There are plenty of reasons why the 2015 Orioles won fifteen less games than the 2014 Orioles. Obviously, the severe regression of the starting rotation was a crippling blow to the Birds' chances of repeating as AL East champs. Plenty of fans will also point to the team choosing not to re-sign Nelson Cruz or Nick Markakis. But another player that played an unfortunate role in the Orioles' decline was Steve Pearce.
In 2014, Pearce was incredible. After hitting his way from the bench into an everyday role, Pearce finished with a batting line of .