Baltimore Orioles: 5 Best Players Half-Way Through The Season

Honorable Mentions

Chris Davis, 1B

Davis isn’t having a year even close to what he had last year, but was that really expected? After leading MLB in home runs (53) and RBIs (138) in 2013, Davis has hit just 13 home runs through 81 games in 2014. However, did you really expect Davis to perform nearly as well as he did last year? If you did, then you are sorely mistaken. Players have break-out years, that’s just how baseball works. The players that have breakout years every year are the guys we call the best of all-time. Lets just be happy that Davis has contributed 30 home runs two straight years and it looks like he will get close to that number again. It never hurts to have a constant 30+ home run hitter on your team, never. Besides, Davis has a .337 On Base Percentage this year, which is a better OBP than that of Adam Jones (.324 OBP) who has a .301 average.

Steve Pearce, OF/1B

Steve Pearce shouldn’t even be on the team right now. The Orioles designated the 31-year-old utility player for assignment on April 29th. He was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays, but elected to become a free agent and was later re-signed by the Orioles. Initially, he was providing a big spark off the bench when they needed a pinch-hitter late in the game. Eventually, he would get on base nearly every other time he got the opportunity and he would become an every day player. He has hit .321 in 44 games this season with seven home runs and 21 RBIs. His OBP (.385) is fifth best in the American League. Due to the lack of productivity from Manny Machado, he has hit in the number two spot for almost a month now and he will continue to hit there unless someone proves otherwise.