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Austin Hays hits for the cycle as Baltimore Orioles continue to surprise

By Darren Klein

May 5, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Austin Hays (21) is interviewed after the game against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
May 5, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Austin Hays (21) is interviewed after the game against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Austin Hays of the Baltimore Orioles accomplished the rare feat of hitting a cycle on Wednesday night against the Washington Nationals. The most remarkable thing is that it only took six innings, and he got it done despite the game only lasting that long because of weather.

Hays was incredible as he has been all season for the Baltimore Orioles. Four at-bats was all that was needed for a single, home run, triple and the double to cap off the cycle. Hays is a 26-year-old outfielder who is among the reasons the Orioles are a surprising 31-39. They are currently on pace to win 71 games, which is well above their preseason expectations of 50-60 wins.

The Orioles are closer to the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays in the standings than the New York Yankees are. Nobody would’ve thought this was possible. It seems this team is well ahead of schedule and their rebuild could very well be accelerated. They’ve already given these teams fits, going 11-10 against them. It’s always a dogfight in the AL East but, slowly but surely, the Orioles are gaining some dogs to bring to the fight. If they were in another division, their rebuild would much quicker. Currently they are 7.5 games out for the final Wild Card spot heading into Friday’s action.

Let’s take an in-depth look at what Austin Hays has meant to the Baltimore Orioles this season.

Hays has 10 home runs, 40 RBI, and a batting average of .287 with an OPS of 829. These are all above-average numbers in around 250 at-bats. He’s not a dead pull hitter and will use the opposite field from time to time. Hays has only struck out 49 times and he’s in the 70 percentiles with that number as well as his hard hit percentage. He does need to improve his plate discipline with only 19 walks but, at 26, he has plenty of time to develop that. His OPS+ is 136 as well as his WRC+ and he is a WAR of close to 2.0. He’s on pace for over a 4-WAR season. He leads the Orioles in WAR, and he could be their lone representative in the All-Star game. He also leads the team in RBI, batting average, and OPS.

Next. Why these Orioles aren't going anywhere. dark

Hays is a big part of the reason this team will be very fun to watch for the rest of the season. It’s becoming a team that few teams will want to play in the second half of the season.

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