Why does Orioles’ Mansolino change relievers so often? | MAILBAG

Question: Why is it that when a relief pitcher comes in and pitches a perfect inning, he’s yanked? The manager brings in a new reliever the next inning and many times he’s pounded and we lose the game. Hyde did that a lot and Mansolino is doing it. This right or lefty batters is being way overblown. My Wednesday brunch group in total think it is ridiculous, From: Jackie Brown

Answer: Jackie, I get what you’re saying, but using a pitcher for an inning instead of two may enable them to be used on consecutive days. Managers, not just Oriole managers, rely on analytics, and they look closely at success against left-handed or right-handed batters. That’s not going to change.

Question: I was once asked what I consider the most important factor for evaluating how good a player is. I answered, “Their batting average.” I was mocked for being an old-timer. So what in your opinion is the most important feature in a player’s portfolio? From: Timothy Fowler

Answer: Tim, if I had to break it down to one statistic, I would say OPS because that combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and it’s something that’s more widely followed in the industry than batting average.

Let’s take Gunnar Henderson. In 2024, his batting average was .281. So far this year, he’s hitting .276. If you looked at batting average alone, you’d say his 2025 was nearly as good as 2024, but it’s not.

His OPS last year was .893, and so far this year, it’s .795, a huge difference. He’s on pace for about 20 home runs and 60 RBIs, down significantly from 37 and 92 last year.

I think Henderson’s second half is likely going to be better than his first half, but I’d be surprised if his OPS rises 100 points in the second half.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.