AL East Sleepers: Baltimore Orioles

Starting this season, the Orioles will be one of the more interesting teams in the division for what should be the better part of the decade. The top of the minors are awash with upper echelon pitching prospects (Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta) to go along with plenty of reinforcements in the low minors. The lineup card is stocked with building blocks that are either locked up long-term (Nick Markakis) or have just started their arbitration clock (Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold).

While the 2010 season may not be the year of the Oriole, it will be a significant landmark in the progress of the club. The team is not expected to “compete” in the classical sense, in that they will still likely finish either fourth or fifth behind the Sox, Rays, and Yanks. Yet, the team could, with a couple of breaks in the right direction, finish with a .500 record – the first time Baltimore has done so since 1997.

Now, on to the sleepers:

C Matt Wieters: This one should come as no surprise. Coming into 2009, Wieters was at the top of nearly every meaningful prospect list known to man. Switch-hitting catchers with the plate discipline, power, AND defensive capabilities of a Matt Wieters come around once in a generation. Accordingly, he was expected to perform much better than he ultimately did, .288/.340/.412. Even the perennially underwhelming and modest PECOTA projections pegged Wieters to hit 30 home runs…

4/19: One away from .500

It’s been nice facing the Orioles, hasn’t it? We’ve taken the first two, can Jon Lester turn it around and help us take the first three?

BOS 6, BAL 4: Three and counting

Kevin Youkilis launched a three-run homer over the Green Monster giving Boston a 4-0 lead in the third inning. Then, Mike Lowell singled to center making it a five run gap. And for the first time this season the Red Sox finally held onto an early lead.

Know Thine Enemy 2009: Baltimore Orioles

It’s time for Fire Brand’s annual Know Thy Enemy series, one where we reveal our division standing predictions over the course of the week by taking you into each division rival and examining what we will have to deal with.

Today, we talk fifth place; the consensus by Fire Brand to host that spot are the Baltimore Orioles.

Their offense, like it was last year, will be among the best in the league. The pitching? Terrible.