Who has best outfield arm in Orioles history? | MAILBAG

Question: Who has the best arm among outfielders in Orioles history? From: Timothy Fowler

Answer: Tim, I discussed your question with a few other longtime observers of Orioles baseball, and there were many names thrown around.

They included Paul Blair, Joe Orsulak, Eric Davis, Brady Anderson, Austin Hays and Jackie Brandt.

After much thought and consultation, I’m going to say Nick Markakis. He twice won the Gold Glove and twice led American League rightfielders in assists.

I know that Blair is considered the best centerfielder in team history, but he played a shallow center, and didn’t have a great arm. Orsulak had 22 assists in 1991, but his arm wasn’t as strong as Markakis’.

Question: Have there been any talks about an extension for Taylor Ward? Seems the young core isn’t pulling its weight and Ward as an everyday player or platoon is a real asset moving forward. From: Paul Sullivan

Answer: Paul, I haven’t heard of any extension talks involving Ward, and I’d be surprised if he signed an extension. He’ll be a free agent after this season, and it wouldn’t surprised me if the Orioles extended him a qualifying offer and he accepted.

I wonder what kind of a market there would be for Ward if he didn’t display more power, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he returned in 2027.

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.