Brian Matusz will be our #1 starter by year's end

[oriole]

If Matusz is our #1 by the end of the season it means we will have had a horrible horrible year from every other pitcher on the roster!

MacFly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Earth to MacFly, reality sux but you have to face it. Matusz showed nothing last year to indicate he will do anything of significance this year.

I think you're focusing too much on last years Matusz. That year does not have to define him. He can come back and even be better than he was. Its not impossible, not even close.

[DrungoHazewood]

Let's pull this thread up in October and see out it all plays out. I think he will.

"Eye of the Tiger, Rock!"

"Eye of the Tiger!"

"No Pain!"

I'm assuming you don't mean in the Oriole #1 starter way? Meaning, he goes 8-12, 4.77, and that happens to be the best performance by an O's starter.

[DrungoHazewood]

??? Picthers do bounce back, he also came into the spring last year out of shape.

I think you're focusing too much on last years Matusz. That year does not have to define him. He can come back and even be better than he was. Its not impossible, not even close.

On the other hand, I think some people are underplaying the challenges he faces coming back. He's a guy who's always been a little light on velocity, and his injuries took that down another notch. He's apparently in great shape, hopefully he'll get his mechanics and feel back while gaining some hop on the fastball. But it's all hope right now. Last year he literally gave up a homer every three innings and had the ugliest 50 innings ever.

I'll be thrilled if he throws 100 decent major league innings in 2012.

[SoBo]

On the other hand, I think some people are underplaying the challenges he faces coming back. He's a guy who's always been a little light on velocity, and his injuries took that down another notch. He's apparently in great shape, hopefully he'll get his mechanics and feel back while gaining some hop on the fastball. But it's all hope right now. Last year he literally gave up a homer every three innings and had the ugliest 50 innings ever.

I'll be thrilled if he throws 100 decent major league innings in 2012.

The odds of him being worse than last year would be damn near impossible. There is enough internet rumor of Matusz getting big leagueitis to believe that he was in horrid shape coming into camp and it spiraled out of control from there. Matusz would not be the first phenom to flame out in his first stint in the bigs to then get it straightened out and become a good pitcher. See Halladay, Carpenter, Hamels etc... But the odds are overwhelmingly against Matusz ever being what we hoped he would be. But I sure hope he pulls a Hamels and lights the world on fire.

[Whammer]

I think you're focusing too much on last years Matusz. That year does not have to define him. He can come back and even be better than he was. Its not impossible, not even close.

How can you NOT focus on last year's Matusz? I've been watching bad Orioles pitching for a long time but I honestly believe his performance last year ranks among the worst ever. The guy was basically throwing batting practice. At minimum, I had hoped to see some improvement from one start to the next but there was zilch - he actually got worse. To say he's suddenly going to figure it all out and become an effective MLB starter is a stretch.

I hope you're right. With our young pitchers, hope is all we got at this point.

[.500_OR_BETTER]

I believe our rotation looks like this right now

1. Guthrie

2. Chen

3. Britton

4. Arrieta

5. Wada

6. Hunter

7. Matusz

8. Eveland

9. Tillman

10. Simon

Matusz is going to have to perform, and then see a couple of guys ahead of him go down before he sees the MLB rotation.

Buck really likes Hunter.

Our rotation is Guthrie, Britton, Chen, Hunter, X.

You can assume Simon will be in the pen and Tillman will be at AAA so for the last spot its going to be between Arrieta, Matusz, and Wada.

Matsuz may also benefit from starting at AAA this year.

[Jules]

I like Guthrie, Arrieta, Chen (cause everyone says so), Hunter, and Britton. I think Matusz beats out Chen in Spring Training.

I'm wearing the orange colored glasses for the last week or so. I actually think our pitching is going to be good. We know what Guthrie is- a real nice #3. Britton and Matusz and Arrieta are going to have very good seasons; and Hunter and Chen are nice back end starters.

[SammyBirdland]

Brian Matusz will be our #1 starter by year's end

I'm with you. I'm bought and sold on Matusz being the comeback player of the year.

[Brendan25]

Buck really likes Hunter.

Our rotation is Guthrie, Britton, Chen, Hunter, X.

You can assume Simon will be in the pen and Tillman will be at AAA so for the last spot its going to be between Arrieta, Matusz, and Wada.

Matsuz may also benefit from starting at AAA this year.

Completely agree with all of this. And if Arrieta proves he is healthy and pitches well in spring training I think that 5th spot is his.

[TiredofLosing20]

I haven't completely written Matusz off, nor have I completely written off Tillman or Arrieta. That's about as far as I am willing to go.

[srock]

Boys will be boys. Good times...

If I had photoshop and/or time there would be, in the background, a little Mark Reynolds standing on a surf board with a shark jumping over him.

[.500_OR_BETTER]

I haven't completely written Matusz off, nor have I completely written off Tillman or Arrieta. That's about as far as I am willing to go.

Matusz and Arrieta are both MLB starting pitchers. Matusz has more potential to be a #2-#4 starter where as Arrieta is more of a BOR pitcher.Tillman needs to get his FB up to 94-92 MPH range and have control of his breaking stuff then he can be effective at the MLB level which is why I think he will start in AAA to work on his mechanics and what not.

I like that we have added a lot of starting pitching depth so these younger pitchers are just not given rotation spots like last year and will have to either earn one through ST or through the bullpen/AAA.

Guthrie and Chen (was signed for SP $$) are the only "locks" for a rotation spot. Hunter and Britton are favorites. Arrieta, Wada, and Matusz are going to have to fight for a spot.

[TiredofLosing20]

Matusz and Arrieta are both MLB starting pitchers. Matusz has more potential to be a #2-#4 starter where as Arrieta is more of a BOR pitcher.Tillman needs to get his FB up to 94-92 MPH range and have control of his breaking stuff then he can be effective at the MLB level which is why I think he will start in AAA to work on his mechanics and what not.

I don't necessarily disagree with much of this. I just don't know the likelihood of them achieving these things.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

I see no reason to agree with your statement given his velocity issues, but I do think he'll have a much better performance this year. I don't think he makes it to OPACY until mid-May at the earliest, though.

[Frobby]

On the other hand, I think some people are underplaying the challenges he faces coming back. He's a guy who's always been a little light on velocity, and his injuries took that down another notch. He's apparently in great shape, hopefully he'll get his mechanics and feel back while gaining some hop on the fastball. But it's all hope right now. Last year he literally gave up a homer every three innings and had the ugliest 50 innings ever.

I'll be thrilled if he throws 100 decent major league innings in 2012.

That wouldn't thrill me at all. This team needs someone to step up and be excellent. Matusz looked to be on the brink of that in 2010. If he turns out to be a mediocre pitcher, rather than a terrible one as he was in 2011, that really doesn't get us anywhere.