Projected batting order Jerry Hairston Jr., 2B Gary Matthews Jr., CF B.J. Surhoff, LF Jeff Conine, 1B Tony Batista, 3B Jay Gibbons, RF Marty Cordova, DH Geronimo Gil, C Deivi Cruz, SS Rotation Rodrigo Lopez, RHP Omar Daal, LHP Sidney Ponson, RHP Rick Helling, RHP Jason Johnson, RHP Bench Melvin Mora, INF/OF Jack Cust, OF Brook Fordyce, C John Valentin, INF Larry Bigbie, OF Jeff Reboulet, INF Bullpen Jorge Julio, RHP (CL) Kerry Ligtenberg, RHP Buddy Groom, LHP Willis Roberts, RHP B.J. Ryan, LHP Pat Hentgen, RHP Complete Orioles roster  ESPN's Take Q: What would it take for the Orioles to improve to, say, .500 this year? They aren't going to have the offense, so Rodrigo Lopez, Omar Daal, Jason Johnson and someone else would have to step up big. Hey, they know they are a long way from contention. -- Peter Gammons Based on his minor-league numbers, this would seem like the perfect opportunity for Jack Cust, a miserable fielder who's been dealt to the Orioles to be the DH. But beware: Cust strikes out a ton and will not hit for average. Think Rob Deer. If you need that sort of thing, draft him. Rodrigo Lopez came out of nowhere to be the Birds' ace last year, and many worry that his arm won't handle another 200-inning season. Lopez didn't duplicate his fantastic first half with similar numbers in the second half, so drop him down where a 15-game winner would normally be drafted. -- Eric Karabell Darnell McDonald, OF Hit .290 between Double-A and Triple-A last season, with 30 doubles, 20 steals, and 10 homers.

Manager: Mike Hargrove  Home: Oriole Park at Camden Yards (48,876)  '02 record: 67-95  Team page | Schedule | Offseason moves

Catcher: Geronimo Gil Supplanted Brook Fordyce last season and hit 12 home runs, but struck out 88 times and walked only 21 times while hitting .232. Don't expect much better in the way of batting average, but Gil did throw out 36.5 percent of basestealers last season and has worked hard on becoming a better receiver behind the plate. First Base: Jeff Conine Suffered through a bad hamstring injury last season, but still hit .273 with 15 home runs. Consistenly hits for a good average with very moderate power. Look for more of the same this season. He had a very nice spring. Second Base: Jery Hairston Jr. Was on fire this spring, giving the Orioles hope he can improve dramatically on last year's .268 average. He also has speed, and look for him to be more active on the basepaths. Third Base: Tony Batista Had his typical power numbers last season -- 36 doubles and 31 homers -- but hit only .217 in the second half, and his on-base percentage continues to be poor (.308 career). More of the same should be expected, good and bad. Shortstop: Deivi Cruz Mike Bordick is in Toronto, and Cruz is the new shortstop in Baltimore. Cruz hit .263 last season for San Diego -- he's not a good on-base percentage guy, but he'll be solid in the field and hit for a decent average. Left Field: B.J. Surhoff Was expected to platoon in left field with Marty Cordova -- but DH David Segui is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season with a hand injury. Cordova will likely move over to DH in Segui's absence. Surhoff brings a lot of experience -- and he's a career .281 hitter who is very familiar with Baltimore, so he should contribute. Center Field: Gary Matthews Jr. Had a very nice spring, after being bothered by a wrist injury last year. If he stays healthy, he should steal 25 bases, hit around .280 with at least 15 home runs. Right Field: Jay Gibbons Smacked 28 homers last season despite playing with a sore right wrist that required offseason surgery. His average was only .247, but look for him to continue to display power and inch up that average a bit. Designated hitter: Marty Cordova His batting average plummeted almost 50 points to .253 in 2002. Baltimore needs him to bounce back there. Look for his average to land somewhere in the middle, but closer to .253 again. No. 1 Starter: Rodrigo Lopez Finished second last season in the AL Rookie of the Year voting thanks to his 15-9 record and 3.57 ERA. But he seemed to tire in the second half, with a 4.99 ERA in August and September. The Orioles will depend on him for another similar effort. But he needs more run support in order to prove last year wasn't a fluke. No. 2 Starter: Omar Daal Is remembered for losing 19 games with Philadelphia and Arizona in 2000, but he went 13-7 for Philly the following season, and 11-9 last year in L.A. as a starter and reliever. Look for him to reach double-digit wins this season. But without decent run support, look out for double-digit losses, too. No. 3 Starter: Sidney Ponson Missed time with a torn labrum in his shoulder last season, but battled back to go 7-9 with a 4.09 ERA. Ponson is still young (26) and obviously has potential -- but his best season was 12-12 in 1999, and he needs to put up this year or perhaps pack for elsewhere. No. 4 Starter: Rick Helling Was inconsistent in Arizona last season, but the Orioles have high hopes for him. His cut fastball -- his new favorite pitch -- has been very effective this spring. Helling is the only pitcher the Orioles have that's recorded double-digit wins in five consecutive seasons. He'll have a shot at doing that again. Bullpen: Kerry Ligtenberg, Buddy Groom, Willis Roberts, B.J. Ryan, Pat Hentgen The pen was one of Baltimore's strengths last season -- collectively they had the second-best ERA in the AL last season. Ligtenberg was brought in to likely take over in the eighth inning, while Groom dominated in a set-up role last season. Hentgen hopes to slide into the fifth-starting spot at some point. Closer: Jorge Julio Was a highlight for Baltimore last season, saving 25 games with a 1.99 ERA. Opponents batted only .213 against him. The Orioles hope he'll get more save opportunities this season. He throws big-time heat, but must control his breaking ball better.

-- Kieran Darcy, ESPN The Magazine

Record: 67-95 | Finish: 4th in AL East | Results | Statistics: Batting | Pitching Offense (AL rank) Defense (AL rank) 667 runs (13th) Home: 333 (13th) Road: 334 (11th) 773 runs allowed (7th) Home: 371 (7th) Road: 402 (9th) 2002 Stats Leaders   Average: Jeff Conine, .273 Runs: Tony Batista, 90 On-base pct: Melvin Mora, .338 Stolen bases: Jerry Hairston Jr., 21 Wins: Rodrigo Lopez, 15 Saves: Jorge Julio, 25 Home runs: Batista, 31 RBI: Batista, 87 Slugging pct.: Jay Gibbons, .482 OPS: Gibbons, .792 ERA: Lopez, 3.57 Strikeouts: Lopez, 136