538: Even The Orioles Have A Shot In The AL East

[BohKnowsBmore]

The Orioles remain the red-headed stepchild of division leaders. The betting public still has them pegged as 3rd most likely division winner behind Boston and Toronto. However, the pricing is narrowing and the best available via Oddschecker is only 4.5 to 1.

Wish I'd placed some coin on them to win it before the season started.

[spiritof66]

I'm no gambler, but I was in Nevada on the day before the season started and placed a large (for me) bet on the O's wining over 78.5 games. I wish I'd risked more.

[OrioleAndy34]

I'm no gambler, but I was in Nevada on the day before the season started and placed a large (for me) bet on the O's wining over 78.5 games. I wish I'd risked more.

Yeah. I just had a feeling we would be better than people were giving us credit for. Bet my boss that we'd win more than 75 games....think I'm good there. There's a reason we've won the most games in the AL over the last 4 seasons. In previous seasons I was always nervous with certain guys in the pitching staff(Chen, Gonzo, Hunter, Matusz and McFarland). Only 2 of those guys left. I like our lineup way more than the others in the division. Hopefully I am right. Let's go Os!!

[Trace21230]

Yeah. I just had a feeling we would be better than people were giving us credit for. Bet my boss that we'd win more than 75 games....think I'm good there. There's a reason we've won the most games in the AL over the last 4 seasons. In previous seasons I was always nervous with certain guys in the pitching staff(Chen, Gonzo, Hunter, Matusz and McFarland). Only 2 of those guys left. I like our lineup way more than the others in the division. Hopefully I am right. Let's go Os!!

A lot of this has to do with Buck Schowalter. His importance to this team cannot be overstated.

[OrioleAndy34]

A lot of this has to do with Buck Schowalter. His importance to this team cannot be overstated.

Whole heartedly agree. I hope he stays as long as possible....and I hope us fans never take his efforts for granted. He has transformed this franchise.

[weams]

A lot of this has to do with Buck Schowalter. His importance to this team cannot be overstated.

Whole heartedly agree. I hope he stays as long as possible....and I hope us fans never take his efforts for granted. He has transformed this franchise.

Buck is a great manager.

[Beef Supreme]

I want to hate this article but I can't. The O's probably should be the favorite to finish last, but they admit that the East is going to be pretty balanced and it would not be a major surprise to see the O's come out on top. That seems about right to me. I would put the odds something like:

TOR 27%

NYY 22%

BOS 18%

TB 17%

BAL 16%

MFY and Tampa were -- and still are -- the bottom feeders of the division for 2016. The worst anyone should have predicted for the Orioles is third place.

But, I know, the projections are "science" and are infallible.

[Spy Fox]

MFY and Tampa were -- and still are -- the bottom feeders of the division for 2016. The worst anyone should have predicted for the Orioles is third place.

But, I know, the projections are "science" and are infallible.

I like to make fun of the projections from time to time mostly just because the O's have been so consistently beating them the past few years.

But it's odd, people love to make fun of people taking the projections as gospel. But the joke kinda comes from nowhere. Nobody who likes the projections, or even the people who make the projections, ever calls them infallible. Predictions are inherently fallible.

[OrioleAndy34]

I like your spirit, thanks.

Feeling pretty good about things at 15 over .500. We have a really good squad. Just need to keep grinding and I like our chances from there. Go BIRDS!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[weams]

Still have a shot. And then there is this..

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two years after Pineda's suspension, lots of pitchers still using foreign substances, and rule still needs change. <a href="https://t.co/0unfUiJBU2">https://t.co/0unfUiJBU2</a></p>— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) <a href="

">June 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[O's are Legends]

Still have a shot. And then there is this..

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two years after Pineda's suspension, lots of pitchers still using foreign substances, and rule still needs change. <a href="https://t.co/0unfUiJBU2">https://t.co/0unfUiJBU2</a></p>? Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) <a href="

">June 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

They may need a visit from cousin Yuri as well.

On a side note, I remember Buck telling the Rays something along the lines of, don't snoop around your neighbor's yard when your own home and backyard aren't exactly clean or something like that. (Matusz)

[HelenaEngineer]

I like to make fun of the projections from time to time mostly just because the O's have been so consistently beating them the past few years.

But it's odd, people love to make fun of people taking the projections as gospel. But the joke kinda comes from nowhere. Nobody who likes the projections, or even the people who make the projections, ever calls them infallible. Predictions are inherently fallible.

My favorite "fallible" prediction was Buster Olney prior to 2012. He claimed that in the best case, if Zach Britton and Brian Matusz had breakthrough years, the Orioles would still fail to win 70 games - and reiterated that was the "best case". Britton and Matusz combined to go 11-13 with an ERA of around 5.00 for each of them and yet the Orioles somehow beat their best case scenario of 69 wins (being generous to Buster) by 24 games.

[BohKnowsBmore]

They may need a visit from cousin Yuri as well.

On a side note' date=' I remember [u']Buck telling the Rays[/u] something along the lines of, don't snoop around your neighbor's yard when your own home and backyard aren't exactly clean or something like that. (Matusz)

I believe that was the Marlins.

[weams]

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Every year the dude makes amazing low $$ signings. It was Cruz in 2014, Trumbo in 2016. Very underrated

Should have given up Hoffman for him.

Goodbye AA.

That was only one piece.

[Can_of_corn]

I believe that was the Marlins.

It was. With the GM playing manager.