Baltimore Orioles

This season the Phillies have recorded two series wins at home. Both have come against the Washington Nationals. This weekend they hope to pick their third home series win, and perhaps get their home schedule turned around, when they welcome the Baltimore Orioles to Citizens Bank Park.

Brad Bergesen throws a fastball in the low 90's and he has only had one good year in the minor leagues.

You wouldn't expect he'd be a guy who can come in to the major leagues and have good starts against teams like the Mariners, Tigers, White Sox, and Yankees.

However, so far, the 23-year old Fairfield, CA native has done just that for the O's as a rookie. Bergesen has a 4-2 record, a 3.79 ERA and has collected 33 strikeouts while talllying a WHIP of 1.26, and pitched his first complete game on Sunday.

For a rebuilding team like the Baltimore Orioles, minor league success is crucial to the team's future in the major league standings. The O's have gotten great contributions from various pitching prospects like Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Troy Patton, Chris Tillman, and others.

Going into the season, O's fans took a look at the minor league starting pitchers for each team. Let's analyze how those minor leaguers did.

The Aces

Norfolk Tides: Chris Tillman, RHP

With top prospect Matt Wieters finally in Baltimore, there is finally excitement around Camden Yards. Before we analyze why this kid will be a superstar, let's go on a journey to see how he got to Baltimore.

It started on May 21, 1986, where Matthew Richard Wieters was born in Goose Creek, SC. Because he was so big, it would be difficult to determine what position he would play, but at Stratford High School, he played catcher.

GAME SUMMARY

• Final Score: Detroit 3, Orioles 0
• WP: Edwin Jackson (5-3): 8 innings, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 R, 7 K, 101 pitches
• LP: Jason Berken (1-1): 7 innings, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 2 K
• SV: Fernando Rodney (10)
• HR: Curtis Granderson (13)

Edwin Jackson threw his best game of the season and Fernando Rodney finished off the Orioles as the Tigers hurled a shutout in beating the Baltimore Orioles, 3-0.

I know this is looking way, way ahead, but I'm extremely excited about the future O's. I think this team can contend for a wild-card spot next year if the pitching is intact. They're offense will be a force to be reckoned with, especially with the top and middle of the order. If the pitching holds up, they will do well in years to come.

Date: May 31, 2009

Time: 1:35pm

Teams: Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles

Park: Camden Yards

Weather: 77 and sunny

Starting Pitchers: Edwin Jackson (4-3, 2.58)  Jason Berken (1-0, 3.60)

Records: Detroit (27-21)  Baltimore (23-27)

Last 10 Games: Detroit (5-5)  Baltimore (7-3)

My Two Cents

Apr. 19, 2008.

The most important date in Tampa Bay Rays franchise history.

The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the most disappointing organizations in baseball.

With eleven striaght losing seasons, the O's have been at the bottom of the cellar of the AL East for over a decade, facing beatdowns to the Yankees and Red Sox.

There hasn't been much to talk about in this decade beside these long woes.

All the hearts broke when Cal Ripken retired, who was virtually the last piece to Baltimore's success.

Peter Angelos, current Orioles owner, has been one of the more unpredictable ones in the years.

This article originally appeared on Fantasyfootballmaniaxs.com.

Finally, after weeks of waiting, the top prospect in baseball arrives to the majors. 

Matthew Wieters, a switch-hitting elite catching prospect, will be making his major league debut on Friday against Dontrelle Willis and the Detroit Tigers. 

It will be a grand day for baseball, as a new era of young stars is born. He is the first to make some noise.