Orioles Midseason Grades
Adam Jones– The power has been there but sometimes he looks like a catcher playing center field. He has regressed in the field and has not improved at the plate. He swings at too many balls to be elite. Grade: D+
Nick Markakis– Markakis has done everything he can for this team. The home run numbers have dropped but he is still hitting doubles and has a career high in batting average. Grade: B+
Corey Patterson– Who would’ve thought Patterson would be intentionally walked so the pitcher could face Miguel Tejada; this happened against the Texas Rangers several nights ago. Patterson has provided more than a spark, he has been one of the best hitters for the Orioles. Grade: A
Ty Wigginton– Ty might’ve been the lone Orioles All-Star, but his offense has dropped since the start of the season. He has been a great team player for the Orioles and provided power. Grade: B
Luke Scott– Stats-wise, Luke may be hitting well, but he does not always show good plate discipline. He is a veteran that should know what pitches to swing at and in what counts. Striking out after getting a 3-0 count makes it hard to give Scott a high grade. Grade: C
Matt Wieters– His defense has been great but his offensive numbers have dropped from last year. He started off the season well so maybe his offensive struggles are from wear-and-tear. Grade: C
Cesar Izturis– He gets a higher grade than some players that have higher offensive numbers because his job is to play good defense. His bat has been better than I expected and he has had to work with a lot a variety of second basemen. Grade: C+
Miguel Tejada– Miggy’s defense has been terrible and his offense has not been consistent. Not the player he used to be. Grade: C
Nolan Reimold– This one hurts, I almost want to give him a pass with all the things that have been going on with him. Grade: F
Felix Pie– He would be getting a solid A+ if he could stay healthy. Grade: B
Kevin Millwood– He started off the season pitching great, but was let down his teammates lack of run support. Who knows, his inability to secure a win early on might have worn on him. With that being said, he has been good at eating up innings. Grade: C+
Craig Tatum– For a backup catcher Tatum has done everything anyone could ask of him. Grade: B+
Jeremy Guthrie– He has pitched better than I thought he would and like all the other Orioles pitchers has had little run support. Grade: C+
Brian Matusz– Again, in what seems like a recurring theme: has had very little run support. Matusz has had his ups and down but for the most part, he has been average to above average. Grade: C+
Jason Berken– Is there a higher grade than A+? I’ll admit it, I wrote this guy off last year after getting rocked as a starter. Without a doubt, he has found his niche in the bullpen. Grade: A++
David Hernandez– Much like Berken, he could not make it as a starter but has found a home in the bullpen. Grade: B
Alfredo Simon– For a starter to be thrown into the closer’s role right after Tommy John surgery, you can not ask for much more from Simon. Grade: B+
Chris Tillman– He showed huge improvement in his last start, taking a no hitter into the seventh inning against a vaunted Rangers offense. If this success continues in the second half, an A might in store for him. Grade: D+
Julio Lugo– This guy represents everything that is what is wrong with the Orioles. His attitude has got to change. Grade: F
Mark Hendrickson– In short, he is worse than last year. His responsibility is to be an innings eater and has failed to do so many times this season. Grade: D
Garrett Atkins– It pained me to even type his name. If it was a number rating it would be in the negatives. Power hitter that can not hit for power or average. Grade: Z
Matt Albers– If only he could pitch the way he eats. In all honesty, Fatt Alb…I mean Matt Albers has pitched better lately. Grade: E+
Brad Bergesen– Two freak injuries have really messed up his mechanics. What a shame. Grade: D
Jake Arrieta– He has had his struggles but has also shown great potential. Grade: B