Fearless Predictions Revisited

Before the second half kicks off, I thought it was a good time to revisit preseason predictions. It ain't pretty but here it goes.

* Garrett Atkins won't be a regular with this team by June 15th. Somebody has to come to their senses.

Atkins was barely with the team until June 15th and certainly wasn't a regular by then. Atkins played just two games for Baltimore after June 15th and was then released.

* Nick Markakis...breakout! Enos Slaughter for the new millennium. I'm recycling this from last season.

I'm giving up on this. Markakis will probably never be a guy who hits .320 AND 25 home runs. Probably a high average, high on base guy who strokes a ton of doubles. A nice player but not the star I keep predicting. He's had a nice rebound from 2009 but not a leap forward.

* Brian Matusz....breakout! Don't be surprised if Matusz is having Tim Lincecum-type success (without the gawdy strikeout totals...but damn good ones) by the second half of the season.

I still kind of believe this one. I think Matusz gets much better in the second half.

* Matt Wieters...breakout! I'm going with the Keith Law prediction of "well over .300 with 20-25 homers" for his sophomore season.

Wieters actually has taken a step back and has been the most disappointing young player on the Orioles this season. Over his last 15 games, Wieters had hit a hot streak posting a .354/.448/.521 line but now finds himself on the DL with a strained hamstring. I still believe in him for the long run but I thought he'd be something of an impact bat by now.

* Adam Jones....no breakout! It would be hard to call this a breakout since he was pretty good last year but I expect that this is the year Jones starts to show people that Adrian Gonzalez is not necessary because the Orioles already have a bat as good in centerfield. Look for an average around .300 with something approaching 25 homers.

After a horrid April, Jones is starting to approach those numbers. He's hitting .276 with 14 home runs. I'd like to see a little more patience at the plate but he seems to have made the adjustments needed to keep on hitting.

* 80 wins. That's my guess. And with a little luck...you never know.

Bwahahahaha!


* Ben McDonald becomes a surprise hit on MASN.

Not so much. He's fine but I've been much more impressed with Eddie Murray in the booth.

* Kevin Millwood 2010 = Rick Sutcliffe 1992

He started that way. He'll have to regain some of his mojo to be league average in the second half...something I am doubtful of.

* Felix Pie forces something this summer...a trade, a position change....something.

Pie forced a serious injury on himself and not much else. Nolan Reimold appears to have a future at first base now but that is due as much to his bad defense in the outfield this season as the prospect of Pie manning leftfield. Still time for Pie to cement his position though.