CTOD: Baltimore Orioles

For the first time in years, possibly a decade, there is tempered enthusiasm in Baltimore. The enthusiasm stems from an amazing finish under new manager Buck Showalter last season, a solid group of young players, and an active offseason that filled some large holes in the roster. Temperance for the enthusiasm comes from the mountain of a challenge that is involved in climbing the AL East, where all four teams in the division won more than 85 games last year.



It is hard to imagine what would have happened last season if the team hadn't signed Buck Showalter. The Orioles went 34-23 after signing the new skipper and still lost 96 games, good for second worst in the AL. Despite this good finish, the front office completely revamped the offense in the offseason. Derek Lee, Vlad Guerrero, Mark Reynolds, and J.J. Hardy were all added to the starting lineup and should bring more reliable performance. They join the underrated Luke Scott, possibly Baltimore's best player, Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, and Adam Jones in what should be a very balanced offence. However, knowing what to expect from the youngsters Wieters, Jones, and Markakis is difficult. All three have been on the verge of superstardom in the past but have struggled to take the next step. Jones refuses to take a walk while both Wieters and Markakis have struggled to hit the ball with any consistent authority. If this team is going to eventually compete in the AL East then these three need to become the star players so many people projected them to be.

Things become more unpredictable when evaluating the Orioles pitching. Brian Matusz will anchor the rotation in his second full season after a respectable rookie campaign. While Matusz is good, and could become great with a few adjustments, he isn't exactly a lockdown ace. Behind him, journeyman Jeremy Guthrie provides consistent performance and can easily eat up 200 innings. After those two things get intriguing. Chris Tillman and Zach Britton both have excellent minor league numbers and are favorites to get regular turns in the rotation. However, projecting success for minor league pitchers in the show is always difficult. Tillman was absolutely hammered in 11 starts last season and will be happy for a fresh slate this season. Britton has yet to step on the rubber during a regular season game but has only given up one run in 14 innings this spring. If Tillman, Britton, and Matusz can continue to develop then many of the Orioles faithful think they the same recipe for success that Tampa Bay has perfected.

Overall, Baltimore should be better this year because of the additions to the offense but the young players that the Orioles are banking on have struggled thus far in the big leagues. They really need some of these prospects to pan into superstars if they are going to compete in the best division in baseball.

Prediction: 5th AL East. The good news is they will be interesting to watch, the bad news is that the O's fans are probably in for a letdown.

Surprise Player: Zach Britton.

Britton is my pre-season favorite for AL ROY as he looks poised to get a fair share of starts this year. Although Britton doesn't have the outstanding minor league strikeout numbers that are often typical of can't miss pitching prospects, he does feature decent control while generating a huge amount of groundballs. The ability to keep the ball in the park is the main reason why I seem him having success immediately in the big leagues.