Luke Scott has become a fan favorite in Baltimore since he came to the Orioles from the Houston Astros in 2008.
In 2010, Scott was one of Baltimore's most consistent hitters and helped carry Baltimore late in the season after Buck Showalter came aboard.
5. Luke Scott, LF
Luke Scott, 32, enters the 2011 season penciled in fifth in Baltimore’s projected lineup. The Orioles' designated hitter the past two years will be moving over to left field after Baltimore signed Vladimir Guerrero to a one-year deal.
Scott is no stranger to left field either; Scott started 100 games in left field in 2008, though Scott is three years older though now.
Even though Scott does not have a big arm either, he has been a very reliable in the outfield.
In 2008, Scott committed only two errors in over 840 innings in left field and RF/9 of 2.17, which was third in the American League.
Luke Scott was one of Baltimore’s more reliable hitters in 2010 hitting .284/.368/.535 with 27 home runs.
Scott has been one of Baltimore's more consistent power bats the past couple of years—Scott has hit 75 home runs in his three years with the O's.
Scott is still far off from an elite hitter in the American League East though, in 2010 Scott hit .214/.307 /.375 with RISP, compared to when Scott hit a more manageable .271/.378/.523 in 2009.
The designated hitter also struggled against power pitchers and according to baseballreference.com, Scott hit .178/.290/.267 against pitchers who ranked in the top third in strikeouts and walks.
Although Scott had limited success with RISP, Scott managed to find consistency at the plate. In recent years Scott would go on a power surge for two or three weeks only to follow with a slump that would last upward to months.
Luke Scott was able to fight off the dog days of August—Scott finished strong in the second half of 2010 hitting .295 with 15 home runs.
With the addition of Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero, and Mark Reynolds, Scott will have a tremendous burden of being Baltimore’s lone power bat taken off his shoulders in 2011. Scott should see better pitches in RISP opportunities because of the added protection in the Orioles 2011 lineup.
The 2011 season is setting up to be exciting years for the Baltimore Orioles and with added depth Luke Scott should flourish offensively.
Prediction: .285 AVG, 33 HR, 90 RBI
On Deck: Mark Reynolds
In the Hole: Adam Jones
Previous predictions: Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero
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