The Orioles will be heavily relying on their talent from the pacific rim this season. With their 200 inning work horse, Jeremy Guthrie, pitching in Colorado and their brightest young star, Zach Britton, dealing with a shoulder injury, the Orioles could be depending on new faces on the pitching staff.

Japanese lefty Tsuyoshi Wada will be competing for a starting spot in Baltimore’s rotation and he’s already begun making the transition to the U.S.

“I haven’t heard anything officially about that yet, but I want to be a starter, so I’m going to do what I have to do to fill that role,” Wada said according to Roch Kubatko at MASNSports.com.

In addition to learning a new language, eating new foods, moving his family across the globe and pitching in the most difficult division of the toughest league in the world, Wada has to also adjust to the heat of Baltimore and pitching on shorter rest. But have no fear, he’s already accepted those challenges.

“I eat a lot in January and February and for the past two or three years I really haven’t dropped any weight in the summertime when I do pitch outside, so I’m pretty confident that I can handle this even though it’s my first summer in the United States,” Wada said. “I think I’ll be OK.”

I’m not sure that packing in pounds will be beneficial in the humidity of June and July. That didn’t seem to help in Boston last season.