Threat Level: 8
Buck Showalter has ushered in a new era of Baltimore Orioles baseball. With his mastery managing skills, he has made the O’s competitive again. Yeah, he also took over at a time when the Orioles, as a franchise, were grooming good, young talent, but Buck has showcased these young players. Their lineup is fairly strong and the addition of Nelson Cruz in the offseason was big. Hopefully Manny Machado can make a full recovery from his scary injury last season. He may start the season on the DL, which, in the long run, may be the best option anyway. But like most teams in baseball, it comes down to the starting pitching. I am hesitant to place the Orioles at a higher threat than 8 for this season, since I don’t feel as though they have an ace. Ubaldo Jimenez is a fly ball pitcher in a homer-happy ballpark. Not really the best fit. However, they have potential aces in Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman. If those two pan out, then this team can reach the next level.
Major Acquisition: Nelson Cruz
It’s true, Nelson Cruz pulls his hamstring every season, but in the other 142 games Cruz plays in, he rakes and hitting in Baltimore should only help his power numbers, which in turn could lead to a big payday after the season, since he only signed a 1 year deal to play for the Orioles.
Projected Lineup
1. Nick Markakis RF
2. Manny Machado 3B
3. Chris Davis 1B
4. Adam Jones CF
5. Nelson Cruz DH
6. Matt Wieters C
7. J.J. Hardy SS
8. David Lough LF
9. Jonathan Schoop 2B
Projected Starting Rotation
1. Chris Tillman RHP
2. Ubaldo Jimenez RHP
3. Wei-Yin Chen LHP
4. Bud Norris RHP
5. Miguel Gonzalez RHP
Closer
Tommy Hunter RHP
Yankee Killer: Chris Davis
Davis only has a .250 career average against the Yankees, but it was a different story for him in 2013. In 19 games, Davis crushed 7 home runs and drove in 16 runs while batting a respectable .288. If his 2013 season was any indication, he may be a problem in 2014 as well.
Oriole Killer: Jacoby Ellsbury
It doesn’t seem to matter the opponent, but players seem to just have great numbers against the Orioles. So, Ellsbury should fit right in when they play the O’s with a .342 batting average, 10 long balls, and 33 stolen bases, the most swipes against any team. And like most Yankees, Ellsbury loves hitting in Camden Yards, where he has a .352 average and 22 steals in only 45 games! That’s a stolen base every other game! Hopefully he continues to bring that speed to Baltimore in 2014.
When They Play The Yankees:
IN NY: 4/7-4/9 (FIRST HOME SERIES), 6/20-6/22, 9/22-9/25.
IN Bal: 7/11-7/13, 8/11-8/13, 9/12-9/14.
