Does Jeremiah Jackson have a future with the Orioles?

Question:  I read your review on Jeremiah Jackson, and I guess I’m disappointed and confused. Jackson seemed much more solid at the bat than most of the big names in Baltimore. I honestly believe he was only behind Pete Alonso as the MVP of the team in batting average.

The names that stick in my head as having incredibly subpar years are Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, although he started to warm up at the end of the season, Heston Kjerstad and Tyler O’Neill.

Jackson brought his bat and an excitement that most Baltimore fans would agree with. From: Wayne Kendig 

Answer: Wayne, I’ve also noticed that lots of Oriole fans like Jeremiah Jackson. He’s a very likable guy.

Jackson can play multiple positions, which is good, but his batting was so weak in the second half of the season that it brought his WAR (Wins Above Replacement) to .1, which means on average he wasn’t contributing much more than a random player.

It’s possible that he’ll return to the Orioles next season, but he’ll have to hit much better and be more selective at the plate to make more of an impact on the team.

Question:  In your article on the Oriole options for catcher, you mention pitch framing rankings within MLB. How important is that stat with the ABS system? From: Victor Gardner, Richmond, Virginia

Answer: Victor, pitch framing is still important because unsuccessful challenges in ABS are limited to two per game. If there was a robotic umpire used instead of the system, then it wouldn’t be as important.

Not every missed call is challenged, and while ABS has been excellent for the game, umpires’ accuracy rates still show errors.

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.