Who is your MLB team’s unsung hero so far this season
By Brad Weiss
Baltimore Orioles: Mark Trumbo
The Baltimore Orioles have been really bad this season, like historically bad, and when it came time for the trade deadline, they unloaded a bunch of talent. Guys like Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, and Kevin Gausman were all sent to new teams, leaving the roster without many familiar faces.
While Machado and those guys are solid Major League players, them being on the roster did not help this team win games. Firmly planted in the cellar of the AL East, the Orioles have not had many bright spots this season, but one veteran slugger has quietly been putting together another solid season for the Birds.
No, we are not talking about Chris Davis, who is not even hitting over the Mendoza Line this season. We are talking about Mark Trumbo, who signed a three-year deal with the Orioles back in January of 2017, and has been a steady player on the team ever since. He missed the first month of the 2018 season due to injury, but he has come back in a big way since.
For the year, Trumbo is batting .266, and has hit 17 home runs in lineup without very much protection. A 2016 All-Star, Trumbo has scored 41 times, and driven in 42 runs, making him one of the more consistent bats in the lineup. The Orioles have been atrocious this season, but Trumbo comes to the field every day and gets the job done.
Trumbo is a solid right-handed bat, and we have seen sluggers get traded, even after the trade deadline. He may be playing his last couple of weeks in Baltimore, but if he is around for 2019, he will be one of the few familiar faces returning.