Kuzul

We’ve reached the midway point in the 2013 MLB season, and the Baltimore Orioles have provided plenty of intrigue during the first few months.

There have been plenty of surprises (Manny Machado’s doubles, Chris Davis’ home runs) and just as many disappointments (pitching struggles, injuries) throughout the season so far, as baseball often provides.

Heading into the second half, one interesting thing to keep an eye on will be whether or not players having strong years can keep that going as well as struggling players turning their years around.

Let’s take a look at how I think the second half of the season will treat every Orioles player.

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Heading into the 2013 season, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis wasn’t a well-known star in the Baltimore lineup.

Within four games, that’s changed.

Davis is off to a torrid start for Baltimore, helping the Orioles jump out a 3-1 record. Coming off a 33-home run season in 2012, Davis’ power is no secret around the league. His ability to harness it into superstar status may no longer be, either.

Despite a .501 slugging percentage in 2012, consistent playing time and a steady everyday position weren’t guaranteed to the Orioles slugger until Baltimore made the decision to let Mark Reynolds leave in the offseason.

That decision will be prescient if Davis continues to build on his early-season success, which is truly a continuation of his late-season surge in 2012.

The four home runs in four games to start 2013 is remarkable, but even more so when looking at his game logs from last September: Over his last 11 games, Davis has hit 11 home runs.

A September power surge leading to star status is reminiscent of what Toronto star Jose Bautista did in rising from obscurity to leader of the Blue Jays lineup in the blink of an eye.

Before dissecting whether Davis can be anything close to the next Bautista, as opposed to the new Chris Shelton, let’s compare their respective career numbers before the star-level breakouts occurred.

Jose Bautista was a below-average slugger from 2004 to ’09. There was a reason he bounced around from Tampa to to Kansas City to Pittsburgh to Baltimore to Toronto: He couldn’t hit consistently.

Sure, the swing and power were there, but Bautista struck out 434 times in just over 2,000 plate appearances. In other words, more than 20 percent of the time.

Unlike now, he wasn’t hitting for enough power or walking enough to offset the strikeouts. His 91 OPS+ and .729 OPS were both below average.

Davis, despite never receiving consistent playing time in Texas or Baltimore, is a more accomplished hitter heading into 2013 than Bautista was heading into his 2010 breakout.

Despite a strikeout-to-walk ratio that was significantly worse than Bautista‘s pre-breakout form, he has been a better home-run hitter and slugger throughout his young career.

The comparison becomes truly interesting when looking at the September numbers each put up before their breakout on the national stage.

In September of 2009, Bautista was unstoppable for a Blue Jays team that few bothered to watch. His .257 average and .339 on-base percentage weren’t eye-opening. The .606 slugging percentage and 10 September home runs were, however.

In September of 2012, Davis posted even more impressive numbers than Bautista did a few years back. The fact that he slugged 1.057 with 10 home runs in the midst of a pennant race should have received more attention than it did at the time.

Heading into 2010 few believed Bautista was truly a star in the making. The same can be said for Davis now.

In terms of raw power, the case can be made for Davis bringing more to the table than Bautista. His ability to flick his wrist and send the ball out to all fields is a weapon for Buck Showalter’s order.

There is a precedent for predicting bigger and better things for Davis.

Of course, there are the pitfalls in the Chris Davis 2013 MVP Campaign.

Although his body of work, power and big start lends Orioles fans to believe he can become that guy Bautista became for Toronto, he hasn’t yet corrected his biggest flaw: strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Bautista did. Much was made about Joey Bats changing his swing, but that didn’t tell the full story. He changed his swing and his approach at the plate. Not only did he hit for power; he made pitchers come into his wheelhouse, the same way Joey Votto does it now. It’s the way Barry Bonds did it for so many years.

In 2010, Bautista walked nearly equal to the amount of times (100-116) he struck out. In 2011, the year he finished 3rd in the AL MVP voting, he walked 21 more times than he struck out (132-111).

Until Davis shows major growth in that area, pitchers will generate easy outs by inducing bad contact and taking away his aggressiveness in pitchers’ counts. 

Last year, the Orioles slugger walked in 6.6 percent of his plate appearances. He struck out in 30.1 percent of his plate appearances.

Davis has great power, but it’s going to take a considerable leap in plate discipline to become the next Jose Bautista.

For Baltimore fans, enjoy the 30-plus home runs, but don’t expect to chant “MVP!” during Davis at-bats this summer.

Is Chris Davis baseball’s next star?

Comment below, follow me on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports or “Like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

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One of the biggest storylines heading into the 2013 season was whether the Baltimore Orioles could repeat their shocking run to the playoffs last season. Well, if Chris Davis keeps up his brilliant start to the campaign, the Orioles first baseman/designated hitter may carry them to the postseason by himself. 

