4 Wild-Card Contenders the Baltimore Orioles Are Most Concerned About

As the end of August approaches, the Baltimore Orioles (66-55) are 11 games over the .500 mark and are battling for one of the two wild card spots in the American League. Who would have thought that this could be the year for the black and orange?

The last time the Birds fought their way into the playoffs, not to mention the last time they finished with an above-.500 record, was in 1997 after they won the East with 98 wins but eventually fell to the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS.

With an extra wild card team added to the mix in each league, the Orioles definitely have a fighting chance. However, there are four other teams across the league that Baltimore needs to be cautious with.

I’ve compiled a list of those teams here. Check it out and let me know what you think.

1. Tampa Bay Rays

Unfortunately, the Rays (67-54) are one of the toughest teams in the AL and play in the same division as the Orioles; they’ve fared well against those pesky Rays as they are 6-6 with two series remaining, including the final series of the year.

Currently, the Rays and the Birds are tied for the two division spots in the AL.

The reason for the Rays' continued success has to be due to the pitching staff. Offensively, they rank 10th in the league with a combined .236 average, 506 runs scored and 115 home runs.

Defensively, they come in at 25th in the majors with 85 errors in 121 games; the Orioles rank 30th on that list as they've committed more miscues than any other team in the MLB with 94 on the year.

First, let's talk about the strong aspects of the Rays, which is their pitching staff, both starting pitchers and the bullpen.

Tampa features a very strong starting rotation; the five hurlers sport a 3.52 ERA, good for fourth best in the MLB and the top mark in the AL. Not to mention, they've sport a 53-39 record on the year as they’ve allowed 684 base hits in 742.1 innings of work.

Ace southpaw David Price leads the team with a 16-4 record and a 2.39 ERA in 24 games on the year. They feature one of the best rotations in the league, and it’s made up of young talent including Matt Moore, Jeremy Hellickson, Alex Cobb and James Shields.

Although their bullpen’s record is under .500 at 14-15, collectively, the group yields a second-best major league and top AL ERA. Flame-throwing RHP Fernando Rodney leads the pen with a minuscule 0.79 ERA, as he has picked up 38 saves in 40 chances.

Other than their questionable defense, their offensive numbers are down this season. Ben Zobrist leads the team with just a .262 batting average, while Carlos Pena tops the squad with 16 home runs, which is low for the power-slugging first baseman.

However, Pena is struggling to keep his head above the Mendoza line and is currently batting just .193.

The offense is definitely going through a rough season, as it seems many position players are having off seasons.

The Rays are definitely the team that the Orioles need to watch, mainly because they are in the same division and play each other six more times this year.

2. Detroit Tigers

The second team that the Orioles have to watch out for is a team they are very familiar with as they wrapped up a weekend series at Comerica Park in Detroit earlier today.

The Birds scored seven unanswered runs after allowing five first-inning runs to win the game 7-5 and take the series 2-1. The Tigers took 2-of-3 from the Orioles in their first meeting at Oriole Park earlier this year.

These two teams do not hook up again the rest of the year and finish with a 3-3 season record.

However, they could be the team the Orioles would possibly have to face in a one-game winner-take-all advancement in the playoffs.

Currently, the Tigers sit just 1.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central division. I think the White Sox will crank it up in September and distance themselves a bit from Detroit, which mean the Orioles will have to worry about them.

They sport one of the best lineups in all of baseball, especially since they have the dynamic duo in the middle of the order. Miguel Cabrera leads in all the major offensive categories as he’s smashed 31 home runs, delivered 104 RBI and is batting .332.

Prince Fielder has jolted 22 long balls, driven in 88 RBI and is hitting at a .310 clip in his first year in the AL.

As a team, they are batting .270, which is good for third in the AL. However, they have only hit 121 home runs as a team, which is surprisingly low for a team that features Cabrera, Fielder, and Austin Jackson. Regardless, they have one of the strongest lineups in the AL and can match up with the best of them.

Pitching-wise, the Tigers are 16th in the majors with a 4.01 ERA and a 64-57 record as they’ve allowed 476 earned runs on 1,084 base hits over 1,068.2 innings.

Their starting pitching has struggled a bit this season, with the exception of ace Justin Verlander. As a rotation, they own a 47-40 record and a 4.17 ERA. In 718.2 innings, they've allowed 756 base hits and 333 earned runs.

