During this spring training, we have had the pleasure of seeing the returns of all our favorite Baltimore Orioles.
It goes without saying that the most anticipated return has been Félix Bautista. And when we say return, we are watching the full return of The Mountain.
Bautista has been throwing this spring, reaching upwards of 98 mph on his fastball. For a guy whose life relies on his velocity, it’s extremely comforting to see him able to hit these velocities again, especially when he’s only at about 85% ramped up.
On Thursday the 27th, Bautista threw his second live batting practice, when he tossed 25 pitches against Heston Kjerstad and Gary Sánchez. Per MASN’s Roch Kubatko, Bautista was essentially unhittable during this session, outside of one opposite-field hit by Kjerstad. And with what we have seen from Kjerstad this spring, that one hit shows more promise for him than it does anything poor against Bautista.
The Oriole bullpen will immediately be a point of focus come Opening Day, as it has all offseason. Seeing someone like Bautista be this close to being back to where he was in 2023 just makes me feel so much better about the entire pitching staff.
Last season, the Orioles had a constant merry-go-round of closers because Craig Kimbrel simply could not get the job done. Having Bautista back in this role not only helps the starting rotation but also allows Yennier Canó, Seranthony Domínguez and newcomer Andrew Kittredge to settle in their set-up roles.
Back in 2023, the combination of Canó prior to Bautista was easily the best end-of-the-bullpen combo in the league. This year, there’s potential for that combo to be a quadruplet that may be even deadlier.
It is possible, per reports, that we see Bautista get action in a live game as early as next week. I’m sure when it’s decided when he will be scheduled to pitch, it will be reported all over social media.
Make sure to keep your eye out so you don’t miss the first game action from The Mountain in 2025.
What are your thoughts on Bautista’s return to action and how it will impact the team this season? 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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