Steve Davis: Way Too Soon To Panic On O's
I know the Orioles are off to a bad start, and the biggest concern is coming to fruition: the starting pitching. That said, before you reach for the panic button, remember they are playing the Yankees, Red Sox and Tigers. I won't be surprised if, come October, these three teams all make the playoffs.
I am concerned about the starting pitching because we knew this was a possibility. Jimenez is now 0-2 and has been very inconsistent in his career. Chen, Gonzalez and Norris all had bad starts, which is not all that surprising. They won't all continue to be this bad, so things will get better.
The line-up is a concern too. The Orioles really miss Hardy and Machado. Those are 2 All-stars, and they replaced them with Schoop, Flaherty and Lombardozzi. Schoop probably isn't ready yet, the the latter two are probably best suited as utility players. One guy to keep an eye on is Jemile Weeks. He is hitting .500 at Triple-A. If Schoop continues to be overmatched, I wouldn't be surprised if Weeks were to get a chance. Schoop has a great future, but remember, he is a young guy, and a lot is being asked of him.
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