The Baltimore Orioles lead the AL East by three games in late July. They have outscored opponents by 29 runs so far this season and stand a 63.1 percent chance at making the playoffs, according to ESPN.

This isn’t surprising for a successful team, but when you look at how the Orioles have gotten to this point, it’s quite shocking. The Orioles rank 18th in the league with a 3.97 starting pitcher ERA, yet stand at 58-46.

The Orioles are winning in an unconventional way, with a strong offense and average pitching staff. No starter on the roster has an ERA below 3.50, even if you count Kevin Gausman, who has been strong in nine starts.

However, the pitching staff has seen a momentum swing since the All-Star break. In fact, the Orioles have only allowed 14 runs in their last seven games, a stretch that comes as a surprise given the satisfactory first half for the rotation.

With the July 31 trade deadline approaching, many are still clamoring that the Orioles need to find another pitcher to help stabilize the rotation. It’s true; the Orioles need a pitcher before the deadline. However, it shouldn’t be a middle-of-the-rotation guy like Scott Feldman or Joe Saunders, whom the team picked up at the trade deadline the last two years.

This team needs one piece to be considered a contender for a World Series title: A staff ace. Whether it’s Sonny Gray in Oakland, Clayton Kershaw in Los Angeles or Adam Wainwright in St. Louis, the league’s best teams have a dependable No.1 pitcher that could lower a rotation’s ERA singlehandedly.

The Orioles wanted Chris Tillman to be that ace, but he has been underwhelming this season, holding a 3.92 ERA and an astonishing 6.95 ERA in the first inning. Tillman has shown this year that he cannot lead this staff, and he isn’t getting much help from the projected No. 2 starter, Ubaldo Jimenez.

Jimenez has been the weakest Orioles starter this season, before he went down with an ankle injury before the All-Star break. At the time of his injury, Jimenez led the league in walks (60) and held a 4.52 ERA. At 3-8, Jimenez was losing his grip in the rotation and will have to prove himself when he returns.

These situations have led the Orioles to scout the top pitchers on the market, looking to upgrade on Tillman and Jimenez. There are plenty of options for the Orioles in this market, so this might be the year for a blockbuster deal.

 This trade market includes David Price and potential candidates like Chris Sale, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee. Any of these pitchers would immediately become the Orioles No. 1 starter.

However, the team is also scouting pitchers like Ian Kennedy of the San Diego Padres and Jorge De La Rosa of the Colorado Rockies. Kennedy’s ERA sits at 3.66 and De La Rosa’s at 4.19 on the season, making a move like this unnecessary. Adding Kennedy or De La Rosa would only create more friction to this rotation.

The Orioles don’t need to make a deal if they plan on making the postseason; that can be done with the existing staff. However, if they want a World Series title, they need an ace.

Last postseason, Jon Lester went 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA to lead the Boston Red Sox to the World Series title. Matt Cain went 16-5 with a 2.79 ERA in the San Francisco Giants’ 2012 championship season.

These are just a few examples of the pitching prowess teams need to compete at the game’s highest level. The Orioles are have that chance, but they need the pitcher to put them over the top.