Bean,
I'm also suburban central MD
I grew 4 kinds this past year. 2016. Two heirloom beefsteaks (Cherokee Purple, Mortgage lifter) did not set much fruit, and the plants looked like carp too. . Two others did super. Celebrity and Early Girl set loads of nice shaped decent tasting fruit on happy looking plants.. I recommend those two, and have had better luck with Cherokee Purple in the past, and it's my favorite for flavor, too.
I did not put a lot of special effort into my garden, but did start a new garden area, ( previously sod, some chips from removing a tree,) a little fertilizer at planting and once later, full sun, and the year's near perfect rain. Of the whole garden, really those two beefsteak tomatoes (4 plants) were the only things struggling. Other tomatoes, several kinds of peppers, and the sweet potatoes all were super.
