Baltimore Orioles: How Did They End up on Top of the AL East?

There have been many surprises in Major League Baseball already this season, but the biggest surprise is the fact that the Baltimore Orioles have a two-game lead in the American League East.

In a division that is usually dominated by the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and recently the Tampa Bay Rays, the Orioles have been shoved to the bottom.

However, why is this happening?

A lot of credit needs to be given to the Baltimore Orioles' pitching staff. Jason Hammel (5-1, 3.12 ERA) and Wei-Yin Chen (4-1, 3.35 ERA) have been leading the way while Tommy Hunter, Jake Arrieta and Brian Matusz are collecting wins as well.

The bullpen has also been especially strong, with closer Jim Johnson boasting a 0.92 ERA with 15 saves in 15 opportunities so far. Kevin Gregg has also rebounded to have a solid campaign while Pedro Strop, Matt Lindstrom, Luis Ayala and Darren O'Day are all carrying ERA under 2.00.

Pitching can take a team so far, but offense matters as well. Most of the Baltimore Orioles' offensive success can be attributed to a fabulous effort from Adam Jones.

However, a lineup is a lot more than one outfielder. Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy are showing that they have some power with at least eight home runs and 20 RBI apiece.

When a team performs like this across the board, it is really no surprise that they are doing so well. Even though many people, including myself, didn't see great things for the Baltimore Orioles this season, they are proving those predictions wrong so far, and it will be interesting to see how long they can sustain this performance.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

Follow @spinkickers