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2010 BALTIMORE ORIOLES PREVIEW
2009 continued a long stretch of futility for the O’s as they stumbled to a 64-98 record in the extremely difficult AL East. While it has never been easy to compete with the Red Sox and Yankees, the emergence of the Rays as a third powerhouse has officially made life miserable for the Orioles.
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However, they cannot be accused of throwing in the towel on the 2010 season. Baltimore made a few major additions, bringing in starter Kevin Millwood, closer Mike Gonzalez and 1st Baseman Garret Atkins in free agency to bolster a team dominated by potential and inexperience. Can the Orioles find the right mix to bring back some of their glorious tradition this season?
STARTING PITCHING
Acquiring Millwood (13-10, 3.67 ERA, 31 Starts, 198 IP, 3 CG) was a shrewd move as he has spent the past few seasons pitching in Texas’ longball-friendly home confines and won’t be cowed as he plies his trade in the hitter’s paradise that is Camden Yards. He’ll also provide a strong veteran presence to Baltimore’s developing rotation. The other veteran is Jeremy Guthrie (10-17, 5.04 ERA, 33 Starts, 200 IP), who will look to regain his 2007-08 form, which resulted in him posting 17 victories and a 3.66 ERA. Expect him to bounce back in 2010 and serve as a solid 2nd starter.
The final three spots will be filled by a number of rising youngsters. 24 year old Brad Bergesen (7-5, 3.43 ERA, 19 Starts, 123 IP) was really impressive in 2009 before missing the last two months of the season with a shin bruise and is the best bet of the young corps to produce a strong season. 23 year old Brian Matusz (5-2, 4.63 ERA, 8 Starts) has exceptional stuff and is seen as a major prospect. Another youngster who is known for his strong arsenal is 22 year old Chris Tillman (2-5, 5.40 ERA in 12 Starts), who joins Bergesen and Matusz among the list of prospects that have Oriole fans salivating. The final candidate is David Hernandez (4-10, 5.42 ERA, 19 Stats), who pitched well as a rookie in 2009 until he collapsed down the stretch. Expect that experience to bear fruit in 2010. Overall, there is a lot of young talent that will take the mound at Camden Yards but it is extremely unlikely that the Orioles will be able to boast a strong five man rotation in 2010 due to inexperience. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, it will be unlikely for so many young starters to capitalize on their potential all at once.
BULLPEN
The biggest priority during the offseason was to acquire someone to shut down opponents in the 9 th inning and Baltimore succeeded as they brought in Mike Gonzalez (2.42 ERA in 80 Games, 10 Saves), who pitched extremely well while platooning the 9 th inning in Atlanta last season. Gonzalez has a few dominant seasons under his belt and should be a lockdown closer whenever he gets the chance.
The rest of the bullpen is a concern. Former closer Jim Johnson (4.11 ERA in 64 Games, 10 Saves) was underwhelming as a stopper in 2009 and should be much better cast as a setup man for the O’s this season. Cla Meredith (3.99 ERA in 64 Games) was a workhorse last season and is one of the most proven arms at the Orioles’ disposal. But after that, there are some serious concerns. Dennis Sarfate (5.09 ERA in 20 Games) struggled with injury and consistency, Matt Albers (5.51 ERA in 56 Games) was durable but hittable and youngster Kam Mickolio (3.80 ERA in 11 Games) impressed in a short stint but has only made 20 career MLB appearances. While there is some talent on hand, especially at the back end, there are a lot of holes to fill in the bullpen and that could prove costly against the vicious bats of the AL East.
INFIELD
If there is one position of strength on the Baltimore roster, it is their infield. 2nd Baseman Brian Roberts (.283, 16 HR, 79 RBI, 30 SB, 110 R, 179 Hits, .356 OBP) is one of the elite top of the lineup hitters in all of baseball and should continue to cause all sorts of chaos on the base paths. He will be joined by new acquisition Atkins (.226, 9 HR, 48 RBI, .308 OBP), who is coming off of the worst season of his career in Colorado and will be trying to regain his stroke in the toughest division in baseball. While he could undergo a career rebirth this season, there is definitely some concern that he was a product of the altitude in Denver. Also concerning is former shortstop and now 3rd Baseman Miguel Tejada (.313, 14 HR, 86 RBI, 199 Hits, .340 OBP), whose power numbers are dwindling and might actually be 40 years old due to a doctored birth certificate. He’s been replaced at Short by the more athletic Cesar Izturis (. 256, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 12 SB, .294 OBP), who clearly is starting because he is a defensive guru.
Finally, we would be remiss to not give a special mention to the most popular Oriole, catcher Matt Wieters (.288, 9 HR, 43 RBI, .340 OBP in 96 Games), who impressed after a slow start as a rookie and has ‘superstar’ written all over him. His athletic gifts and potential are so obvious that Oriole fans actually created a ‘Matt Wieters Facts’ website, which include ‘facts’ that include ‘Matt Wieters has a swing that harnesses the power of 10,000 suns’ and ‘Matt Wieters Beat Cancer. Literally. With his bat. There is no more cancer.’ Perhaps this exercise in humor is Baltimore fans’ way of dealing with a decade of futility but there is no doubt that Wieter could easily be a superstar in 2010 and anchor an improved Oriole infield.
OUTFIELD
One of the most underrated players in all of baseball is rightfielder Nick Markakis (.293, 18 HR, 101 RBI, 94 R, 188 Hits, .347 OBP), who has driven in 300 runs in the last three years. While he will need to refocus on drawing more walks in 2010 after setting a career low in On Base Percentage last season, there should be no question that Markakis is the centerpiece of Baltimore’s lineup.
The rest of the outfield is also young and talented. Centerfielder Adam Jones (.277, 19 HR, 70 RBI, 10 SB, .335) hit .345 over the first two months of the season last year before sputtering towards the finish line. As he’s only 24, it would not be surprising if he broke out in a big way in 2010. Meanwhile, leftfielder Nolan Reimold (.279, 15 HR, 45 RBI, .365 OBP in 104 Games), who was a pleasant surprise as a rookie last year, joins Jones and Markakis to form a young and talented outfield. Don’t forget about DH Luke Scott (.258, 25 HR, 77 RBI, .340 OBP), who will hit with power in the middle of the lineup. There is a lot of potential in this group.
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OUTLOOK
There is no question that the Orioles should be an improved team in 2010. Their pitching rotation has more talent and will benefit from Millwood’s veteran presence. Meanwhile, their lineup will be much more dangerous as their young stars gain valuable experience while proven hitters like Markakis, Tejada and Scott maintain their stellar plate presences. The problem is that the Orioles have to play nearly 60 games this season against the likes of Boston, New York and Tampa Bay, three of the best teams in Major League Baseball! While Baltimore’s young team should allow the Orioles to jump out of the basement and compete for a .500 finish, they’re still way behind the titans of the East. Expect Baltimore to win around 75 games and finish 4th in the AL East while giving their fans hope that their young team will be able to compete in future seasons.
By Matt Baxendell
MLBcenter.com Staff Writer
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