Flame-throwing RHP Verlander leads the team with a 12-7 record and an impressive 2.53 ERA. With the exception of Verlander, every other starting pitcher’s ERA is north of four heading towards five.

Their relievers have pitched better than their starters this season as the bullpen has earned a respectable 3.75 ERA and a 17-17 record in relief. Brayan Villareal leads the pen with a 2.35 ERA in 36 appearances.

The Tigers have a strong offense, great No. 1 starting pitcher, struggling rotation, and a strong bullpen. They’ve played the Orioles tough and will be a tough team to beat if it comes down to it.

3. Oakland Athletics

The third team that the Orioles have to be wary of the rest for the surprisingly second-place Oakland Athletics. At the beginning of the season, they were projected by many to finish dead last, or at best, third place in the West.

However, they have proven they can compete with any team. Although they have one of the worst offenses in the league, they counterbalance that with one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball.

Pitching-wise, they rank fifth in the majors with a 65-55 and a very strong 3.49 ERA. In 1,009 innings, they've surrendered just 423 earned runs on 1,004 base hits.

Although the Athletics’ starting rotation sports an ERA below .500 at 42-44, they feature one of the best ERA’s in the league at 3.77. In 725.1 innings of work, they’ve given up 304 earned runs on 722 base hits.

Veteran Bartolo Colon (10-9, 3.43) leads a rotation full of rookies as he resurrects his career with a new team.

As for their bullpen, they feature the second best one behind Tampa’s. They sit with a 23-11 record and a very strong .295 ERA. In 365.2 innings of work, their pen has allowed just 120 earned runs on 282 base hits.

Grant Balfour leads the team with 56 appearances and a strong 2.56 ERA out of the pen.

Offensively, as a team, the boys from Oakland are only batting .231 on the year, which ranks them 12th in the AL. They’ve scored 483 runs, which places them 13th out of 14 teams. However, they have smashed 132 home runs, good for eighth in the AL.

Josh Reddick leads the team in the three major hitting categories as he has launched 25 home runs and driven in 61 RBI while batting .253 in first season with the A’s.

Other than Reddick, they have a weak offense and that is the major downfall of Oakland. However, they have such an impressive pitching staff, they can afford to work with fewer runs.

It will be interesting to see how they will fare come the final stretch of the season.

4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

In mid-July right around the All-Star break, it looked like the Angels (62-59) were going to run away with the wild card. However, they have cooled off since, although they are still hanging in there.

After acquiring the most sought after starting pitcher in all of baseball before the trade deadline at the end of July, they are expected to go far.

However, they seem to be slowing down and losing ground.

Offensively, the Angels are one of the better teams in the league, especially with the talented rookie Mike Trout pouncing on the scene and taking the league by storm.

Collectively, they are batting .272 on the year, which is good for second place in the AL, with 565 runs scored and 150 home runs hit, both ranks fourth place in the league.

In his first season at the major league level, the 20-year-old Trout is leading the team in batting at .343. Not to mention, he has showed the power as he has launched 23 home runs and driven in 69 RBI in just 98 contests.

Although he has smashed 27 home runs and driven in 84 RBI while batting .279, Albert Pujols is struggling in his first season in the AL with a new team.

So, their offense is very strong and there are weapons up and down the order. The problem has been their pitching.

As a team, they are 62-60 with a 4.21 ERA, which ranks them 21st in the majors. In 1,070 innings pitched, they’ve allowed 505 earned runs on 1.049 base hits.

Their starting pitching has struggled a bit lately as they sport a 49-43 record with a 4.29 ERA. Over their 742.1 innings, they’ve surrendered 354 earned runs on 714 base hits.

Jared Weaver leads the team with a 15-3 record and an impressive 2.74 ERA. Recently acquired Zack Greinke is 10-4 with a 3.81 ERA. Other than these two starters, the rest of their rotation has underperformed and needs to turn around their game if they want to get back into it.

As for their bullpen, which ranks 21st in the majors, they are collectively 13-17 with a 4.04 ERA. In 336.2 innings, they’ve allowed 151 earned runs on 310 base hits.

The Angels have all the ingredients to be a tough team, and that is why they are on this list. They have been struggling as of late, but Pujols could get hot and go on a run and carry the team for a week or so.

Who knows?

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