I still can’t really believe what a nice start the Orioles are having. We knew this team was improved, we knew they were better, but this better? Despite being destroyed in the nightcap last night the Orioles are off to one of their best starts in a decade. But what is really impressive is how they are doing it: They are just playing solid baseball.
They aren’t out-slugging anyone, they aren’t winning games in fluky late-inning fashion they are just playing very solid fundamental baseball. The pitching, outside of the two losses, has been phenomenal; the defense has been more than solid and the offense has been timely if not exactly over-powering. Jones and Scott finally seem to be warming up as does Reynolds but no one on the team is hitting with an OPS over .800 right now.
Wieters continues to show very little power, and that is a concern. He is SLG at a .216 rate and that simply won’t do. Matt showed little real power in spring training and the longer this drought goes on the more of a concern it will be. At the same time the young catcher has been masterful behind the plate calling great games and playing great defense.
Zach Britton has been ridiculously good. There is no other way to say it. You worry about what he will look like as the league starts to adjust to him but for right now Britton simply tore through the Rays and Rangers’ lineups, he certainly is making the most of his early call-up though no one is denying that he deserved to be here. Britton wasn’t held down due to his talent, effort or production; he was held down due to contract and free agency planning nothing more, nothing less.
We all knew he was good, but this good? Simply amazing.
I think the one thing you can point to in the early season to see the real improvement of the 2011 Orioles is the depth that has stepped up so far. The Orioles have been bit by the injury bug early. Brian Matusz, Luke Scott, JJ Hardy, and Jeremy Guthrie have all missed time with injuries. We are used to seeing key Orioles go down with seemingly fluky injuries but what we aren’t used to are the backups and callups responding and the Orioles still winning games.
Frankly, I’m not used to it. For the last seven years, on various forums and blogs, I have been writing about struggling teams and staying optimistic. This Orioles team, its really throwing me for a loop – but I will gladly take it.
In other news and views…
The best thing that could have happened to the Rays this year was Manny Ramirez retiring. I said in the Winter that the Manny sigining reeked of desperation and would end in tears. It turns out I was right, but I didn’t expect this. I just expected him to suck and sulk not necessarily in that order. The Rays need to stick with what works and that is their young, talent-flush system. Sitting at 1-7 and in the shadow of Manny the Rays may end up being sellers sooner than later. The first man on the block would probably be James Shields.
The Red Sox stink. Man that feels good to say. I am a huge fan of situations where giants fall. The Red Sox were anointed by everyone and their cousin as the team to beat in the AL East but the longer they struggle the more wide open this division becomes. Looking at the standings today and seeing both the Rays and the Sox sitting at 1-7 it fills one with equal parts bewilderment and excitement. You don’t want to get too excited because it is April after all and every Orioles fan knows how fast things may fall apart but still it is a downright mouth-watering prospect seeing the Orioles in first place.
Coming up…
The Orioles go for their third series win to start the season this afternoon. Jeremy Guthrie returning from hospitalization due to a minor case of pneumonia will try to build off his masterful start against Tampa to start the year. Guts and the Orioles will be going up against Texas left-hander Derek Holland. Holland pitched six solid innings in his win against the Mariners earlier this month building off of a serviceable Summer in 2010.
After an off day tomorrow the Orioles will get their next big test will come Tuesday when they open up a three game series in the Bronx.
