5 Bold Predictions for the Remainder of the Baltimore Orioles Season

Now that we're over a month into the season, things are starting to take shape across the MLB.

While many may argue that it's still too early to assess standings and statistics because the sample sizes are too small, numbers are numbers and I believe we are deep enough into the season to start making bold predictions.

The Baltimore Orioles seem to be building on the success they had last season and are currently a contender for the second season in a row. Obviously, any winning team is going to have many positives surrounding them, leading to speculation by many fans on what could happen at the end of the year.

Let's make some bold predictions for the Orioles for the remainder of the 2013 season.

Manny Machado Will Win a Gold Glove

Many TV analysts around baseball have compared Manny Machado to the likes of Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria and Texas' Adrian Beltre with the glove—Machado's been that good this season.

The amazing thing is, he was drafted and developed as a shortstop. The youngster was thrown at the hot corner upon his call up early last August with little experience there and has shined ever since, solidifying the defense on the left side of the infield along with J.J. Hardy.

Machado will take his bumps, as will any player as young as he is, but he's done some truly spectacular work at third and will only get better.

At the end of the season, Machado will prove to be the most reliable defensive third baseman and will be rewarded as such with a Gold Glove award.

Brian Roberts Will Come Back, Then Injure Himself Again

The longest-tenured Oriole on the team, second baseman Brian Roberts has been injured for most of the past three seasons.

O's fans and beat writers alike were hoping for a healthy B-Rob this season, as he made it through spring training with his health in tact and got off to a strong start the first two games of the regular season.

During that third game, however, he injured himself while swiping second base. A ruptured tendon near his knee required a recent surgery, and he will be out for at least six weeks.

It's obvious that Roberts wants to come back and help his team win, and the O's and their fans would love to see that. But given Roberts' injury history, I see him returning for a couple of weeks in the late summer, only to injure himself yet again and end up missing the remainder of the season including the postseason should the Birds qualify.

Thus will be the end of the Brian Roberts era in Baltimore, at least as a player.

Chris Davis Will Hit 40 Homers, Lead the AL

Chris Davis has been on a tear all season long.

The Orioles' first baseman has 11 homers on the season and just hit the longest dinger at Target Field all season in Sunday's afternoon contest against the Minnesota Twins.

Everyone knew the power potential was there for Davis, going back to his days with Texas. It began to show through with his 33-homer, 85-RBI season in 2012, and it seems as though he's back to where he left off, building on that power potential he's always had.

Davis is quickly becoming one of the most powerful and dangerous left-handed bats in the game,and will end up reaching the 40-homer mark this season, a number that will lead the American League.

The Orioles Will Ink McLouth to an Extension

Outfielder Nate McLouth has been everything the O's wanted and more this season.

He's been a spark plug at the top of the lineup. An above-average left fielder. A base-stealer. And he'll even hit a homer every now and then.

McLouth started the season being himself. Then he took off and was hot for about a week or so. Now, he seems to be back to being himself, which is certainly a player the O's love to see on the field.

The lefty is exactly the kind of player the O's need on their team: a player who can work counts, get on base and be a serious threat when he gets there. And that need is magnified with Brian Roberts on the DL on a consistent basis.

McLouth will keep up his solid performance this season, forcing the O's to offer him a three-year extension at around $5-7 million a year, a deal he will accept.

The Orioles Will Win the AL East

Come season's end, the Orioles will be AL East division winners.

A tight division race will continue through much of the season, with the lead changing many times. Tampa Bay, New York and Boston all have good teams and will all hold the division lead at least once before the season is over.

The O's will take over the lead with two weeks left in the 2013 regular season and will hold it until the regular season comes to a close, putting them in prime position when the playoffs begin.

The Baltimore Orioles will be division winners for the first time since 1997. Not only that, but they'll have a playoff run to remember.