The Baltimore Orioles were once a proud franchise, but after finishing in the bottom half of the American League East in 11 of the last 12 years, this team has become an afterthought in the division. That could change in the coming seasons though, as Baltimore has a lot of young players who are gaining experience.
The outfield of Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold, and Adam Jones is very talented, and Matt Wieters is one of the most promising catchers in the game. However, the Orioles were just 64-98 a year ago, and they were outscored by 135 runs on the year. This team is going to have to make a pretty big jump if they want to contend in the AL East.
Pitching
Will the real Jeremy Guthrie please stand up? In 2007 and 2008 this guy was a stud who posted ERAs of 3.70 and 3.63, respectively. Then last year he imploded, racking up a 5.04 ERA and a 10-17 record. While he does give up too many home runs, I see him having a bounce back season.
Kevin Millwood is getting paid a lot of money to eat up innings and mentor this young staff. He wasn’t bad in Texas last year, going 13-10 with a 3.67 ERA in just under 200 innings. Hopefully he can help bring along young starters Chris Tilman, Brian Matusz, David Hernandez, and Bradley Bergesen.
Bergesen surprised me last year with a 7-5 record and a 3.43 ERA. Mike Gonzalez was brought in from Atlanta to anchor the bullpen, where he racked up 90 Ks in just 74.1 innings in 2009.
Lineup
Brian Roberts sets the table once again, and has been one of the most consistent 2B in the game, but he’s had some health issues this spring and his steal rate has dropped dramatically the past few years. If Jones keeps progressing, he could be a superstar. Markakis had a slightly down year in 2009, but I like his ability to consistently hit close to .300 and drive in runs.
Reimold had a stellar rookie campaign, and Luke Scott can fill in for any of the outfielders, in addition to serving as the designated hitter. He doesn’t hit for a high average, but he does have some decent power. Wieters is primed for a big sophomore season after being the most hyped rookie a year ago. Miguel Tejada was brought back to play 3B, Garret Atkins comes from Colorado to play either 1B or 3B, and Ty Wiggington has the same flexibility.
Prediction
If you look at the MLB odds , this team is predicted to win 73.5 games. In my 2010 Baltimore Orioles predictions , I broke down why I think this team doesn’t make it to 74 wins. If you are making MLB picks on season win totals, go with the UNDER.
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