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With 'switch-hitting Jesus' gone, a look back at Matt Wieters' Orioles miracles

Baltimore Sun
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In an <a href='http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2007-08-16/sports/0708160281_1_wieters-orioles-signi

In an 11th-hour deal, theOrioles and first-round draft pick Wieters, a rising senior at Georgia Tech represented by Scott Boras,settle on a $6 million signing bonus. It's the second-largest signing bonus in baseball history and nearly $2 million more than the previous Orioles record for a signing bonus given to an amateur. (ALAN DIAZ / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

To properly frame Matt Wieters' now-concluded Orioles career, consider these three comparisons from early in the catcher's professional career:

  • November 2008, FanGraphs: "Matt Wieters: Joe Mauer With Power?"
  • May 2009, ESPN: "He is the switch-hitting Jesus."
  • March 2010, Sports Illustrated: "His teammates at Georgia Tech called him, simply, God."

Boy, that really escalated, huh? We have comparisons to an American League batting champion before Wieters ever reaches Triple-A, to the central figure of Christianity on the eve of Wieters' Orioles debut and to a supreme being before the former first-round draft pick's first full season.

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Wieters ultimately was no divine force in Baltimore. Over eight years, he batted .256/.318/.421 with 117 home runs and 437 RBIs. It is not fair to call a four-time All-Star a bust. It is fair to call his Orioles career a disappointment in some respects nonetheless.

Along the way, there were some miracles, good and bad, large and small. From his at-the-wire signing in 2007 to his 2016 regular-season finale, there were many moments when Wieters tested fans' faith. Did he live up to the prophecies? That depends on what you believe in.

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Click on the photos above for a look back at Wieters' career.

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