Baltimore Orioles – Home Sweet Home

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The defending American League East Champion Baltimore Orioles certainly didn’t get off to the start they wanted in 2015, but thanks to a May to June surge, the team finds themselves right in the thick of the playoff race.

As of July 6, the Orioles currently sit second in the division, just one game behind the first-place New York Yankees. Naturally, Baltimore also find themselves tied for the second American League Wild Card slot with the Minnesota Twins, and just a game back of the leading Los Angeles Angels.

While the ability to finally hit in clutch situations and close out games with their stellar bullpen is a large factor to Baltimore’s success, it’s easy to see one of biggest advantages this team has comes from the friendly confines of Camden Yards. Baltimore boasts the best home record in the AL, with a 26-16 record compared to just 17-23 on the road.

But what makes this team tick better at home than on the road? Well, you can first look at the potent lineup, which only gets better at home. While many of the averages remain equal or close to both at home and on the road, it’s easy to see the difference in power numbers between Camden Yards and opposing ballparks. Chris Davis seems to be the biggest beneficiary, collecting 14 home runs at Camden Yards to just 4 on the road.

Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Jimmy Parades, and Delmon Young all enjoy the home cooking as well, collectively slugging 78% more home runs at home vs. away (25 v. 14). Beyond the long ball, the Orioles also maintain a batting average that’s 30 points higher at home (.272 v .242) and are second only to Toronto in the MLB for offensive output at home.

Naturally, one would expect the Orioles pitching staff to take a slight hit while playing at Camden Yards, but that’s not the case. The staff’s ERA is 3.63 at home v. 3.72 on the road.

So while it can be argued that Camden Yards is without questions a hitter’s park, the numbers don’t seem to fluctuate enough when the Orioles are on the mound. The better argument is that the Orioles are just simply better at home. Baltimore will undoubtedly use this advantage to try and lock up a playoff berth and grab home-field advantage heading into October.