Now the Baltimore Orioles Have a Future: Brian Matusz Wins Debut

In 2002, the Baltimore Orioles ERA was a mediocre 4.46, their pitching staff one of the worst in the American League. In 2003, that number grew to 4.76, with no one winning more than 14 games; only two pitchers, Sidney Ponson and Jason Johnson, had 10 or more wins.

In 2004, their pitching staff was slightly better–4.70–but sill far from acceptable. In 2005, that mark decreased to 4.56 and, upon hiring pitching coach Leo Mazzone, who groomed the likes of Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Greg Maddux, all of whom are future Hall of Famers, Baltimore’s future in the pitching department appeared bright.

Mazzone’s tenure with the Orioles was short, to no fault of his own. Baltimore’s rotation was worse than ever. Their team ERA ballooned to 5.35, with no one, aside from ace Erik Bedard, mounting anything close to a successful season.

It wasn’t as if their pitchers were too young and struggled because of inexperience and undeveloped pitches. They were veterans and mediocre ones, at that.

In 2006, the Orioles gave young pitchers Jeremy Guthrie and Daniel Cabrera the reigns to the rotation. Guthrie excelled, but Cabrera, even with undeniable talent, struggled.

Then 24, he already had two years of experience under his belt, but hadn’t given Baltimore anything to build upon, combining for a 4.75 ERA over the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Yet, the Orioles knew his potential and thought Mazzone could work his magic and dramatically turn him into an ace.

Mazzone did his best with him and the other four pitchers in their rotation, but nothing changed: Cabrera was as wild as ever in 2006, walking 104 batters in 148 innings, translating to a below-average 4.74 ERA, which was still sixty points lower than the mark carried by the entire staff.

Mazzone lasted one more year, a year without improvements: Cabrera lost 18 games and had a 5.55 ERA, while the staff’s ERA was also above five. Without a pitching staff, a team can’t succeed. Baltimore had no hope.

Then, the Orioles made a move that changed their fortunes, trading Bedard to the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Tony Butler, their fourth-ranked prospect, pitcher Chris Tillman, their eighth-ranked prospect, another pitching prospect, Kam Mickolio, as well as top-hitting prospect Adam Jones and reliever George Sherrill.

Baltimore, without their ace, struggled in 2008, but with these five players, along with other up-and-coming talent, at least they had a future.

Butler, 21, is in Single-A, and a long ways off from the major leagues. Tillman, 21 as well, blossomed in their farm system and was named their second-ranked prospect entering this season.

After an impressive stint with Triple-A Norfolk, he was called up to the major leagues just prior to the All-Star Break, and has since made two starts. Mickolio is also with the Orioles, pitching in middle relief.

Baltimore’s youth doesn’t solely consist of these acquisitions. They helped the organization move into the right direction, though. Of their top-ten prospects entering this season, seven including Tillman, are pitchers. One of those is 22-year-old lefthander Brian Matusz, their third-ranked prospect.

He was drafted in the first round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft. A year removed from college, he began this season in Single-A and made eleven starts before being promoted to Double-A.

There, he started eight games and won seven of them, boasting a 1.55 ERA in the process. This earned him a promotion, and not to Triple-A. Nineteen minor league starts was all he needed. Now, he’s gracing a major league mound.

Tonight, he made his much-anticipated debut, pitching against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit. All the Tigers had was a scouting report to go from.

It most likely read: A fastball that touches 95 mph with movement on both sides of the plate, a changeup, noted as above-average, a slider, and a curveball–he can throw all four for strikes and misses a lot of bats. Still, Detroit didn’t know what to expect, which boded well for Matusz.

His offense spotted him a run in the top of the first inning, which had to ease his nerves. The early run support was comforting, but probably didn’t have much effect on the psyche of Matusz.

How would you feel making your major league debut, one year removed from college with little minor league experience? Excited, overwhelmed, extremely nervous, perhaps. He was all those things, but he was also confident.

He breezed through the first inning, throwing just eleven pitches. Ten of those pitches were fastballs, so he was clearly pumped up. He was similarly reliant on the fastball in the second inning, but as his at-bat against Miguel Cabrera to begin the frame showed, the rest of his repertoire was just as effective.

The first two pitches were fastballs to Cabrera, who wasn’t fooled by either of them. So, Matusz went to his curveball, a pitch full of movement that missed just outside.

Now, Cabrera had to guess. He couldn’t just say, “here comes another fastball.”

Matusz uncorked a changeup for a called-strike. He was now comfortable and trusted the repertoire that helped him speed through the minor leagues. He fired in a fastball, which was fouled off, then two curveballs, which were fouled off as well. He mixed in his pitches and threw each for strikes.

His ability to do so disposed of Cabrera, finishing him off with a changeup that dove in, then out, of the strike zone. Cabrera flailed and made the slow walk back to the dugout. It was Matusz’s first career strikeout.

The rest of the inning was rough for Matusz. He allowed a double and relinquished two walks, but stayed poised and worked out of the bases-loaded jam unscathed. He found himself in trouble over the final three innings of his debut, but though each featured either a hit, walk, or both, he allowed just one run.

That run came in the fourth inning. Another could have been added in the fifth, but he made sure nothing would come of Cabrera’s one-out double by striking out both Marcus Thames and Ryan Raburn on sliders.

He walked into the dugout and was congratulated by every member of the team. I suspect they were not only congratulating him on his spectacular outing, but thanking him.

Finally, after years of disappointment in the pitching department, the Orioles have a bright spot, and considering there are many young, talented pitchers that could soon join Matusz, they now have a bright future as well.