The question is the same, but for vastly different reasons. Two months ago, during spring training, the Orioles were left to wonder who would man their corner outfield spots, and the candidates hadn't emerged.

Joey Rickard was a Rule 5 draft pick, Mark Trumbo was a question mark in right field, and neither Nolan Reimold nor Hyun Soo Kim were hitting much at all.

Yet six weeks into the season, one of the biggest differences between this year's front-running edition of the Orioles and the one that disappointed last season is the production from the corner outfield spots. The question is still which of the cadre of corner outfielders gets to play every day, but not because they aren't hitting. They are.

“It's been an improvement,” executive vice president Dan Duquette said. “We've had an upgrade from over a year ago, and the guys are doing a good job. Nolan, we had, but Nolan's healthy and contributing, and he, Rickard, Trumbo — they're all contributing. They all have different skill sets, so it's a pretty good complement to one another. They help the team.”

The outfielders who are replacing the 15 players the Orioles cycled through left and right field last season are giving them more production.

Last year's collection of left fielders was among the worst in baseball, ranking 24th in the league with minus-2 wins above replacement, as well as a .210 batting average (29th) and a .640 OPS (27th). This year, the left-field corps ranks fifth in the league with a .323 average and an .842 OPS.

In right field, the Orioles had a minus-3.3 WAR last season, to rank 26th in the majors, batting .275 (ninth) with a .767 OPS (12th). The Orioles' .328 average in right field is the best in the league this year, with their right field OPS of .905 third best.

Both positions are barely above even in WAR because of some early defensive struggles, but even that aspect has come around over the past few weeks and could swing back in their favor.

It's an early point of pride for the players involved, from starters Trumbo and Rickard to the reserves who are being kept out of the lineup, Reimold and Kim.

“I think everybody's just trying to do their part,” Trumbo said. “It's hard to script how things are going to go, but I think with the amount of work and the quality guys that we have, I'm not terribly surprised that everyone's contributing the way that they are.

“I guess quite a few of us haven't been here to see whatever strengths or weaknesses that the common perception is, but I think we're all just trying to take a lot of pride in doing what we can to make the team better.”

Trumbo, who has slugged his way into the everyday role with a team-leading 11 home runs and 27 RBIs entering Friday, has locked down right field against right-handed pitchers. Against left-handers, it's Reimold who enters the outfield mix, with Trumbo moving to designated hitter.

Reimold often takes over in left field for Rickard, who moves to right field. Rickard, who has raised his average to .280 with a .724 OPS over the past few games, relishes the chance to contribute at a position where the Orioles badly needed stability.

“It's something special, and it's something you work hard for,” Rickard said. “You kind of rely on the guys around you to make you feel comfortable and make you bring out the best of your abilities, in a way. It's exciting. You just try to find any way to help the team.”

Rickard is the everyday left fielder because of the spring struggles of Kim, who entered camp penciled into that role but went hitless in his first 24 plate appearances. He ended the spring out of the lineup as the team sought to send him to Triple-A to continue his adjustment after a standout career in South Korea.

Kim has played in nine games, making six starts and compiling a .478/.538/.522 line. He's played sporadically but has not given many reasons to leave him on the bench.

“He's made a contribution whenever he's been in the lineup, and I'm sure he's working hard to observe and make adjustments to everything he had to make an adjustment to, and then be ready when he gets the opportunity,” Duquette said.

But because of the production they're already getting in the outfield, there's nowhere for Kim or Reimold to play. Reimold has been just as productive in a slightly larger sample, batting .348/.400/.609 with three home runs in 20 games while facing mostly left-handed starters.

jmeoli@baltsun.com

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