5 things we learned from the start of Orioles spring training

SARASOTA, Fla.

Its finally baseball season.For 191 of the next 219 days, the Orioles will take the field and play ball.

Before Saturdays Grapefruit League opener, Baltimore began spring training with 10 days of bullpen sessions, fielding drills and batting practice.

Players showed up with improved physiques, revamped swings and new pitches with the hope that the 2025 season will see the club go further in the postseason than the previous two years.Here are five things weve learned so far.Adley Rutschman is on his way backIn assessing the Orioles 2024 season, most people split the year in half: before the club was ravaged by injuries and after.Baltimore was one of the best teams in baseball through the first two and a half months of the season.

But once Kyle Bradish joined Tyler Wells and John Means on the injured list, the Orioles became essentially a .500 team.

After a few months of mediocrity, it got even worse in August once Jordan Westburg, Grayson Rodriguez and Ryan Mountcastle went down with injuries.But theres another way to split the Orioles season: while Adley Rutschman played like Adley Rutschman, and when he didnt.

During the former, the Orioles were 50-30 with one of the majors best records.

During the latter, they were 41-41, putting together their worst stretch of baseball since Rutschman debuted in May 2022.

This isnt to say Rutschman is at fault for the clubs slump, but rather having a generational switch-hitting catcher is one of the main factors that differentiates the Orioles from most of their opponents.The line of demarcation here is June 27 when Rutschman took a foul tip off his hand, though the backstop and the club said he wasnt battling an injury at any point in 2024.

But that date is coincidentally around when Rutschman began to slump.

The two-time All-Star was hitting .297 with an .820 OPS and 14 homers before that game.

After it, he hit only .194 with a .576 OPS and five long balls.So ...

what happened to Rutschman?At this point, the answer is simple: He just went through a slump.

The reasons are more complicated: His swing got too long; he was worn down from a long season; the slump mentally took a toll.Rutschman has yet to play in a game this spring, but all the signs early in camp point toward him getting back on track in 2025.

His swing in live batting practice looks controlled yet violent evidenced by him hitting two left-handed homers one day and an opposite-field line drive single the next day.Whether Rutschman is truly back on track will remain a storyline throughout spring training and in the first half of the regular season.

But so far, so good.Theres intrigue in Tomoyuki Sugano both at home and abroadSaturday was the first day this spring that a large contingent of Japanese media wasnt at Orioles spring training.

Thats because it was the first day it was known Tomoyuki Sugano wouldnt step on a mound.Through the beginning portion of spring training, Orioles players and fans witnessed the fervor with which Japanese media members covered Sugano, who is one of the most decorated pitchers in his countrys history.

They sprinted to the bullpen area to get the best spot to capture the right-handers pitches, and they talked with other players in the clubhouse about Sugano and what its like having a Japanese player on the team.

Sugano is the first player the Orioles have signed out of Japan since 2009 when they brought over pitcher Koji Uehara, who became a fan favorite.Staff members give the thumbs up for Orioles pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to start throwing live batting practice.

(Kenneth K.

Lam/Staff)Sugano might not be a star in MLB, but he is and will always be in Japan, where fans are eager for any update about Sugano from those following him with the Orioles this season.

Its hard to understand or quantify Suganos popularity, but for those with social media, heres the easiest way to portray it: Go on X, scroll through the Orioles timeline and see the wild uptick in engagement on a post about Sugano and any other tweet.

For example, a video tweeted by the Orioles on Friday of Sugano pitching garnered nearly 1 million views and 1,000 retweets far and away more than any other post last week.Suganos presence is a daily reminder that baseball is a global sport, not just one played on this side of the world, and that some of the games biggest stars play halfway around the globe.

Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan, and Nippon Professional Baseball is recognized as the second best league on the planet behind MLB.

The vast majority of stars who come over from NPB have success in MLB.Still, Sugano, a three-time NPB Central League MVP, has plenty of adjustments to overcome; the baseball, the mound and the style of hitter are all different in MLB, and thats nothing to say of the culture shock and language barrier Sugano has to overcome.

The Orioles are giving the 35-year-old autonomy like they would any veteran while watching closely to ensure the transition goes smoothly.Rutschman was impressed with his six-pitch mix, while backup catcher Gary Sanchez and pitching coach were wowed by Suganos command.

No matter how this spring and season go for Sugano, all eyes will be on him both in Baltimore and Tokyo.The Orioles have high hopes for Samuel BasalloPair any catcher with Rutschman the real Rutschman and its automatically one of the best duos in baseball.

But what the Orioles have cooking could soon turn into a true dynamic duo behind the plate with two star catchers on the same roster.Samuel Basallo, the best catching prospect in baseball, is getting his first full taste of big league camp this spring, and he looks like he belongs.

