Kremer makes final push for O's roster spot

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It’s not hard to measure Sunday afternoon at Hammond Stadium -- an 8-2 loss to the Twins -- as the biggest start of Dean Kremer’s young career. Yes, it was merely a Grapefruit League contest, but the stakes thus far in his professional career have not been higher.

Kremer is among a handful of Orioles pitchers fighting for a rotation, if not a general roster spot this spring. All are mid-20-year-olds facing career inflection points, with intriguing raw talent but yet to find success at the big league level. Kremer appeared to have an inside track to one of the two remaining openings in the rotation, even in spite of the results on Sunday. It requires more a look at his overall body of work this spring.

The righty has been seen to have a refined delivery and pitches with more confidence. In all, it resulted in 11 strikeouts against just three walks this spring; all three walks came against a Twins lineup boasting its regulars.

“I feel like he has more confidence in his pitches,” O's center fielder Cedric Mullins said. “And it's always something I thought he was having worries about -- attacking the zone, just trusting the defense and moments where you might be getting hit a little bit. But we're out there to help you out, we're behind you the whole time, and just have a little faith in us to make the play.

“And I think that's what he's come to realize is -- he has good stuff, it's just a matter of him executing pitches, which is step one of being a good pitcher. It's a learning curve, everyone goes through it, but I feel like he's making strides.”

Is it enough to make Kremer's case for the Opening Day roster a surefire one?

“It's not really my call,” Kremer said. “I hope so.”

But it might be close.

“The stuff is better,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Now it's about maybe getting a little bit better location on some, but he's got Major League stuff. Now it's about understanding how to work ahead and stay ahead, and finish Major League hitters off.”

Playing against Kremer have been some of the traditional results. He was tagged for eight runs in nine innings alongside three home runs. Part of that is a result of his more risk-adjacent approach, wanting to attack hitters more than “nibbling at corners,” like he feels he might have in the past. But where confidence lies, difficulties can flare up.

Seven of the balls in play off Kremer against the Twins came with exit velocities well north of 100 mph, including all of the extra-base hits he yielded (four doubles and a home run to Miguel Sanó).

“Just making sure that I'm not trying to pitch around people and trying to pitch though,” Kremer said. “Just got to make sure I mix. … But I definitely feel good. I know where pretty much everything's going.”

Kremer feels his overall spring resume plays to his roster hopes. Prior to Sunday, he hadn’t walked a batter -- an important step. He’s in a “bucket” of arms that includes Bruce Zimmermann, Zac Lowther and Keegan Akin trying to earn remaining Opening Day roster spots.

All told, does Kremer feel like he put a positive foot forward on a spring that could be defining for his future in the organization?

“More or less, yes,” Kremer said. “I've shown myself that I have the ability to throw all four pitches for strikes and be competitive.”

Bird seed

• There could be another pitcher making his way onto the Opening Day roster. Mike Baumann, ranked as the club’s No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was called upon with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth inning. He immediately induced an inning-ending popup.

And then, Baumann threw two additional scoreless frames with a walk and a strikeout, consistently sitting in the 96-98 mph range.

"The highlight of the day was the way Michael Baumann threw the baseball," Hyde said.

The showing -- and especially the velocity -- could give the Orioles a tough decision. Baumann is one of the few top prospects left in camp with a chance at the Opening Day roster, and if the club sees him as a lethal long-relief option out of the bullpen rather than a starter (which would necessitate starting in the Minors), he could find himself in St. Petersburg on Friday, when Baltimore opens the season against the Rays.

• If you noticed Austin Hays hasn’t been around in recent days, it’s for a happy reason. Hays and his wife, Samantha, welcomed their second baby boy, Hayden, on Friday. Hays is expected to be back with the team in short order before Opening Day.