The 27-year-old Davis socked a grand slam in Baltimore’s 9-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday, extending his streak to four consecutive games with a home run and setting a jaw-dropping record. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Davis’ 16 RBI in the season’s first four games are the most in Major League Baseball history:

To put Davis’ historic start into further perspective, he’s one game away from becoming the first player since the 1930s to have a home run and three-plus RBI in five straight games, per ESPN Stats & Information:

Thanks in large part to Davis’ hot start, Baltimore has looked great thus far. The Orioles have a 3-1 record, which puts them in a tie with the Boston Red Sox for first place in the American League East.

Davis has historically been a player whose peaks are ascendant and valleys are nearly as low. That likely means this small sample size is just an anomaly—an extremely impressive one at that.

Nevertheless, one has to wonder whether Davis is finally harnessing his abundant skill set. Davis hit 33 home runs and drove in 85 RBI last season, both career highs, while keeping his average at a very respectable .270. His uptick in play was a big reason Baltimore was able to capture its first postseason berth since 1997.

No one expects Davis to keep his current pace. Even with today’s technology, hitting 162 home runs with 648 RBI and a .600 batting average seems just a little unrealistic. 

That said, it’s not out of the question that Davis has morphed into one of the American League’s most fearsome sluggers overnight. 

Follow @tylerconway22

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I could not help but chuckle at the obnoxious Boston Red Sox fan shouting obscenities at Orioles first baseman Chris Davis Friday night at Fenway Park.

As Davis stepped to the plate in the top of the 13th inning, with the game tied at four, all I could hear was, “Go home Davis! Go home, you’re horrible!”

Two pitches later, Davis slipped a sharp ground ball past Boston’s first and second basemen to give the Orioles the lead.

This increasingly confident club never looked back, and after scoring another run in the top of the 13th, the Orioles defeated the Red Sox, 6-4.

In a positive development, Mark Reynolds, who had struggled mightily to this point in the season, went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI. Reynolds also had a double and a walk. Matt Wieters also had a pair of hits for the Orioles.

Wei-Yin Chen did not have his sharpest outing for the Birds, giving up three earned runs and five hits in five innings of work. But once again, the Orioles bullpen cashed in winning chips. Using five hurlers, the Orioles bullpen gave up zero runs in the next eight innings of play. Jim Johnson earned his eighth save for the Orioles.

On Boston’s side, Jon Lester had a bumpy starting go of it as well. He gave up three runs in six innings. The Red Sox bullpen matched the Orioles bullpen inning for inning. Or at least until the 13th inning when left-hander Franklin Morales gave up the winning runs to the Orioles.

Offensively for the Red Sox, Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-6. Dustin Pedroia added two hits with an RBI. David Ortiz, who had been scalding hot at the plate prior to this game, went 0-for-5 with an RBI.

With the victory the Orioles move to 17-9, which is good for second place in the American League East.

The Red Sox fall to 11-14, seven games behind the first place Tampa Bay Rays.

The Orioles and Red Sox play again Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm ET at Fenway Park.

Basebook me!

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Any success the Baltimore Orioles have this year depends heavily on the performance of several young players trying to prove that they belong in the MLB.

If all of these players improve and have solid seasons, the Orioles will win.

If all of these players regress and have bad seasons, the Orioles will lose.

In all likelihood some of these young players will meet expectations and others will fall short.

Here is a look at five of these players and whether they will step up to the challenge or fall flat on their face. 

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Chris Davis leads the majors with 15 RBI this spring.

He’s hitting .409 with an OPS of 1.247. Davis has seven doubles and four home runs in 44 at bats.

He destroyed Triple-A pitching last year hitting .327 with 14 HR and 80 RBI in 398 at bats. He tore up Triple-A pitching in 2009, also hitting .327 with six home runs and 30 RBI in 165 at bats.

His problem, though, is hitting at the Major League level.

After an impressive debut in 2008 that saw Davis hit .285 with 17 HRs and 55 RBI in 80 games, he was on the fast track to stardom. He kept his power stroke in 2009, hitting 21 HRs in 391 at bats, but managed to hit .238.

Last year was even worse for Davis: He hit .192 in 120 at bats, with just one home run.

The additions of Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli, along with the presence of Mitch Moreland, make it unlikely that Davis makes the club.

The Rangers could choose to move Davis, like they did with Justin Smoak last year. Considering how he raked in Triple-A and the bat he’s swinging this spring, his value may not be greater.

Time will tell if Davis gets a chance to deliver. If he gets dealt or is called up, just keep an open mind with him. He was a big time prospect before and he’s just 25.

Perhaps he just needs one more chance to deliver.

