Orioles: New Pitchers; Chance at the Wild Card

[acsguitar]

Now I know that their are lots of Boston fans who think that the Sox will win the division...I am a yankees fan so i know this to be false...but lets look at the Orioles...

Daniel Cabrera is now starting for them and pitched excellent in his major league debut (to early to say anything but lets just go with it)

Rodrigo Lopez is back to the starting rotation...If he can pitch as well as he has been in relief then i'd say the orioles are looking good..

Im just saying the O's could have a shot at the playoffs or even the series if they can get a few pitchers rollin...

But the yanks will prevail!!

[Baseballer02]

The O's will be over .500, but I don't think there's a chance in hell they go to the playoffs. Both the Yanks and Sox could win 100 games.

[EK711]

Daniel Cabrera is now starting for them and pitched excellent in his major league debut (to early to say anything but lets just go with it)

I tend to agree with what I read the other day on Cabrera on Sportsline. Don't know much about the kid myself, but this made some sense to me:

Daniel Cabrera, SP, Baltimore
He did a fine job in his major-league debut last Thursday, shutting out the White Sox for six innings and earning a longer look as the Orioles' fifth starter. However, Cabrera might be in a little over his head at age 22. He had just five games' experience above Class A ball (all with Double-A Bowie this season), and is coming off a year where he was rather inconsistent with his command. Cabrera has a lightning arm, throws a mid-90s fastball and decent slider, but he regularly racks up high pitch counts and doesn't last deep into games. For a pitcher who allowed just two hits and three walks in his debut, Cabrera's 91 pitches seem fairly high, especially since only 51 of those were strikes. He probably benefited from facing a team that had no scouting reports on him, but the league shouldn't take long to catch up to his stuff. Cabrera seems likely to be knocked back to the minors before the All-Star break, so while he's worth the short-term gamble in AL-only formats, he's better in keeper leagues.

If the O's could get some pitching help they could very well make a great run at the East. Unfortunately I don't think Cabrera and Lopez are this year's answers. NY and Boston neither have played as well as they are capable of (NY because of a slow start, and Boston because of injuries), so Baltimore's chances are just going to go downhill as the year goes on. If Baltimore were only in the Central, then they'd have a good shot at the postseason.

[G-Man]

I heard an interesting point made that at first I scoffed at but after thinking about it, might be accurate:

the AL East is the most competitive (toughest to win) division in all of the 4 major sports.

[matmat]

Yankees and RedSox will most likely split the division title and wild-card.
Baltimor will finish with a better record than the AL Central champion .... and miss the playoffs.

[Pogotheostrich]

I can't see anyway Baltimore makes the playoffs. The rotation still isn't that good to beat out NY and Boston in the East. Throw in either the A's or Angels in the the WC mix with either Boston and NY. Baltimore will be watching from home come October.

[SaintsOfTheDiamond]

I can't see anyway Baltimore makes the playoffs. The rotation still isn't that good to beat out NY and Boston in the East. Throw in either the A's or Angels in the the WC mix with either Boston and NY. Baltimore will be watching from home come October.

I don't like either of these two to make the WC unless the Yanks or Sox fall off the face of the earth, but they have a better chance than the O's.

[SaintsOfTheDiamond]

Yankees and RedSox will most likely split the division title and wild-card.
Baltimor will finish with a better record than the AL Central champion .... and miss the playoffs.

That too.

[Jer19G]

Cabrera will have some trouble, but could be very valuble in the future. As for the rest of the rotation, they could be good in a few years... Cabrera, Ainsworth, Dubose, Bautista, Riley (etc.) , but this year the O's are gonna have to hope that Rodrigo and Ponson pitch well. I don't think there is any chance of the O's making the playoffs this year. In 2 years, though, it could be a different story.

[ajgnydc722]

I didn't even have Baltimore beating out Toronto in my pre-season predictions, though I think that's changed. Baltimore still has a ways to go to beat out Boston or New York.