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Are We the Best Team in Baseball Right Now?

brianod

By brianod
in Orioles Talk

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Don_Aase_Fan Major Leaguer

Don_Aase_Fan

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The Birds aren't even the best team in East, as that would be Tampa Bay. We all knew their pitching would be deadly and while they might have started out slow, they've been dynamite recently. Their offense has more than held their own as well and I don't expect that to change barring injuries. They are the #1 threat in my eyes.

I definitely feel like the Orioles are better than Boston. They just need to go out and continue to prove it.

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brianod All-Star

brianod

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Wow, Tampa gets all the love! IMO, we are better then Tampa. I'm not going to overreact to the way they have played over the last three weeks against weak opponents. Yes, they have been great and appear primed to take the poll position. But, I think they have made hay against some weaker teams and I think they are due for a stretch of .500 ball. If the O's can do what Tampa has done against weaker opponents, they will end up in first in a week or two imo.

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BohKnowsBmore Hangout Grand Counsel

BohKnowsBmore

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I'm going to say no simply because they don't have the best record and aren't on the best current streak. However, lets look at what has really happened. The Rays just finished a 24 game stretch against the Astros, White Sox, Twins, Blue Jays, and Tigers. The only good team there is the Tigers and that was only 3 games. Now, the Orioles are just starting on a similar schedule while the Rays have to contend with much better teams. If the Orioles can split with the Red Sox when they play, they ought to come out of this stretch in first place by a few games. If they don't, they may not make the playoffs. If they do, they might just end up being the best team in baseball.

I think we AT LEAST split with the Red Sox given recent trends. SOSH even knows that the O's are the Red Sox daddy over the last few years.

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Malike Hangout Grand Counsel

Malike

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Wow, Tampa gets all the love! IMO, we are better then Tampa. I'm not going to overreact to the way they have played over the last three weeks against weak opponents. Yes, they have been great and appear primed to take the poll position. But, I think they have made hay against some weaker teams and I think they are due for a stretch of .500 ball. If the O's can do what Tampa has done against weaker opponents, they will end up in first in a week or two imo.

Tampa is the better team, it's not giving them "love", it's just stating the truth. They are the best team in the east.

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SilentJames Hangout Veteran Council

SilentJames

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In the last 30 days.

Moore 5-0

Archer 4-0

Hellickson 4-0

Price 3-1

I think that about says it.

This also corresponds to Tampa exclusively playing the worst teams in baseball for the last month. they are still winning the games - but it has't to be said.

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brianod All-Star

brianod

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Tampa is the better team, it's not giving them "love", it's just stating the truth. They are the best team in the east.

We are two games behind. I like that fact that you state your opinion unequivocally and confidently. That doesn't make you right and I disagree with you.

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callahan09 All-Star

callahan09

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Tampa may be on a tear right now, but they've been playing a ton of very weak opponents lately. What they've done is not sustainable. I think the Orioles play at a sustainable pace, they do what they do without relying on crazy streaks to balloon up and flop down the leaderboards.

I like to use this, personally:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/rpi

According to that, we're only behind Boston. And that I can agree with.

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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Tampa is the better team, it's not giving them "love", it's just stating the truth. They are the best team in the east.

They'll have to prove it. The truth of who is the best team will be revealed on the field.

Just a little reflection here: last season, from July 28 to August 23, Tampa went 19-6. They had a 2.5 game lead on us, had closed six games to 2.5 behind the division-leading Yankees, and were looking awfully good. The team ERA in that span was 1.70. I'm pretty sure there were posters then who were opining that Tampa was the team to beat. But Tampa went into a tailspin, and when they came out of it, we were too far ahead for them to catch us, even though they closed furiously at the end.

You never know what's coming next in baseball.

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saltman241 AA

saltman241

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Some folks seem to be confusing best with hottest. Sure TB is super hot right now, they damn well out to be. Combined record of their opponents in July before last nights game against BOS 159-229. Was TOR the best team in baseball when they ran off their 11 game in a row? Some here would seem to think so. Yes, I think our team, barring injury, should be considered in the best team in the league conversation. Alot of teams mentioned, should not.

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Aristotelian Hangout Grand Counsel

Aristotelian

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Tampa is legit. Not only are they hot right now, there are good reasons they might be headed in a positive direction. Price was pitching hurt most of the first half, then missed a bunch of time, but has been back to his usual numbers since coming back (including two CG's -- that's two more I believe than the O's have had all year). Matt Moore hit a rough spot for a while but we all know he is one of the top pitchers in the league. And they just added Wil Myers, arguably the #1 prospect in baseball, who was only in the minors this year to keep his service time down. And they have two games on us.

We have added Scott Feldman and Urrutia...significant pieces perhaps but not like adding a healthy David Price and top prospect.

We are definitely an elite team. I would put us ahead of Oakland and Pittsburgh. But I don't think we can say we are the best until we are in first place.

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LayzieDES Major Leaguer Rising Star

LayzieDES

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I'm going to say no simply because they don't have the best record and aren't on the best current streak. However, lets look at what has really happened. The Rays just finished a 24 game stretch against the Astros, White Sox, Twins, Blue Jays, and Tigers. The only good team there is the Tigers and that was only 3 games. Now, the Orioles are just starting on a similar schedule while the Rays have to contend with much better teams. If the Orioles can split with the Red Sox when they play, they ought to come out of this stretch in first place by a few games. If they don't, they may not make the playoffs. If they do, they might just end up being the best team in baseball.

O's record against those same teams...16-15.

O's are climbing but Tampa is playing better ball.

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