– RHP

Jake Arrieta – RHP

Chris Tillman – RHP (15-day DL)

On the surface, none of these names carry the kind of weight attached to guys like Verlander, Sabathia, or Price. But this is a group that performed very well under the radar in 2012. Hammel is the ace, so to speak. He was in the running for the fan-voted All Star spot last year. He did have a knee problem that sidelined him during the season, but when he was healthy, he was great. He finished the season with a career-low 3.43 ERA. Chen has had another year to adjust to life in American baseball, which should allow him to build off of his impressive rookie campaign. He wore down a bit towards the end of the season, buthe still ended with an ERA just above 4 and led the team with 12 wins. Gonzalez was the surprise of the season last year. He wasn’t even at camp for the O’s last spring, and he ended up with a 9-4 record over 18 starts with a fantastic 3.25 ERA. The focus for Arrieta and Tillman this year will be consistency, as the former top prospects have shown flashes of brilliance hindered by bouts of mediocrity. Arrieta has had a great spring, and Tillman was lights out at the end of 2012. If they can continue to grow, they both have the potential for double-digit wins in 2013.

Bullpen

Luis Ayala – RHP

Tommy Hunter – RHP

Jim Johnson – RHP

Brian Matusz – LHP

T.J. McFarland – LHP

Darren O’Day – RHP

Troy Patton