Richards and scouting and farm director Jim McLaughlin after the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore. Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver reinforced it during his 17 campaigns in the 1970s and ‘80s in the O’s dugout. And somehow, through a succession of front office folks, managers, coaches and players, “The Oriole Way” has remained foundational in Baltimore baseball - and a large part of “The Oriole Way” is sound defense.
So, it comes as little surprise that in a BetMaryland.com analysis of baseball teams that are mistake prone - and those that are not - the Baltimore Orioles register as one of the teams who are least mistake-prone.
With baseball in the depths of its offseason and being overshadowed by first, the college football playoffs, and then the NFL postseason gallop to the Super Bowl, BetMaryland.com – your source for Maryland sports betting - felt it would be worthwhile to analyze what MLB teams can do to follow the formula of successful teams of late.
Of course, with their surge to 101 wins in the 2023 season, the Orioles will be one of the teams that others want to emulate.
Least to Most Mistake-Prone MLB Teams
BetMaryland.com used TeamRankings.com to look at the most-to-least mistake-prone MLB teams by looking at the average errors per game for each MLB team over the past three seasons. These are stats you won’t find on the many fine Maryland sports betting apps.
Baltimore Showing Sound Glove Work
Through good seasons and even bad ones, trying to adhere to the “The Oriole Way” has been the team’s North Star. Coming off a 101-win season, oddsmakers expect more success in 2024. ESPN Bet Maryland has the Orioles at +1600 to win the World Series. That ranks eighth among MLB’s 30 teams, but the Yankees, who finished 19 games behind the O’s last season, are third at +900.
Over the last three seasons, the O’s have averaged just 0.483 errors a game, which is sixth-best in the Majors over those seasons.
As baseball lore has it, the idea of a wholistic organizational approach to baseball is credited to Branch Rickey, the legendary executive who worked most notably with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Perhaps that helps explain the Cardinals’ consistent success in the National League over the decades. Interestingly, in the BetMaryland.com survey of baseball defenses, the Cards are ranked No. 1 over the last three years in least errors per game (0.446).
The rest of the top five are: the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and Atlanta Braves. As already mentioned, the Orioles are No. 6.
Teams with the worst errors-per-game performances are: Tied for No. 26, Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals (.0597); tied for No. 28, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, (0.603), and No. 30, the San Francisco Giants, 0.617.
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