For starters: Young guns provide hope for improved rotation

For many years, fans questioned the Orioles' ability to develop pitchers and wondered when or if the team would produce another ace.

"Where is the next (Mike) Mussina," was heard often.

Is it possible now that the Orioles have not one, but two potential young aces in their rotation? The Orioles certainly have two young guns that are going to look good in joining Chris Tillman at the top of the rotation next year. They have Dylan Bundy, their first-round pick in 2011 and Kevin Gausman, their top pick in 2012.

Gausman, who will be 26 on opening day, went 9-12 with a 3.61 ERA in 30 starts and 179 2/3 innings. But it was the second half where Gausman really elevated his pitching, going 8-6 with a 3.10 ERA. Between August 23 and September 14, Gausman pitched four scoreless starts in five games, going 4-0 with an ERA of 0.82. He pitched the Orioles to a victory in Game 162 at New York to get them into the playoffs. He led O's starters in ERA, innings, WHIP, K/9 and BB/9.

Bundy was moved into the rotation in the second half and went 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA his first six starts. He allowed five runs in four of his last eight starts, going 4-3 with an ERA of 6.00 as he likely tired somewhat. But we saw enough evidence to see why Bundy was a top-rated prospect for years, even as he dealt with elbow surgery and shoulder issues.

Bundy picked up his first major league win on May 27 at Cleveland. From July 22 to August 12, he ranked tied for first in wins (four) and fifth in strikeouts (32) among all major league pitchers. As a starter he allowed a batting average against of just .231 and he fanned 9.0 per nine innings

So, yeah, these two provide plenty of reasons for fans to be excited. They are homegrown, feature big-time velocity, are under team control for several seasons and are trending up.

In the first half, the O's rotation ERA was 5.15. In the second half - when Bundy entered the rotation and Gausman pitched better - that mark was 4.24. Had the Orioles recorded a 4.24 rotation ERA for the entire year, they would have finished fourth in the American League in starters' ERA.

Gausman showed some mental toughness this year. He didn't pick up his first win until late June and often was the victim of a lack of run support. He also had that long winless road stretch. None of that fazed him. Rather than let that get to him producing a mediocre season, Gausman got better, producing his best season in the majors.

Boston signed David Price to a seven-year deal worth $217 million last winter. But this year Guasman pitched on his level.

Gausman: 3.61 ERA, 1.280 WHIP, 9.2 hits/9, 2.4 BB/9, 8.7 K/9.
Price: 3.99 ERA, 1.204 WHIP, 8.9 hits/9, 2.0 BB/9, 8.9 K/9.

Heading into last season the Orioles rotation was a major question mark and looked it during the first half. With Gausman and Bundy leading the way, the starting rotation was much better after the All-Star Game. Probably no one is going to rank the O's starters among the best in the game or the AL for 2017. Maybe even not in the division.

But Gausman and Bundy have changed the outlook for next year's rotation. Maybe the next Mussina is finally here.