Has Nick Markakis reached his ceiling, or is he only getting better?

Catchers- Ramon Hernandez, Guillermo Quiroz

Ramon Hernandez will start at catcher for the Orioles but do not make him a starter on your fantasy roster. Hernandez cannot steal bases, he does not have the average, and his power is suspect at best. He could have another season like 2006, but it is unlikely. Guillermo Quiroz has lots of potential to be a good defensive catcher. Unless Hernandez goes hitless in April, Quiroz will spend the season bouncing back and forth between the minors and Baltimore.

First Base- Kevin Millar, Aubrey Huff, Scott Moore

Kevin Millar is capable of hitting 20 home runs and able to average .290, but realistically he will continue to show his age and his numbers will continue to plummet. While he is the heart and soul of the Orioles clubhouse, he won’t help anyone’s fantasy numbers. Aubrey Huff will share time at first base and DH with Millar, and is a better option at first base than Millar. Huff will give fantasy owners a .280 average, with 20 home runs, and around 80 RBI. Scott Moore will be in the minors for the majority of the year unless he has a stellar spring.

Middle Infield-Brian Roberts, Luis Hernandez, Freddie Bynum

Brian Roberts hit .290 with 50 stolen bases and 103 runs scored last season. Watch for Roberts to go as one of the top second basemen in fantasy drafts, as his speed and batting average will help every fantasy owner. His lack of power could be a problem, but his speed will more than make up for it. Luis Hernandez has limited experience in the majors and would be a major risk in the fantasy department. He showed some promise as a hitter when he hit .290 with a home run and seven RBI in 30 games. Freddie Bynum will spend the year on the bench, seeing limited action as the back up to Roberts and Hernandez.

Third Base- Melvin Mora

Melvin Mora’s numbers have been in a downward spiral since he his breakout year in 2004. Mora does not hit for average anymore, his power numbers are down, and he won’t steal more than 10 bases. Mora should be avoided, or only taken as a last resort.

Outfielders- Luke Scott, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Jay Payton

Luke Scott should improve on last year’s numbers, but he is unproven and could go un-drafted. Scott should bat around .280, and hit 20-25 home runs. He may be quick enough to run down fly balls, but this guy does not steal many bases. Adam Jones has lots of promise. Jones’ numbers are hard to predict, but he could surprise owners with 20 home runs, and an average around .290. Jones is not the quickest centerfielder, but should steal at least 10 bags. Nick Markakis is the highlight of the O’s outfield, and could step up to hit 25-30 home runs, with 120 RBI, while maintaining a .300 average. Jay Payton will not play as much as he did last season, and if he does play every day he would only hurt your fantasy team with his low batting average and declining power.

Starting Rotation- Jeremy Guthrie, Adam Loewen, Daniel Cabrera, Troy Patton, Garrett Olson

No one on this pitching staff should be used as a starter on a fantasy roster. Guthrie has shown signs of brilliance, but he tends to implode at the first sign of trouble. Loewen is young and has the stuff to build up some strikeouts, but he is unproven and will only be good for 10 wins at the most. Daniel Cabrera has a volatile fastball and an explosive personality. He has really good stuff, and when he is on he is untouchable. Cabrera has no composure, which gets in the way and forces him out of games. He is unreliable and should just be left on the waiver wire. Garrett Olson and Troy Patton should be avoided at all cost, until the season gets going and they prove worthy of playing major league baseball, let alone being drafted in fantasy baseball.

Bullpen- Danys Baez, Jaime Walker, Dennis Sarfate, George Sherrill, Chad Bradford, Brian Burres, Jim Hoey, Jon Leicester, Rocky Cherry, Chris Ray, Radhames Liz, Matt Albers

George Sherrill will be the closer for the Orioles, but he may not get many opportunities, as the Orioles will be blown out of most games. Jaime Walker will not strike out many batters, and his ERA is a little too high for a reliever. Dennis Sarfate is young and relatively inexperienced, but does have strikeout potential. Danys Baez is the alternative if Sherrill struggles as closer. Baez could pick up some saves and will grab a few vulture wins and may be worth rostering. The rest of the bullpen is too risky to be used in fantasy games.

Rookies to Watch

One by one the Orioles are cleaning house, trading away the higher paid veterans and replacing them with cheaper alternatives and prospects from their farm system, all in an effort to rebuild the team to respectability. Adam Jones and Luis Hernandez are expected to make an instant impact on the team, but there are several other young players that will likely make their debut with the big club at some point this season. Garrett Olsen and Radhames Liz are a couple of young hurlers you should see on the mound this summer. Liz is a fireballer said to have the best fastball in the Orioles system. He throws around 95 M.P.H. on a regular basis with excellent movement on the ball. He has a decent curveball, but has difficulty throwing it consistently for strikes. He is still considered a starter in the organization, but could end up being a bullpen pitcher. Olsen has been dominant in Triple A, but he was throttled during a cup of coffee with the big club last season. He is being considered for the starting rotation this year, but could end up starting in Triple A for a confidence boost first.

Projected Lineup

Brian Roberts 2B
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Aubrey Huff 1B/DH
Kevin Millar 1B/DH
Luke Scott LF
Melvin Mora 3B
Ramon Hernandez C
Luis Hernandez SS

Projected Starting Rotation

Daniel Cabrera
Adam Loewen
Jeremy Guthrie
Garrett Olson
Steve Trachsel

Closer

George Sherrill

Next in Line

Danys Baez