Just a few years ago, the Orioles had one of the best defensive rosters in MLB. From 2011 through 2015, the O’s had at least one Gold Glove winner, including three years with three awards each. Now, Danny Valencia is starting at third base. How the mighty have fallen.
The Buck Showalter Birds peaked defensively back in 2013. According to FanGraphs, they ranked second in MLB in defense runs above average (DEF) (45.7) and UZR (36.9) that year. It’s gone downhill in the years following.
In 2014, the O’s were fourth in both DEF and UZR.