Baltimore Orioles Rumors: A Look into how the Orioles Fell to Fourth Place in the AL East

Before the start of the 2015 season, the Baltimore Orioles were expected to be a playoff contender. Now, toward the end of the season, the Orioles have fallen down to fourth place in the American League East with a losing record while the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees fight for first.

Here is a look back to see why the Orioles, who were the AL East Champions in 2014, fell toward the bottom.

Starting Rotation Not Effective

The Orioles starting rotation was not as reliable this season. The pitchers are currently ranked 13th in the AL in innings pitched and ERA. The Orioles leader, Bud Norris went 2-9 with an ERA of 7.06 this season before being traded to the San Diego Padres. Last year, he recorded 15 wins with a 3.65 ERA.

Lost Nelson Cruz

The Orioles failed to find someone at left field after they lost Nelson Cruz in free agency last winter. The 10 players that the Orioles have used at left field this season have a combined OPS of .602.

Too Many Strikeouts

The Baltimore offense continues to show a lack of discipline by swinging away at pitches. They currently have the fourth-highest strikeout total in the majors. They are also ranked 25th in walks.

Failing to Win on the Road 

The Orioles have not been able to win much away from home. They are 28-45 on the road, a record that is the fifth worst out of the 30 MLB teams. The teams that have a worse away record include the Philadelphia Phillies (23-49), Atlanta Braves (22-52), Miami Marlins (25-43) and the Cincinnati Reds (26-42).

"For the Orioles to get back to playing winning baseball, we need to do a lot of things better," Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said. "We need to draft better. We need to develop better. We need to procure players better. We need to coach better, and we need play better. We need to do all of those things better."

Expect the Orioles to have a "big winter."