Baltimore Orioles: Steve Pearce with something to prove in 2015

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Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The 2014 season was good to Baltimore Orioles’ first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce. In 102 games played with Baltimore, he batted .293/.373/.556 with 26 doubles, 21 home runs and 49 RBIs. And due to Chris Davis having an off year, Pearce’s bat was well appreciated in the clubhouse.

Looking ahead to the 2015 season, Pearce wants to prove that last season’s performance was no fluke. And if this spring training is any indication of how Pearce is going to perform then Orioles fans can rest easy.

In 10 Grapefruit League games, Pearce has batted .355/.355/.774 with four home runs and eight RBIs.

With only 13 days left until Opening Day, Pearce will most likely play at first base during the first game of the season. Once Davis is let off his suspension, Pearce’s time at first depends on how Davis bats this season. If the 2014 Davis shows up in Baltimore, expect to see Pearce at first more often than not.

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However, if Davis finds his swing and gets on base consistently, expect Pearce to split time in the outfield with the likes of David Lough, Alejandro De Aza, and Delmon Young. Whether placed in left or right field, it makes little difference to Pearce. He had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage at both positions.

If you just look at his 2014 stats, he looks like he a key utility player who will get you 20+ home runs and around 50 RBIs each season. Unfortunately, his other seven years in the major leagues tell a different story.

In 2013, he played with the Orioles, but he only played 44 games. In those games, he batted .261/.362/.420 with just four home runs and 13 RBIs. And in 2012, he batted a combined .239/.328/.377 with just four home runs between the Orioles (28 games), the Houston Astros (21 games), and the New York Yankees (12 games).

He has a track record for inconsistency so this season look for Pearce to be wired in to repeat the success he saw last season.

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