Physically, there was never a doubt that would be the case about the 6-foot-4 20-year-old.

But his mental preparation behind the scenes, his work behind the plate and his batting practice (a true sight to see) have impressed Orioles coaches and teammates this spring.Its important not to overhype a prospect who has played only 21 games above Double-A in his life, but all signs are pointing toward Basallo being in the majors by early 2026, or even late 2025.

FanGraphs recently ranked him as the No.

5 prospect in baseball, while the ZiPS projection system (a statistics-based model) had him at No.

3.Plenty of questions need to be answered when Basallo does arrive to the show.

Will he remain a catcher or be moved to first base? How will Rutschman and Basallo split the catching duties? Will they play first base or serve as Baltimores designated hitter when theyre not catching?Lets leave tomorrows questions for tomorrow or perhaps this Fridays Orioles mailbag.

If Basallo turns out to be the hitter the Orioles believe he can be, it wont matter much where they play him.Orioles mailbag: When will extension talks for Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman heat up?The vibes are good ...J.J.

Hardy and Matt Bowmans ping pong rally Saturday morning had most in the Orioles clubhouse at Ed Smith Stadium in awe.

Hardy, an Orioles Hall of Famer, earned a reputation during his playing days as one of the best ping pong players in MLB.

Bowman, it seems, is at least one of the best among the more than 70 players at Orioles spring training.Seranthony Dominguez, Jorge Mateo and Dean Kremer frequent the pool table.

Dominguez was humble and said Kremer might be the best player in the clubhouse, even after the former beat the latter minutes prior.Felix Bautista, Yennier Cano and other Latin relievers are oftentimes locked in on a heated match of checkers near their lockers in the corner of the clubhouse.The Orioles Cedric Mullins signs autographs for fans before Saturdays first spring training game.

(Kenneth K.

Lam/Staff)These small games happen in every clubhouse as a way to relax before practice or unwind after a game.

Spring training days start early (normally between 7-8 a.m.), and now that games are underway, they end late (between 4-6 p.m.).But Orioles spring training thus far has been filled exclusively with on-field practice and off-the-field fun.

Unlike the rest of the American League East, theres been no drama at Orioles camp.Its good vibes all around, Westburg said.Just compare this spring with the previous two.In 2023, then-Orioles CEO and Chairman John Angelos answered questions about the team from a group of Baltimore media for the first time in more than four years.

It came one month after he cited Martin Luther King Jr.

Day as a reason to not answer a question about his familys future owning the team.

Also that spring, the Orioles entered spring training with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball despite the rebuild ending the season prior.

And top prospect Grayson Rodriguez battled for a roster spot and missed out, much to the chagrin of some fans.In 2024, the team was in the process of being sold by the Angelos family to David Rubenstein.

Still, payroll was ranked bottom-five in MLB, under $100 million, after the club won 101 games in 2023.

Jackson Holliday, the No.

1 prospect in the sport, played great throughout spring training but was controversially left off the roster.So far this spring, Rubenstein gave a news conference, but he was disciplined and prepared, unlike his predecessor.

Holliday is a near-lock to make the opening day roster, and there are essentially no competitions for roster spots despite plenty of depth.

And no players whose roles are being diminished or changed are causing a fuss such as Rafael Devers in Boston or Marcus Stroman in New York.None of this will help the Orioles once the regular season begins, but a smooth start is better than a bumpy one....

but plenty of questions remainThis isnt to say, though, that the Orioles are a perfect team.

Theyre no Los Angeles Dodgers.These are just some of the questions facing the club entering this season:Related ArticlesBaltimore Orioles | Orioles observations on Jackson Hollidays defense, revenge from old friend in spring opener vs.

PiratesBaltimore Orioles | Eddie Fisher, World Series champion with 1966 Orioles, dies at 88Baltimore Orioles | Jimmys Famous Seafood not returning to Camden Yards in 2025Baltimore Orioles | Orioles roster projection: Coby Mayo, Cade Povich face long odds as spring games beginBaltimore Orioles | Orioles Spring Training 2025 | PHOTOSWill Rutschman get back on track? And what happens if he doesnt? Can Ryan Mountcastles power return with a normal left field wall at Camden Yards? Will Holliday establish himself in the big leagues after his sour first taste? Will Heston Kjerstad finally get the chance to play regularly? Can Felix Bautista return to his pre-Tommy John self?Can the Orioles stay healthy after injuries hampered them last year? Is the rotation good enough without a true ace? Will the offense get back on track after it slumped in the second half?Oh, and lest we forget the big one:Did the Orioles do enough this offseason to finally win a playoff game and push for a World Series?Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer..

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