The Baltimore Orioles might have been a very busy might club as before the trade deadline, but did they really make a wise decision trading for Bud Norris? Fantasy owners might have jumped the gun and picked up Norris figuring he would be better with a winning team. How do Norris' numbers translate to Camden Yards? Can you say, Boom! Boom! Pow?
Norris' 6-9 record and 3.93 ERA is almost nothing to be excited about. He's allowed 11 home runs in 21 starts. Though not alarming, Orioles fans should be a little concerned. Norris pitched in Minute Maid Park, a stadium that has seen 135 home runs so far in 2013, ranking it third in baseball. Norris' 11 home runs ties him with 15 other pitchers for 83rd in baseball, at least he's not A.J. Griffin of the Oakland A's who has surrendered 26 home runs.
However, Camden Yards is by no means a pitcher friendly ballpark, which should raise some eyebrows. 166 home runs have been hit in Camden Yards, making it the second most hit in a baseball park this season. The Orioles, as well as hopeful fantasy owners, will have to pray that Norris is able to keep the ball on the ground the way he has done throughout the season, but his groundball/flyout totals are almost split.
This season, Norris has induced 159 ground balls, 50 of which have gone for hits. He is a fly-ball pitcher. However, players aren't getting on base when the ball is in the air, which is good news. He has induced 142 fly balls, 126 have gone for outs, while 25 have found a landing spot and nine have wound up on the other side of the fence. Opponents are hitting .314 when they place the ball on the ground and .177 when they hit the ball in the air.
Again, hopefully for fantasy owners who are taking the chance on Norris, these numbers remain true.
Norris would have been valuable for the K/9 Ratio stat, but those numbers have diminished in 2013. He's pitched 126 innings, recording 90 strikeouts. In his four previous seasons, Norris' K/9 Ratio was no lower than 8.5 and in 2013 it's sitting on 6.4.
Norris' true value lies in his ability to go at least five innings per game, being removed from just one start before the fifth inning so far this season. He's allowed three earned runs or fewer in 15 of his 21 starts. This would improve his record and possibly get Norris pitching plus-.500 ball by the time September rolls around. So if you're looking for wins, Norris could be your guy, but as far as overall pitching is concerned, don't expect anything different from the new acquisition.
