Say it with us, people. Orioles baseball is back!
Today, the Orioles welcome the Minnesota Twins to Ed Smith Stadium for the 2023 Grapefruit League opener, with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. from sunny Sarasota.
For the Orioles, their 18th-ranked prospect, left-hander Drew Rom, will start the first spring training game in what he calls “a coming out year.”
“They trust me to go out there and really start everything,” Rom said on making the opening start.
Rom will be followed by non-roster invites Eduard Bazardo, Wandisson Charles, Cole Uvila, Chris Vallimont, Ofreidy Gómez and Morgan McSweeney. The team also brought pitchers Ryan Conroy, Jensen Elliott, Nolan Hoffman, Blaine Knight, Conner Loeprich and Easton Lucas as extras.
Of course, we will see Orioles star Adley Rutschman, but he will only be getting hitting reps today, as he will be the DH.
You can also anticipate Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander getting some significant time as they prepare to head out for the World Baseball Classic in a couple of weeks. Mullins will lead off and play center while Santander will command right and bat clean-up.
Manager Brandon Hyde has Adam Frazier and Joey Ortiz forming the starting double play combination for the game. Frazier is a fresh face, while Ortiz, the team’s 16th-ranked prospect, is looking to turn heads this spring.
Hyde also mentioned that we would see Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo, who is starting at third base. That means there will be at least five of the Orioles’ top 18 prospects appearing in the opener today.
“I think we’re ready,” Hyde said. “I think guys are kind of itching to get out there. We’ve had a lot of guys who have been here quite a while. You’ll see a lot of those guys the first couple of games. We’re looking forward to getting going.”
Here are today’s starting lineups for the Grapefruit League opener:
MINNESOTA TWINS:
1. Nick Gordon SS
2. Austin Martin 2B
3. Trevor Larnach LF
4. Matt Wallner RF
5. Grayson Greiner C
6. Mark Contreras CF
7. Chance Sisco DH
8. Aaron Sabato 1B
9. Andrew Bechtold 3B
SP. Louie Varland RHP
BALTIMORE ORIOLES:
1. Cedric Mullins CF
2. Adam Frazier 2B
3. Adley Rutschman DH
4. Anthony Santander RF
5. Ryan O’Hearn 1B
6. Nomar Mazara LF
7. Joey Ortiz SS
8. Coby Mayo 3B
9. Anthony Bemboom C
SP. Drew Rom LHP
It all has led up to this point, as the battles for bullpen roles, outfield positioning, utility players and backup first basemen start today.
Who do you think will make the biggest impact in the game today? Let us know in the comments below! And make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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