The Baltimore Orioles finished in second place in the A.L.East, only 2 games behind the Yankees with a 93-69 (57.4%) record. They then won the Wild Card Game against the Rangers to advance to the playoffs against the Yankees. The Yankees won a hard fought five game series over the Orioles, to end their season. Here is a look at the players who made the biggest impacts in 2012, in my opinion:

Team MVP: Adam Jones - 27-year old righty swinging CF Adam Jones put everything together in 2012. He played in 162 games for the Orioles last year and he was 186 of 648 (.287 avg, .839 OPS) with 103 runs scored, 32 homers, 82 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.

Best Pitcher: Jim Johnson - The Orioles won a lot of close games in 2012, and 29-year old righty closer Jim Johnson had a lot to do with that. Johnson pitched in 71 games (0 starts) for the Orioles last year and he was 2-1 with 51 saves, a 2.49 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He only gave up 55 hits and 15 walks in 68 2/3 innings for the Orioles this year while whiffing 41 batters.

Biggest Surprise: Chris Tillman - 24-year old righty starting pitcher Chris Tillman might not have been in the playoff rotation for the Orioles, but he turned in a great year for them. Tillman pitched in 15 games (all starts) for the Orioles last year and he was 9-3 with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Tillman only gave up 66 hits and 24 walks in 86 innings last year while whiffing 66….which is pretty impressive.

Biggest Disappointment: Jake Arrieta - 26-year old righty starting pitcher Jake Arrieta just continues to disappoint for the Orioles. He pitched in 24 games (18 starts) in which he was 3-9 with a 6.20 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.

The Baltimore Orioles spent some money last winter in an effort to compete in the A.L. East in 2011, but it just didn’t work out. The Orioles finished up with a 69-93 record as they finished last in the A.L. East, 28 games behind the Yankees. Here are some things that stood out in 2011:

TEAM MVP: This was a close call as Adam Jones had a solid year for the Orioles, but I think 29-year old righty swinging shortstop J.J. Hardy was the team MVP. He played solid defense and he really ripped the ball for the Orioles in 2011. Hardy played in 129 games for the Orioles in 2011 and he was 120 for 457 (.269 avg, .801 OPS) with 76 runs scored, 30 homers and 80 RBIs. Hardy has a bright future in Baltimore.

BEST PITCHER: 28-year old righty reliever Jim Johnson was by far the best pitcher the O’s had to offer in 2011. Johnson pitched in 69 games (0 starts) for the Orioles in 2011 and he was 6-5 with 9 saves, a 2.67 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Johnson only gave up 80 hits while walking 21 batters and whiffing 58 in 91 innings. He pretty much replaced Kevin Gregg as the closer late in the year, because he was the only one manager Buck Showalter could trust to protect a lead.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: 27-year old righty swinging infielder Robert Andino had been a career backup until this year. That was until Brian Roberts suffered a nasty concussion that caused him to miss most of this year. Andino took over at 2B and he never looked back. He played in 139 games for the Orioles this year and he was 120 for 457 (.263 avg, .670 OPS) with 63 runs scored, 5 homers, 36 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Andino has finally appeared to have found a home in Baltimore.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: 24-year old lefty starting pitcher Brian Matusz was supposed to be a pitcher on the rise for the Orioles, but he was utterly pathetic for them in 2011. Matusz pitched in 12 games (all starts) for the Orioles this year and he was 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA and a 2.11 WHIP! He gave up 81 hits (18 homers) in only 49 2/3 innings this year while also walking 24 batters and whiffing 38. He’s going to have an uphill battle if he wants to get back in the good graces of the front office.