Matt Wieters can't miss (cont.)

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Indeed, Wieters seemed to be so blessed with ability that his teammates at Tech nicknamed him God after one especially heavenly performance against Miami in his freshman season, in which he put on a power display while playing pitcher, catcher and first base with equal skill. In fact, his fastball, routinely clocked in the mid-90s, and his success as the team's closer led Hall to think that Wieters could have had a future on the mound.

"I've always said, if he failed as a catcher, which I don't expect him to do, he could probably pitch in the major leagues," says Hall. "He's that talented."

All that talent helped land Wieters, who is represented by Scott Boras, a $6 million signing bonus, the second-highest in draft history (Justin Upton received a $6.1 million bonus). He reported to spring training in the middle of last February and his season didn't end until he finished participating in the Arizona Fall league in late November. He split the season between Class A and Double A, batting .355 with 27 home runs and 91 RBIs, a 1.085 OPS and more walks (38) than strikeouts (29). He drew rave reviews for his defensive ability as well, from his imposing arm to the way he called a game from behind the plate. Baseball America named him its minor league player of the year.

Meanwhile, Baltimore limped to 93 losses and its first last-place finish in two decades. It has been 12 years since the Orioles' last winning season, and even though the club seems a long way from contending for anything other than a high draft pick, Wieters is considered the cornerstone of the rebuilding effort. Long-suffering Orioles fans are already looking upon him as a reason to hope.

"I'm aware of those expectations, but that's nothing compared to what I expect from myself," Wieters says.

He won't reveal exactly what his hopes are for the coming season, but each year he gives himself a series of goals, intentionally making them "pretty lofty" and putting them just beyond his reach. At season's end he will reassess and evaluate where he fell short and what he needs to do to reach those goals.

That preparation for this season began almost as soon as Wieters returned home to Atlanta from his honeymoon this winter. He has been working out at Georgia Tech, mainly focusing on trying to increase his strength and flexibility. He is preparing to battle Zaun for the starting catcher's job this spring, but Stockstill says the plan is likely to have Wieters begin the year at Triple A. That would not only give him time to test his skills at another level, but also to delay the start of his service time (and his salary arbitration clock), a move the Tampa Bay Rays used last spring before bringing up Evan Longoria, who went on to win AL Rookie of the Year honors and help lead the Rays' stunning charge to the World Series.

Whether Wieters and the Orioles can match those lofty heights remains to be seen, though it hardly seems likely. After all, such expectations are all but impossible to live up to. And then one remembers the skill and the character of the rookie in question and the unpredictability of the game and thinks, maybe not.