Fantasy Baseball Cheap Saves Alert

Brian Wilson, my top rated closer, is struggling with an oblique injury that could force him to miss Opening Day.

The injury isn’t considered serious, but he could miss a week or two. It’s also an injury that could be aggravated, so keep that in mind.

That said, I’m not knocking Wilson out of the top slot just yet. Heath Bell (No. 2) could potentially be traded at some point this year and Joakim Soria (No. 3) may struggle to get save opportunities for the lowly Royals.

If you are the type of fantasy player that scoops up short-term saves, then Sergio Romo is probably the player you want to add.

Romo had a 2.18 ERA last year and a 0.97 WHIP. He also had 70 strikeouts in 62 innings.

Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Value Picks
• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Closer Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Closer Rankings

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Julio Borbon is second in all off baseball in committing errors thus far in Spring Training. The league leaders in errors typically are infielders who have many more opportunities than outfielders. Borbon has five errors this Spring, he has a total of seven errors in his career in the regular season.

The Rangers in recent years have been proponents of competition amongst players, however with Julio they have broke away from that tradition. Manager Ron Washington stated early in the off-season that Borbon is going to be the opening day center-fielder, which left no room for competition, or any urgency for Borbon to play his best all-around ball to WIN his roster spot.

Behind Borbon there really is no true center-fielder, according to the Rangers that is. The Rangers want Borbon to be “the guy” so bad they’re forcing it on him.

Texas is so enamored with Borbon’s potential that it seems they do not want to look into any recourse for center-field. However I find it necessary to look at Borbon’s alternatives, so here’s three options the Rangers could execute in search of the best fit for the team in center-field.

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This just in: Texas Rangers first base prospect Chris Davis is having an excellent spring. Davis hit his third home run and ninth extra base hit in just 36 at bats against the Rockies on Wednesday. 

On a daily basis, Davis has been turning heads with his play. The formerly-touted first basemen of the future is showing exactly what Texas has hoped out of its 24 year-old slugger.

There’s just one problem:

There’s no room for him with the big league club. The Rangers are committed to Mitch Mooreland as the first baseman they are developing on the big league club. The Rangers also have Mike Napoli, who will see some time at first, along with Michael Young.

Look, there’s no guarantee the Rangers will trade Davis. And there’s no guarantee that Davis won’t suffer with strikeout problems that have caused him to get sent back to the minors last year, and slide down the prospect totem pole.  But the Rangers may use their depth and Davis’s hot spring to made a trade that helps the club.

Enter the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays say they are committed to giving Dan Johnson every opportunity to win the full-time job at first base, replacing Carlos Pena. And with everything Johnson has done in small doses, and his ability to hit well against New York and Boston, it may very well be the right thing to do. 

But this would be a very opportunistic move for the Rays. Johnson isn’t the long-term answer at first. Davis very well could be.

If the Rays parted with a pitching prospect like Nick Barnese, who often gets overlooked because of the depth of the Rays pitching prospects, that would probably be a fair amount for a guy like Davis. But as has been said, the Rangers may not move him. 

And recent history would show them why they shouldn’t move him. The Rangers dealt with this problem just a few seasons ago. They had an outfielder who was labeled as a AAAA player, because he was struggling to put it all together on a big league level.  They thought about trading him and moving on.

That outfielder was Nelson Cruz.

The difference is the Rangers didn’t have as much of a depth problem as they do now.  And if they decide to trade, look for the Rays to be a likely candidate to be involved in the talks.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After weeks of anticipation, Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Cliff Lee finally has a new home.

Just hours after it was reported that the New York Yankees were close to acquiring Lee’s services, the Mariners dealt the 31-year-old southpaw to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Justin Smoak and minor leaguers Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matt Lawson.

Mariners reliever Mark Lowe was also sent to Texas as part of the deal.

In terms of fantasy value, Lee’s has nowhere to go but down. 

After 13 starts (103 2/3 innings) this season, Lee owns a sparkling 2.34 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, both of which top his 2008 Cy Young Award-winning totals. He also boasts a jaw-dropping strikeout-to-walk ratio of 89 to 6.

In his last eight starts, Lee has lasted at least eight innings seven times, including three complete games.

Lee’s BABIP and strand rate are normal, but his xFIP is nearly a full run higher than his current ERA.

In Seattle, Lee benefited from the spacious fields of Safeco (the fourth-best park in which to pitch in terms of runs scored, according to MLB Park Factors). Texas, however, is the fifth-worst park in which to pitch in terms of runs scored.

Since 2008 (Lee’s Cy Young season), the former Expo, Indian, and Phillie has pitched in Arlington three times. In those three starts as the visiting pitcher, Lee was rocked to the tune of a 7.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 19 innings.

It is worth noting, however, that Lee allowed just two runs in nine innings at Rangers Ballpark earlier this season.

