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

[ccbird]

Matusz is arguably the most talented pitcher on the roster so predicting he'll be our best pitcher at the end of the year isn't really going out on much of a limb.

[Roll Tide]

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

"Eye of the Tiger, Rock!"

"Eye of the Tiger!"

"No Pain!"

Overeaction of the year so far!

[Tony-OH]

Matusz is arguably the most talented pitcher on the roster so predicting he'll be our best pitcher at the end of the year isn't really going out on much of a limb.

It was on January 29th. Don't get me wrong, Matusz has a lot more to prove, but the early results are impressive and I'm not sure too many people would have predicted this before spring training started.

[Jagwar]

Matusz is arguably the most talented pitcher on the roster so predicting he'll be our best pitcher at the end of the year isn't really going out on much of a limb.

Oh come on. He started this thread in January, before anyone had seen Matusz throw a pitch at Spring Training. I'm pretty sure that the general sentiment on the board was that Matusz was destined for Norfolk, and hopefully would pitch well enough to contribute in 2012.

[Jagwar]

It was on January 29th. Don't get me wrong, Matusz has a lot more to prove, but the early results are impressive and I'm not sure too many people would have predicted this before spring training started.

Great minds...

I thought that it was too early to give up on Matusz, but I also thought that he was unlikely to make the big league club out of ST. To hear that his velocity is up, that his command is back, and that he is actually getting hitters (good hitters) out is VERY encouraging.

I'm not ready to inscribe his name on the Cy Young Award, but I am ready to say that he has a very good shot of being the #4 or #5 starter on Opening Day.

[ccbird]

It was on January 29th. Don't get me wrong, Matusz has a lot more to prove, but the early results are impressive and I'm not sure too many people would have predicted this before spring training started.

Oh come on. He started this thread in January, before anyone had seen Matusz throw a pitch at Spring Training. I'm pretty sure that the general sentiment on the board was that Matusz was destined for Norfolk, and hopefully would pitch well enough to contribute in 2012.

Again, considering he is arguably the most talented pitcher on the roster and how unproven or mediocre every other starter competing for rotation spots are I just don't see where it was going out on a limb. I mean it may have been around here with the way people overreact but not if you thought about it logically. Put it this way, if I was making odds on Jan 29th when the prediction on who would be our best SP at years end Matusz's odds would have been right at the top of the list along with Britton and Chen.

[Tony-OH]

Again, considering he is arguably the most talented pitcher on the roster and how unproven or mediocre every other starter competing for rotation spots are I just don't see where it was going out on a limb. I mean it may have been around here with the way people overreact but not if you thought about it logically. Put it this way, if I was making odds on Jan 29th when the prediction on who would be our best SP at years end Matusz's odds would have been right at the top of the list along with Britton and Chen.

Maybe considering the likely candidates you could argue that Matusz had a chance of regaining his stuff and becoming the #1 guy, but I'm not sure I would have put it on record in January after the year he had last year and the drop in velocity over the last two seasons. Either way, I'm glad he's showing the promise that has us talking about this again.

[atomic]

Again, considering he is arguably the most talented pitcher on the roster and how unproven or mediocre every other starter competing for rotation spots are I just don't see where it was going out on a limb. I mean it may have been around here with the way people overreact but not if you thought about it logically. Put it this way, if I was making odds on Jan 29th when the prediction on who would be our best SP at years end Matusz's odds would have been right at the top of the list along with Britton and Chen.

Did you sleep through 2011?

[DrungoHazewood]

Again, considering he is arguably the most talented pitcher on the roster and how unproven or mediocre every other starter competing for rotation spots are I just don't see where it was going out on a limb. I mean it may have been around here with the way people overreact but not if you thought about it logically. Put it this way, if I was making odds on Jan 29th when the prediction on who would be our best SP at years end Matusz's odds would have been right at the top of the list along with Britton and Chen.

