Most important player for 2018?

[theobird]

Colby Rasmus.  His defense makes this team much better, and I just have a feeling.

[jamalshw]

I'll take one pitcher and one position player in this:

Pitcher - Chris Tillman. The Orioles NEED Tillman to be closer to the sub-4 ERA guy he was in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. I think if he can put up 25-30 starts with a 4ish ERA, the Orioles could be pretty good. I expect a better season from Gausman some mild improvement from Bundy and an okay year from Cashner (4.6ish ERA).

Position Player - Tim Beckham. I think Beckham is the leadoff man by default and he needs to be a sparkplug atop the order. I almost picked Davis, but think Beckham has a wider gap in potential performance. He could show he's truly a AAAA-type player or potential utility guy in disguise or he could end up with a .280/.340/.470 slash line. We saw some ups and downs in his short time in Baltimore already, but I think the potential is still there to be a very good player.

[Frobby]

23 hours ago, webbrick2010 said:

He hit .259 last year and finished middle of the pack (at 3B) in DRS.

Call it what you want, but he needs to actually be "one of the top players in baseball" because he certainly was not that last year.

Yes, I do think Manny’s extremely important, both because he needs to rebound on offense and because we don’t know how well his transition to SS will work out.   

[Three Run Homer]

If the goal is to contend this season, I would like to see the O's sign another big-ticket starter, so that Chris Tillman would no longer be the most important Oriole for 2018!  

[foxfield]

I do not see how the most important Oriole player isn't Whoever is pitching today.  That has been the single biggest determinant of our success.  Tillman is a part of that sure, but he can be brilliant and the Orioles can lose 90-100 games.  No it's pitching period.

 

If we have to have an individual, I take Manny.

[sportsfan8703]

Machado. He has MVP level capability. 

[now]

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Machado. He has MVP level capability. 

Yeah, interesting distinctions, "most important" vs. "most variable" vs. "most valuable." Nuances...

[now]

3 hours ago, foxfield said:

I do not see how the most important Oriole player isn't Whoever is pitching today.  That has been the single biggest determinant of our success.  Tillman is a part of that sure, but he can be brilliant and the Orioles can lose 90-100 games.  No it's pitching period.

If we have to have an individual, I take Manny.

Are you implying no individual star pitcher equates in value to a star position player (say, of similar WAR)?

[foxfield]

12 hours ago, now said:

Are you implying no individual star pitcher equates in value to a star position player (say, of similar WAR)?

I am not implying anything.  First of all the Orioles do not have star pitchers.  They have some potentially very good ones, but I would consider star to loosely correlate to say ace.  Again.  The Orioles have not had one of those in quite some time. What I am stating is that the Orioles success over the last 6 years has been when the Orioles starting pitching has been above average.  The Orioles have done a reasonable job at hitting HRs and scoring runs.  The Defense while declining has helped prevent runs during this stretch.  The BP has been good to great.  The wins however, have been at their best when the O's can get above average pitching.

Therefore, my point was simply this.  The most important position for the Orioles this season is whoever is pitching today.

For Example:  IF Tillman returns to his best form, but Bundy Gausman Cashner and everyone else is injured or under performs, it is not going to matter.  If Tillman and Bundy are great but they are the only two to be above average that will still not be enough.

So, while I am not making a WAR argument per se, my argument presupposes that there is no star pitcher in Baltimore if by similar war you mean say one on par with the games recognized aces.  

But mostly it was about old baseball sayings....by one of the games best managers....Earl Weaver...who said:

Momentum is the next days starting pitcher.  

[clapdiddy]

On 2/26/2018 at 11:52 AM, theobird said:

Colby Rasmus.  His defense makes this team much better, and I just have a feeling.

He'll be the best regular RF we've had since young Nick Markakis.  

[Redskins Rick]

2 minutes ago, clapdiddy said:

He'll be the best regular RF we've had since young Nick Markakis.  

Has he played yet?

Got to show that he can play and make the roster, first.

[clapdiddy]

Just now, Redskins Rick said:

Has he played yet?

Got to show that he can play and make the roster, first.

I"m making the assumption that he's going to make the team.   Guess I should have prefaced my comment with "If he makes the team". 

[Redskins Rick]

Just now, clapdiddy said:

I"m making the assumption that he's going to make the team.   Guess I should have prefaced my comment with "If he makes the team". 

With injuries and age, I wasn't sure, what kind of baseball shape he was in.

I know everybody assumes he will be a starting COF, but, he did have to accept a MIL deal, and apparently, nobody else in baseball offered him anything better.

[interloper]

Gausman. 

[Redskins Rick]

I look to our core guys, Manny, Schoop, Bundy, Gausman, Jones, etc to have good seasons.

I think 2018 most impact player, will be somebody, not counted on for big production, bounce back years from Tilly, Davis or Trumbo will go along way in helping erase the memories of 2017.