Still, a slight drop-off should be expected. Is he still a top-10 pitcher for the remainder of the season? Probably. Top-five? Absolutely not.

Seattle’s big return, switch-hitting first baseman Justin Smoak, will be inserted into the Mariners’ lineup, possibly in the six-hole. His value takes a slight hit playing for an offensively-challenged team in a pitcher’s park.

The potential middle-of-the-order superstar has experienced some tough luck through his first 235 Major League at-bats, falling victim to a .238 BABIP. Smoak’s 23.9 percent line drive rate, however, suggests better days are ahead. (For more on Justin Smoak, including 2010 projections, click here.)

Smoak’s departure opens a spot in the Rangers’ lineup for Chris Davis, who was recalled from Triple-A on Friday. In 293 plate appearances with Oklahoma City this season, the 24-year-old has hit 19 doubles, 10 homers and boasts a .354/.403/.555 triple slash.

While Davis struggled mightily with the Rangers earlier this season, his 2009 second-half performance (six home runs, 26 RBI, .308 average in 133 at-bats) following a short minor league stint could be a sign of things to come.

His raw power is undeniable, but so too are his strikeout totals. He’s worth a cautious look in most leagues.

Blake Beavan is a former first-rounder who—at 6’7″ and 250 pounds—projects as a back-of-the-rotation innings-eater. The 21-year-old owns a 2.78 ERA, a 5.6 K/9 rate, and a 1.0 BB/9 in 110 innings at Double-A this season.

Neither Josh Lueke or Matt Lawson rank among the Rangers’ top-30 prospects according to Baseball America. Lueke boasts ridiculous strikeout and walk rates in 38 1/3 relief innings this season between Single-A and Double-A, but at age 25, his long-term value is bleak. Matt Lawson is a 24-year-old second baseman/outfielder playing in Double-A. He’s a long-shot prospect and shouldn’t be on anyone’s fantasy radar.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

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Buster Olney tweeted on Saturday morning that Seattle continues to look for “big bat potential” in exchange for Cliff Lee.

He listed two potentially available prospects who fit the bill: Cincinnati’s Yonder Alonso and Texas’ Justin Smoak. 

The Mariners have made it known that they are seeking bats in return for the top-tier southpaw. They have been linked to several top catching prospects, including Minnesota’s Wilson Ramos and the New York Yankees’ Jesus Montero.

The Mariners may have now widened their scope, however, now aiming for a potential impact bat at any position. 

Texas’ Trade Priorities

Last week, the Texas Rangers acquired Gold Glove catcher Bengie Molina from the San Francisco Giants. In doing so, the Rangers revealed an interesting pattern in organizational priorities.

In exchange for Molina, the Rangers sent pitchers Chris Ray and a “player to be named later.” After further negotiations, Michael Main was named as that player.

Main was the 24th overall selection in the 2007 MLB Draft and, prior to the 2010 season, he was rated the 21st best prospect in the Rangers’ farm system.

Yet the Rangers included Main because, in the deal, the Giants agreed to eat a portion of Bengie Molina’s salary.

In this trade, the Rangers made it clear that they are not willing to absorb salary through trades. Instead, the Rangers simply included a better prospect , to induce the Giants to pay their departing player’s salary. 

This pattern could bode well for the Seattle Mariners if the Rangers and Mariners become trading partners.

How This Affects the Mariners

In a normal trade, Cliff Lee has a set value that the Mariners are seeking to acquire. If the Mariners are willing to absorb a portion of salary in the trade, however, they may be able to get a higher-rated prospect than they planned; maybe even Justin Smoak.

The Texas Rangers have two high-profile first-base prospects in Justin Smoak and Chris Davis, aged 23 and 24, respectively.

Davis began 2010 as the Rangers’ starting first baseman, but slumped out of the gate and was demoted three weeks into the season.

Through two months, Smoak has shown promising power (8 HR), but problems elsewhere (.208 AVG).

The status quo finds the Texas Rangers with two potential power bats vying for the same position on a Major League Roster.

One of these two could turn into a designated hitter, but with Vladimir Guerrero’s current production (.334/18/70), that position might not be available for a few years.

The Seattle Mariners are seeking to acquire a potential power bat.

The Texas Rangers have both Justin Smoak and Chris Davis under their control.

In the Bengie Molina trade, the Rangers have made it clear that they would rather depart with a higher-rated prospect than acquire an incoming player’s salary. 

The Seattle Mariners would most likely be willing to eat a portion of Cliff Lee’s salary to acquire a higher-caliber power bat.

If the Rangers decide to make a play for Cliff Lee, the Mariners could acquire a high-potential power bat in return, such as Justin Smoak or Chris Davis.

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