Batting order doesn’t matter to the players in manager Buck Showalter’s Orioles clubhouse, he frequently declares, which is a departure from his era of the game, when a man was defined by his place in the lineup.
Outside that room, though, the Orioles’ batting order is a possible source of the team's inconsistent offense this season, with the men who are supposed to be producing runs and keeping rallies going in the middle of the order not often filling that role.
As the Orioles wait for third baseman Manny Machado, outfielder Mark Trumbo and first baseman Chris Davis to click, Showalter said that at least for now, they’ll continue to make up the heart of the batting order.