I'd say the logical conclusion was that Matusz has/had a ton to prove considering he wasn't just beaten about the head and shoulders last year, but had also lost his mechanics and velocity, and was dogged by rumors of problems with attitude and dedication. I don't see how you could expect him to be the best pitcher on the staff when it required him to make a 180 degree turnaround from last year. Getting to where he is right now is just short of miraculous, and he's not thrown a single regular season inning in 2012 yet. Big prospects flame out all the time. Very few of them flip and switch and go right back to being big prospects.

[Stotle]

I think the "turnaround" is being heavily overblown. Again, his 2011 was so far beyond a prospect implosion that, coupled with the fact he was injured and returned to action relatively quickly, it was easy to simply shrug and wipe 2011 out of mind. Had he shown up to camp looking like he did in 2011, I would have been very troubled and considered Matusz as a potential for flop designation. In January, he would have been my pick for best pitcher on staff, too.

[El Gordo]

Matusz definitely has the potential the be the best pitcher on the team. So does Jake, IMO.

[harp6]

I'd say the logical conclusion was that Matusz has/had a ton to prove considering he wasn't just beaten about the head and shoulders last year, but had also lost his mechanics and velocity, and was dogged by rumors of problems with attitude and dedication. I don't see how you could expect him to be the best pitcher on the staff when it required him to make a 180 degree turnaround from last year. Getting to where he is right now is just short of miraculous, and he's not thrown a single regular season inning in 2012 yet. Big prospects flame out all the time. Very few of them flip and switch and go right back to being big prospects.

I usually respect what you have to say, but in my opinion, Matusz just didn't flip and switch and go bad. Maybe I will be wrong and you will be correct here, but I think there were many contributing factors to his failures last year. When this topic was first started in January, I felt that Flacco Machado was dead on. I felt most people were overreacting to a bad year that had many bad factors.

Many people on this board were predicting that Matusz would be the ace after his strong finish in 2010. This offseason, many people on this board were ready to throw him under the bus because of his poor 2011. I feel that Matusz has the best chance to be the O's comeback player of the year. He finished strong in 2010, but came into camp in 2011 out of shape and then pulled an intercostal muscle. I don't think that I ever pulled this type of muscle, but I do know that a nagging muscle pull can linger and make it very difficult to do many things including pitch. This muscle pull put Matusz out for two months. A muscle pull can also cause a pitcher to alter their delivery which can mess up their mechanics. I think the combination of the muscle pull, being out of shape, mental preparation, and the resulting loss of confidence is what doomed Matusz to a horrible season.

None of us on this board really know how much these factors contributed to his bad season, but we do know that he pitched well at times before last season and most of us knew he had talent.

Matusz does need to prove himself again, but I think that he has done the right things this offseason to "Flip and switch" back. First, he doesn't have any injuries. Second, he is in shape. Now, if he can get his head back together which I think that he is trying to do, then he has a better chance than most other pitchers on this staff to be the ace. I think it is much easier for him to comeback than some other pitcher with average talent.

[Flacco Machado]

Phase 1: Complete. Make the starting rotation.

[Flacco Machado]

Also, to get back to Drungo's point. When I say #1 starter, I'm also saying statistically he will have a very good year, as well. I'm on record as saying between 15-18 wins and a 3.75 era or lower. In other words, I don't think just because the other 4 starters may be so bad, that Matusz will be the best of the bunch by default.

[Frobby]

Also, to get back to Drungo's point. When I say #1 starter, I'm also saying statistically he will have a very good year, as well. I'm on record as saying between 15-18 wins and a 3.75 era or lower. In other words, I don't think just because the other 4 starters may be so bad, that Matusz will be the best of the bunch by default.

We desperately need to have a couple of our pitchers step up and be not just respectable, but well above average. I hope Matusz can be one who does that.

The folks who were saying in January that Matusz had to go to Norfolk no matter what seem pretty quiet now.