At this point, almost all Baltimore Orioles fans know the story of Dylan Bundy. The former top draft pick and top pitching prospect finally saw extended time in the majors in 2016 after Tommy John surgery earlier in his career.
In 2016, he was solid for Baltimore in 36 games (14 starts). He brought some stability to the Orioles rotation and showed flashes of brilliance throughout the summer. Although he gave up 109 hits and 18 home runs, his 4.02 earned run average was respectable and his 104 strikeouts in 109 2/3 innings were encouraging, making his season a relative success.
But now it is time for Bundy to take the next step.
It could be now or never if he is ever going to be the top-notch starter that the Orioles were expecting. He now has a prime opportunity to move up the ladder of Baltimore’s rotation in 2017.
Last season he was moved to the starting rotation to provide a jolt, but this year will be completely different. In 2017, behind Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman, Bundy will be expected to be one of the anchors of the Baltimore rotation.
The Orioles don’t have much that they can rely on for certain behind those three. Both Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez have struggled in their short Baltimore careers. That means it’s all on Bundy to be the Orioles’ number three starter.
And there is still plenty of time for Bundy to live up to those lofty original expectations. At just 24 years old, he still has relatively his entire career ahead of him. No one is saying that he must be a Cy Young candidate this year, but he will have to improve.
But 2017 could be the first step in those eventual Cy Young plans. A big season from Bundy will be absolutely crucial for the Orioles playoff plans, meaning it’s time for Dylan Bundy to step up.
Troy Mauriello is a Staff Writer at Outside Pitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter @TroyMauriello and contact him by email at troy.mauriello@yahoo.com.
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