Matt Wieters

Baseball Prospectus gave us an early look at their predictions for the 2011 season, and there was a lot to like about what they had to say unless your name is Matt Wieters. The highly-regarded statheads say the Orioles will finish 82-80 , giving Baltimore its first summer of winning baseball since the days when Hanson was considered to be good music. But based on PECOTA -- which stands for Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm -- Baseball Prospectus believes that catcher Matt Wieters is poised to be the Orioles' biggest disappointment in 2011.

My post on Baseball Prospectus labeling Orioles catcher Matt Wieters as one of the " most disappointing prospects of all time " was on fire yesterday and continued to simmer today. Most of you vehemently disagreed with those highly-regarded statheads making that assessment before Wieters' 25th birthday , though a few folks didn't think it was too premature. I haven't once thought about giving up on Wieters. Of course, he needs some work at the plate; He's 24 and hasn't even played two full major-league seasons.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, who agreed to terms Friday on a one-year deal in his first year of arbitration eligibility, said he is looking forward to going into the spring without his contract status looming over his head. The sides agreed to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million for 2013, avoiding the arbitration process. The deadline to file arbitration figures was Friday at 1 p.m. “It's a good feeling,” Wieters said Friday night at the premiere of 'The BUCKLe Up Birds: An Underdog Story,' a movie about the team's 2012 season.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters is an All-Star and a Gold Glove winner. He's regarded as one of the best gamecallers in the game. But he's not known for his speed. However, in Saturday night's 4-0 win over the Rays, Wieters stole second twice, the first time an Orioles catcher has tallied two stolen bases in one game since the Nixon administration. He entered the night with two stolen bases --- in his entire four-year career. But the Orioles found they could exploit Rays right hander Jeremy Hellickson's deliberate time to the plate.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters , who entered Sunday's afternoon game against Toronto with just three hits in his past 25 at-bats, hit out of the No. 7 spot in the series finale. It marked the first time Wieters has hit that low in the Orioles' batting order since last June 30. It proved to be a nice fit for the day. Wieters recorded his first four-hit game of the season in the O's 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Wieters, who was coming off a day off behind the plate, drove in three runs and hit three doubles in the game, including a clutch two-run double off Toronto right-handed reliever Steve Delabar in the ninth inning that gave the Orioles a 5-2 lead at the time.

If you needed another reminder that Matt Wieters is one tough fella behind the plate, just look to Friday's fourth inning. Sean Rodriguez came barreling around third trying to score and Wieters stood in front of home while looking out to right field for the relay throw from Robert Andino (via Nick Markakis). Wieters said he quickly glanced toward third and saw the 6-foot, 200-pound Rodriguez coming at him. “You take a peek when he's about halfway down the line. I knew it was going to be a bang-bang (play)

The Fielding Bible Award selections, which will be featured in the Annual Bill James Handbook, were announced today, and Orioles catcher Matt Wieters did not repeat as a winner. The awards, which go to the best defensive player at each position, no matter the league, are based on a mix of scouting and Sabermetric analysis. This year, the one for catcher went to St. Louis Cardinals backstop Yadier Molina, who won from 2007 to 2010, before Wieters picked up his first last year. The Orioles, as a team, were shut out. Here's the list, which was determined by a panel of 10 experts consisting primarily of analysts and writers: Catcher: Molina; first base, Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees; second base, Darwin Barney, Chicago Cubs; shortstop, Brendan Ryan, Seattle Mariners; third base, Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers; left field, Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals; center field, Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels; right field, Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves; pitcher, Mark Buehrle, Miami Marlins.

The Orioles agreed to terms with catcher Matt Wieters on a one-year $5.5 million deal Friday, avoiding arbitration in Wieters' first year of eligibility. But Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said the organization would like to pursue the possibility of signing Wieters to a long-term deal. Now that the Orioles signed center fielder Adam Jones to a six-year, $85-million extension last season and extended both Duquette and manager Buck Showalter through 2018, the organization's next step to locking up its cornerstones would likely be signing Wieters, who becomes a free agent after the 2015 season, to a long-term deal.

It takes some guts to pick Duke to win the NCAA tournament around these parts, but if anyone has the local clout to get away with it, it's probably Orioles catcher Matt Wieters. Wieters picked Duke on his NCAA bracket as part of a contest the Orioles are holding for fans . Basically, Dan Duquette, J.J. Hardy, Jim Johnson Brian Roberts and Wieters made their picks, and fans can win tickets or autographed memorabilia by backing the most accurate bracket. Because I know you're curious, Johnson and Roberts predict Kansas will cut down the nets in Atlanta, while Hardy and Duquette are rolling with No. 1 overall seed Louisville.

Catcher Matt Wieters received most of Thursday's game off - until he entered as a pinch hitter in the 13th inning and caught the top of the 14th. Manager Buck Showalter said he'd like to have his Gold Glove, All-Star catcher behind the plate for eight of the Orioles' next nine games on the upcoming road trip to Oakland, Seattle and Boston. But the Orioles could lose Wieters at any moment. Wieters said his wife, Maria, is due to give birth to their first child Sept. 27, when the Orioles will be in Baltimore.