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The beginning of the 2015 MLB season has been far from normal for the Baltimore Orioles. Riots and civil unrest damaged the city and led to the first game in baseball history without any fans in attendance. During this turmoil and distraction, the Orioles have stumbled out of the gates to a lackluster 13-15 record. In these dark times off the field, Jimmy Paredes has been one of the lone bright spots on it. Paredes has firmly secured a place in Baltimore’s lineup after a hot start, batting .347 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 72 at-bats this season. He continued his impressive streak today by collecting three more hits and coming a double short of the cycle in a 6-2 win over the New York Yankees.
Paredes’ journey to the big leagues has been anything but smooth sailing. The 26-year-old switch hitter from the Dominican Republic has bounced between five teams in his four-year career. He began as a promising prospect for the Yankees before being traded to the Houston Astros in 2010. Paredes was promoted to a starting job at the end of the 2011 season, but was unable to sustain success at the professional level after batting .189 in 2012 and .192 in 2013. He was placed on waivers at the end of the 2013 season and was claimed by the Miami Marlins, the Orioles, and the Kansas City Royals in the short span of a year.
After being re-acquired by Baltimore in July of 2013, Paredes joined the team when rosters expanded in September. He showed signs of promise and potential with the Orioles, hitting .302 in 55 plate appearances. It was a small but still impressive sample size, which led to an invitation to Spring Training prior to this season. Paredes took full advantage of the opportunity and was the Orioles’ best hitter in the spring, compiling a slash line of .364/.368/.636 with 10 extra-base hits in 24 games. He would have made the team if it wasn’t for a back injury that landed him on the DL to begin the season.
The door reopened for Paredes after Jonathan Schoop injured his knee in April. His strong performance landed him the role of designated hitter for Baltimore and helped fill the void left by Nelson Cruz. Paredes always had the talent to succeed in the big leagues, but whether he can consistently perform at this level remains to be seen. His defense is still a work in progress, which is evident by the fact that manager Buck Showalter chose to play Steve Pearce at second base instead despite having no experience at the position. But Paredes’ bat has earned him a spot in the lineup and has drawn comparisons to the breakout performance Pearce had last season for the Orioles. Baltimore would be thrilled if he came close to the 21 home runs and 49 RBIs the journeyman posted in 2014.
In baseball and in life you must always be prepared for when your opportunity arrives, because you never know when that day may come. Paredes’ journey is a perfect example of the resilience and determination needed to achieve your dreams. The Orioles are reaping the benefits of his growing confidence and comfort at the major league level. As long as he continues to produce, Paredes will continue to see his name in the Baltimore lineup.
Ben Linton is a MLB writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @Ben_Linton91, or add him to your network on Google.
