Seven Reasons To Not Give Up On The Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles may have the worst record in baseball, but the team we have seen over the last month or so is one that is very different.

It has been very mercurial (sweeping two teams, but getting swept in two others in the past six), but Orioles baseball has been much more entertaining recently.

Here are some reasons not to give up just yet on the team that just loves to test its fan's patience.

Hiring of a New Manager

It has been in the works for months, but it seems like we are very close to the announcement that Buck Showalter will be the Orioles new manager.

Showalter was in charge of the Yankees from 1992-1995, when they cultivated the farm system that made up a dynasty, and was able to turn an expansion team in Arizona into a 100 win team in its second year of existence.

While the Orioles will certainly be a challenge, Showalter has experience with difficult situations in the past.

Return of Plethora of Players

While Brian Roberts' return in the next week or so will certainly be the biggest, the recent return of Felix Pie was a huge boost as well.

With those two back in the lineup and the return of Jim Johnson and Mike Gonzalez to the bullpen, the Orioles will actually have the team they expected to have for the first time all season.

Once that happens, we can truly assess how far from Andy MacPhail's rebuilding plan the Orioles truly are.

Rebound of Adam Jones

Considering he was an All Star and Gold Glove winner in 2009, Adam Jones has been a huge disappointment for the majority of the season.

That being said, Adam is batting .344 with six home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 30 games. His fielding has still been sketchy, but he is finally producing for a team that needs him to be one of its leaders

Upcoming Schedule

Over the Orioles next 33 games, 20 of them are at home. While that does include tough series against Tampa Bay and the White Sox, the stretch doesn't include a single game against the Red Sox or Yankees.

In addition, the road games include seven games against the Royals and Indians -- both of which the Orioles will be thinking that they should beat.

Considering the Orioles are the worst team in baseball, it isn't exactly an easy stretch, but anything is better than the first month of the season.

Recent Success

While certainly not great by any sense of the word, the Orioles are 10-10 in their last 20 games—far better than the 19-52 mark before this run.

Not only are they winning more games, they are averaging 4.15 runs per game (over a half run better than their season average) and perhaps even more impressive than that, the O's have won seven of these games when they have been trailing at some point.

Emergence of a Leader in Markakis

When the Orioles signed Nick Markakis to a six-year, 66.1 million dollar contract, they were paying him to not just produce, but to also be the leader of this team.

Markakis has never been a vocal guy, but now the team has been sitting in the gutter, he has spoken out. He has recently had conversations with owner Peter Angelos to discuss the status of the organization, and has gone public with the team's poor strategy at the plate, calling his teammates out to be better.

Markakis has stepped up his production in the last month, but he has been Mr. Consistency for the majority of his career, so the boost back to his usual numbers isn't a shock. It is his recent vocal leadership that should excite fans.

Success of Young Guns

While Brian Matusz has struggled with the pressure on him this year, several other young pitchers are starting to get it together.

Jake Arrieta has been great so far, registering five quality starts in his first seven, and Chris Tillman's most recent start could be a sign that he might have figured it out.

Jason Berken and David Hernandez seem to have found their niche in the bullpen, as they both have seen much more success there.

Finally, the Orioles have one more chip sitting in AAA Norfolk in Zach Britton. Britton, who was listed as the 10th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America, has a 1.50 ERA in three starts and is already knocking on the door to be called up.