Jason Hammel, Biggest Baltimore Oriole Surprises in the Early Going

Every baseball season brings unexpected happenings around the major leagues.

Happenings such as what Josh Hamilton is doing right now. Or what Matt Kemp was doing. Or the fact that the Cleveland Indians are leading their division at this point in time.

One can never know exactly what is going to happen year-to-year, or even day-to-day in the baseball world. That's why we, as fans, all watch. And that's why we all love the game.

The Baltimore Orioles have had quite a few of those surprises so far during this season. One could even argue that they've been the most surprising team during this early 2012 campaign.

Keep reading, and you'll see some of the highlights—and low-lights—of the O's season in the early going.

A Strong Bullpen

The Orioles' bullpen has been one of the best in the majors so far, which is something the team and its fans aren't used to in the least.

Jim Johnson has been perfect in save opportunities, and guys like Luis Ayala (pictured), Pedro Strop and Matt Lindstrom have been as reliable as anyone getting the ball from the starter to the closer with their team up by one or two.

If this trend can keep up throughout the season, the bullpen could quite possibly end up being the biggest strength of the team.

Now if only the starting rotation were a little bit more reliable...

Jason Hammel

Back when former Orioles staff ace Jeremy Guthrie was traded to the Colorado Rockies for starter Jason Hammel and reliever Matt Lindstrom, it looked like a steal for the Rockies, who were getting a dependable innings-eater.

But so far, the O's have won that trade, with Lindstrom pitching well out of the bullpen (as mentioned on the previous slide) and Hammel being absolute filthy.

Through six starts, Hammel has a 4-1 record with a 2.09 ERA over 38.2 innings. Throw in just 27 hits, 11 walks, and a fantastic 38 strikeouts, and if the season were to end today, he should easily win the Cy Young award for the American League.

Now, no one seriously expects Hammel to maintain that kind of video-game-esque production, but if he can continue to be an effective pitcher for the Birds, then the O's will have officially gotten the better side of the Guthrie trade.

A Disappointing Lack of Production

Bench guys Endy Chavez (pictured) and Nick Johnson haven't been all that the O's have bargained for thus far in the season.

Chavez has been pretty unproductive at the plate, hitting only .133 without any stolen bases. What's more, he's on the 15-day disabled list already.

Johnson, on the other hand, has rebounding a bit as of late after starting the season 0-28 at the plate. He does have eight RBI already, and hit a homer in each of the two games he played in against the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend, but is hitting only .174 right now.

I fully expect both of these players to bounce back to their career norms, as they have consistent track records throughout their careers, but for now, they have to be considered disappointments.

Wei-Yin Chen

When the O's signed Wei-Yin Chen over the offseason, they knew they were getting a 26-year-old Taiwanese lefty who had great success in Japan, with good stuff and a high ceiling.

They certainly can't say they were expecting to get what they have from him so far.

In his young major-league career, Chen has a record of 3-0 with a 2.69 ERA in six starts covering 37 innings. He's walked only 12, struck out 28 and held opponents to a .241 batting average.

Yeah, I'd say he appears to have pretty good stuff.

Chen's best outing came in his latest one, when he held the explosive Texas Rangers to two runs on six hits and one walk over 7.2 innings, picking up the win in the O's lone victory of that four-game set.

Keep doing that, Chen, and you'll go places.

First Place

Prior to the season's start, just about everyone was writing off the Baltimore Orioles, including most of the team's fans.

However, they've shocked pretty much everyone by getting off to their best start since 2005, with a 22-13 record as of May 14, and clinging on to a one game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Who knows what will happen over the course of the year, but O's fans are certainly enjoying the team's success while it's here.

Maybe this will finally be the season the Orioles return to glory.

Why not?