How will Baltimore do this season?

Unfortunately for Baltimore fans they will again finish behind the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays. Thanks goodness for Tampa Bay or they would be the cellar dwellers of the East.

They did nothing really to improve their situation while the Yankees, Sox and Jays got stronger during the off season. They will lose 90 plus games again I'm afraid and will be out of the race by the all star break. Too bad, great city, great ball park but not a very good team.

The Orioles are in tough spot in the ultra competitive AL East, and once again the biggest factor is going to be how well Leo Mazzone can mold the O's young, but talented rotation.

Infield: B

SS Migeul Tejada is year-in, year-out an All-Star, and the rock offensivley of the team. 3B Melvin Mora and 2B Brian Roberts had a big drop off from 2005, how and if they rebound will be important. 1B Kevin Millar is better as a bench role player.

Outfield: B

RF Nick Markakis is the player I'm most excited in seeing this season. Had a .290+ batting average, 16 HR and 62 RBI in his rookie campaign. I think he is due for a big sophomore follow up. CF Corey Patterson swiped 45 bags last season. And LF Aubrey Huff is the new addition, and should have bounce back season, returning to AL.

Catcher: B

Ramon Hernandez had a break out offensive season. He has a lot on his shoulders repeting what he did at the plate, and keeping tabs on the young pitching staff.

Starting Staff: B-

These guys will be the key to how high the O's fly in 2007. Leo Mazzone has lots of talen to work with. Erik Bedard I think is going to have a real break out season, and establish himself as the staff's ace. Kris Benson and Daniel Cabrera need to improve. Benson's transition to the AL was predictably bumpy, and Cabrera is so erratic. Another year under Mazzone will help. Jaret Wright will also reunite with Mazzone, the pitching coach he had the most success with (15-8, 3.28 ERA with Mazzone in Atlanta during the '05 campagin). Adam Loewen is the most interesting of these guys in my book. He pitched well for Canada in the WBC, and has flashes of success.

Bullpen: B

The bullpen is full of guys with proven track records after ownership broke the bank to fill this spot up this offseason. No less than half the 'pen has come in from free agency. Jamie Walker (2.81 ERA), Chad Bradford (2.90 ERA, 45 Ks) are big pluses. Dannys Baez (9 saves, but 4.53 ERA in the NL) and Scott Williamson (5.72 ERA) though are questionably overpaid. Closer Chris Ray (33 saves) is one of the game's good young stoppers.

Bench & DH: C-

The bench is pretty awful. C Paul Bako (.209 BA) offers little at the back up spot. OFs Jason Stern and Freddie Bynum are a little too green to be good pitch hitters or good injury replacements. Chris Gomez (.341 BA) is a solid utlility infielder, and the only one I'd trust to come off the bench.

Jay Payton and Jay Gibbons are not the big boppers you'd like at the DH spot.

Overall: B-

The team's pitching staff in a more friendly division might get the chance to develop into something really special. But the offenses in Boston, the Bronx and Toronto more likely than not will burn them. Bullpen is better, and offense when running on all cylinders is pretty good. Depth on the team is question mark, as is the team's resiliency, in a rough and tumle AL East. They've had some recent campaigns where they've come out on fire out of the gate only to cool off to obscurity come summer time.

An improving team, that will stun those who fall asleep on them. 75-77 wins, and 4th in the division.

As a lifelong Orioles fan it's sad to say that they will once again finish in 4th place (probably after teasing the fans with a decent first half of the season... after the all-star break they will once again fade down the stretch). Now why are the Orioles going to do so poorly is another question, and my answer is lousy ownership... someone needs to buy this team from Peter Angelos. Cal Ripken anyone?

They might win the minor league championship but in the majors they are going to suck.

I don't have a reason because im not familliar with Baltimore. But i see them coming last in there division.

If not last, then second.

4th, 75-79 wins

Sadly I see them finish in 4th place.

poorly with jaret wright your staring pitcher

about average.