It feels so good to say it:BASEBALL IS BACK!
More importantly, the Baltimore Orioles are back in action and are hoping to make the leap from the American League Championship to a World Series berth.
Baltimore is full of hope. It was tough to loseNick MarkakisandNelson Cruz, but expectations are thatManny MachadoandMatt Wieterswill make up for their loss. The pitching staff remains in tact. The duo ofDarren O’DayandZach Brittonare still one of the best in all of baseball in closing the door on opponents. IfUbaldo Jimenezis half the player he has shown in Spring Training, they’re even better than advertised.
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The oddsmakers in Las Vegas aren’t buying the hype, however. After winning 96 games a year ago, oddsmakers projected a 13-game swing for the worse.Scoresandodds.comhas set the over/under on total wins for the Orioles at 83.5. The pitching staff that led all of MLB with a 2.88 ERA in the second half of the season is getting little love.
In fact, the Boston Red Sox line is at 86 games and they finished in the bottom of the division last year.
Do yourself a favor: take the over and be rewarded for watching your favorite winning ball club. You will thank me in October (maybe even early September) for it.
Why is Vegas againstBuck Showalter‘s troops? Much of it is due to the losses in the outfield and no real outside moves to replace them. However, the reason for the supposed decline is because the rest of the division is trying to buy their way to win the AL East.
Toronto Blue Jays won the offseason like they always do, but that hasn’t translated into a playoff appearance. As of this writing, I’m seeingJose Reyeslimp around the diamond on Opening Day. That’s the kind of luck the Jays seem to have every year.
The Sox brought in a group of talented players, but they are no guarantee to mesh in Boston. It wasn’t long ago that the Red Sox won the offseason, and shipped half of that team to the Los Angeles Dodgers midseason. Boston lacks the pitching staff that the rest of the division possesses, and have been linked toCole Hamelsfor some time now.
The Rays are projected to finish last in the AL East and are going through a rebuilding period. All I have to tell you about Yankees is that the fans cheered forAlex Rodrigueztoday. The same player that every New Yorker wanted out is now beloved. Must be something in the air up there.
It would take a colossal meltdown for the Orioles to not reach 83 wins. Since 2012, the Orioles lead the AL East in wins and rank fourth in MLB over that span. They’ve gone over 90 wins in two of those seasons and finished with 85 in the other.
Take the over and run away with your winnings.
Next: Happy Opening Day Memories
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