Orioles Talk: Wow! The Orioles Top Two Starting Pitchers are Actually Good!

My favorite baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles, have not been particularly good at baseball for several seasons.  FanGraphs gave them a 0.0% chance to make the postseason this year (which is disrespectful; at least give us a 0.1% chance).  So far this year, they have proven that.  But there have been some positives on the team.  

One of the positives is that the starting pitching, particularly the top two starters, is not as inept as it used to be.  It is far from perfect, but far from pathetic.  

An Actual Ace?

As an Orioles fan, three things are certain: death, taxes, and bad pitching.  They did have reliable starters like Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez during their resurgent years early last decade, but they never did anything particularly impressive.  Now, in the midst of an extensive rebuild, they have found an unexpected gem; John Means.

So far, Means is 2-0 with an ERA of only 1.50.  Two years ago was his breakout year, becoming an All-Star and finishing second in the Rookie of the Year ballot.  Now he has been arguably one of the two best players on the team (Cedric Mullins is a beast).  

He was the starting pitcher who ended the historic 13-game winning streak of the Oakland Athletics.  He went 6 ⅓ innings, giving up only two hits, one earned run, and striking out 6.  

His one problem in his early career has been his endurance, as he struggled following his All-Star appearance in his rookie season.  That being said, as it stands right now, an argument can be made that between him and Tillman, he is the best pitcher the Orioles have had since Mike Mussina.

The Dark Knight Rises?

Surprisingly, the Orioles have had several pitchers on the team that have been decent.  Recently required Adam Plutko has been productive from the bullpen and 36-year-old closer Cesar Valdez has been bizarrely lights out, even though he can barely throw 80 mph.  None of these guys have been more inspirational than the Dark Knight himself Matt Harvey.

Before Jacob DeGrom, the Mets had Matt Harvey.  He was the ace that sent them to the World Series in 2015.  Then, the injuries came.  Since, then he has had an ERA over 5.  The only team that would sign a down-on-his-luck pitcher who has not been good for six years was none other than the Baltimore Orioles.  So far, it has paid off.

He had his breakout game last night against the Yankees’ death lineup, going 6 innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, and five strikeouts.  He received the win as the Orioles won the game 4-2.

He has not been perfect, but he is 2-1 on the season with an ERA of 4.26.  Despite the high ERA, he has not given up more than three earned runs in any of his starts this year.

If Harvey shows more signs of his former Cy Young-worthy self, it would be a major positive for the Orioles, whether they keep him or trade him for more prospects.

In Conclusion

So far, Means and Harvey has kept the team from falling to oblivion as the Orioles offense, other than the aforementioned Cedric Mullins, continues to struggle.  

If they, along with promising rookies Bruce Zimmermann and Dean Kremer, can grind through the year until the offense finds its groove, the Orioles could win 65 to 70 games this year, a major improvement compared to what they accomplished in previous seasons.