The dates are set, and spring training is officially less than one month away from getting underway in beautiful Sarasota, Florida, for the reigning AL East Champions, the Baltimore Orioles.
With the start of baseball around the corner, there are some things that need to be figured out before the March 28 Opening Day game against the Los Angeles Angels.
Therefore, I have put together five things that we as Oriole fans need to watch out for during spring training that could affect the 2024 season in Charm City.
The Second Base Situation
The biggest question for the Orioles everyday lineup is who is going to play second base this season. Last year, there was a clear answer before the season started, as the Orioles signed veteran Adam Frazier, who had a breakout 2023 year.
Heading into spring training, there are a flux different players who will be fighting for the starting role at second base. some of those players include Ramon Urias, Jordan Westburg, Terrin Vavra, Connor Norby and Joey Ortiz.
You can easily separate this into different sections, as four players (Urias, Westburg, Ortiz and Vavra) have MLB experience and one (Norby) has not reached the majors. The other thing that can be put into perspective is that Vavra is currently coming off a right shoulder injury that could affect his time in spring training and could potentially hold him back.
As of now, Westburg has every indication to be the Opening Day starter at second for the Orioles. In 68 big league games last year, he had a .715 OPS, including 17 doubles, three home runs and 54 total hits. Westburg also has a fantastic glove at second base and could be in conversation for a Gold Glove in the near future.
The Fifth Rotation Spot
As of now, 80% of the rotation is already guaranteed. Kyle Bradish, John Means, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer are currently locked in their spots. But who is the fifth starter?
Well, I think it’s down to four players who could fight for that spot. Tyler Wells, Cole Irvin, Cade Povich, Chayce McDermott and possibly D.L. Hall, all who are in house, would battle in spring. Although, I believe Hall has a big role in the bullpen and will be a trusted left-hander out of the pen.
Wells, Irvin and Hall all have MLB experience and have showed that they can take the bump every fifth day. However, Povich and McDermott bring a young and new starter energy for batters that have never seen them before. They are the dark horses.
As we all know, spring training is an opportunity to prove oneself. For these five guys, it will be a big one.
Testing New Positions
The Orioles are famous for this. In spring training last year, the Orioles decided to test out Anthony Santander at first base, and it eventually worked out because when Ryan Mountcastle unfortunately dealt with vertigo and was sidelined, it was possible to switch off between Ryan O’hearn and Santander, especially when it came to matchups.
So, which player will the organization attempt to try out at a different position? Well, I have two guesses.
The first is one we have seen before in the minors, and that’s outfielder Heston Kjerstad getting reps at first base. I have had the privilege to watch Kjerstad play first when he was with Double-A Bowie, and he is really good with scooping, and his quick reflexes from playing the outfield helped on screamers towards first.
The second is one that we have seen but not enough to say it’s a trustworthy secondary at the time, and that’s shortstop Jorge Mateo playing the outfield. Mateo’s positional value is semi-limited, as we have only seen him play shortstop and a little bit of center field. However, don’t be surprised if the Orioles try and work with Mateo in the outfield, as he has the speed, arm strength and accuracy to play there, but he mostly just needs to work on tracking and playing the ball off the wall.
The Outfield Cut
There are 26 players who make the active roster. You separate that into five starters, eight relievers, two catchers, four infielders, on the bench. There are currently eight outfielders on the O’s 40-man roster, and when you take away Hays, Mullins and Santander, that leaves five outfielders left for two possible spots.
One thing we have learned in MLB is that nothing is guaranteed. Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, Ryan McKenna, Kyle Stowers and Sam Hilliard are all looking to break camp with the big league club. But they all can’t, obviously.
McKenna and Kjerstad look to have the inside track. Kjerstad is versatile and has a great left-handed swing that we saw at the end of the 2023 season, and McKenna has a great glove in the outfield, providing stellar lockdown defense. However, Cowser provides plus defense with a better overall bat, and Stowers has shown signs of what he can do at the MLB level.
Regardless of which guys make the cut, it’s going to be fun to watch the competition in Grapefruit League action in a month’s time.
The Growth of Certain Players
In 2023, we saw players who were not guaranteed starting spots having amazing spring trainings, and that really helped how their 2023 campaign shaped out.
We saw guys like Heston Kjerstad, Franchy Cordero and Josh Lester have breakout games and really show what they could do all spring. We also saw Eduard Bazardo, Keegan Akin and Morgan McSweeney prove it on the mound.
You can’t really predict who is going to breakout during spring training because you honestly don’t know who will be getting consistent playing time. There are players on the 40-man like Sam Hilliard and Jonathan Heasley, who were acquired this offseason and, depending on how they look in spring training, could affect how their 2024 season looks from beginning to end.
Spring training is a time baseball fans use to get ready for “meaningful baseball.” On the other hand, it’s meaningful baseball for many reasons, as you can have a good camp and make the roster after being written off just a month before.
Looking at spring training in this perspective makes it more fun when we get closer to Opening Day. Keep an eye on these different scenarios during the month and half, and see how competitive it can be.
Which scenarios are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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