Fantasy Baseball 2015: Baltimore Orioles Starting Rotation Preview

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Oct 11, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Bud Norris (25) in game two of the 2014 ALCS playoff baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Bud Norris

2014 Stats: 28 games started, 11 quality starts. 15-8, 3.65 ERA, 1.22 WHIP.
165.1 IP, 139 K, 7.57 K/9, 2.67 SO/BB ratio.

2015 Fantasy Outlook: In his first full year with the Birds, Norris turned in this career-best 3.65 ERA and led the O’s staff in strikeouts per nine innings. Norris proved he can be good in stretches, but also struggled for periods last season. In one of his better runs of the season, he went 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his last five starts of the year striking out 34 in 30.1 innings in September.

Norris has intriguing upside since when he is on he does pick up more K’s than the other Orioles starters. He went 8-2 after the All Star break and is another of the O’s solid starting pitchers. Starters 2-5 are very interchangeable and Norris actually offers the most fantasy upside since he does bring the elusive strikeout numbers.

Those strikeouts also make Norris a good streaming and daily league play especially when he’s at home. Last season, Norris was 8-2 with a 2.44 ERA at Oriole Park while only managing a 7-6 record with an ERA of 4.80 on the road. At home in good matchups, Norris’s strikeout potential makes him an intriguing option even though he isn’t someone you need to carry on your standard mixed-league roster all season.

Next: Kevin Gausman

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