For parts of the past two seasons, Orioles fans have seen flashes of how great right-hander Kevin Gausman can be.
Many in the Orioles organization, including executive vice president Dan Duquette, believe that 2015 can be the season the 23-year-old Gausman truly reaches his potential.
Gausman didn't make the big league roster out of spring training last year, and his first two months were limited by inning and pitch counts. But Gausman, who went 7-7 with a 3.57 ERA with the Orioles, allowed three or fewer runs in 16 of his 20 big league starts, despite spending most of the season being shuttled between the majors and Triple-A.
There's no doubt that Gausman made tremendous strides in 2014. He built on the "come to the rescue" mentality he had working out of the bullpen in 2013. Like all young pitchers with great stuff, he continued to learn the mental aspect of pitching to get hitters out more consistently.
Gausman also received his first taste of the playoffs, allowing just one run over eight postseason relief innings.
In Game 2 of the American League Division Series, he bailed out struggling starter Wei-Yin Chen in the fourth inning, giving the Orioles 3 2/3 relief innings and allowing them to rally from a three-run deficit to take control of the series.
Now it will be interesting — and undoubtedly intriguing — to see what Gausman can do in a full big-league season.
-- Eduardo A. Encina
(Encina's pick for 2014: Gausman)
Visiting writers kept asking us the same question as the young Orioles right-hander, who had entered his first playoff game in long relief, popped the mitt with 95-mph fastball after 95-mph fastball.
Why hadn't Kevin Gausman started the game?
These scribes from Detroit were getting their first real glimpse of Gausman's rare talent. And to them, he immediately looked like a star.
Orioles fans and teammates, of course, had known of Gausman's gifts since shortly after the club drafted him No. 4 overall in 2012. He was expected to establish himself quickly as a major league starter.
But Orioles fans had heard that about a long string of vaunted pitching prospects.
Some — most notably right-hander Chris Tillman — panned out. Most did not.
With 20 generally good starts and those tantalizing playoff appearances, Gausman showed in 2014 that he could become the first no-doubt-about-it ace the Orioles have produced since Mike Mussina. He still needs work on his offspeed stuff and luck in avoiding injuries.
But when we talk about Baltimore athletes to watch in 2014, Gausman is the one I'll have my eye on. He could be a guy we're talking about in 30 years, and there aren't a lot of those.
— Childs Walker
(Walker's pick for 2014: Manny Machado)