Here are 3 early Orioles spring standouts

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles Grapefruit League games are becoming must-watch exhibitions from start to finish. That’s a testament to the wealth of talent throughout their system. The early innings feature big league regulars, who then give way to a slew of top prospects and non-roster invitees with legitimate opportunities to make the team.

Manager Brandon Hyde is planning out the playing-time schedule days in advance -- and he’s quite enjoying it.

“It’s been a fun spring to put lineups together,” Hyde said.

Through six Grapefruit League games, Baltimore’s record is 2-4. The wins and losses might not matter, but the performances by the players do, especially for those battling for roster spots.

Let’s take a look at three players who have stood out the most over the first week of Grapefruit League action.

INF/OF Terrin Vavra
Stats: 6-for-11 with one double, one triple, one homer, four RBIs and three runs scored in his first four games

Known for getting on base at a high rate, Vavra is doing just that early in spring. But the most impressive aspect of the 25-year-old’s start has been his defensive play all over the diamond.

Vavra played second base on Saturday and Thursday, third base on Sunday and left field on Tuesday. Of those positions, he has the least professional experience at the hot corner. Yet he had his best showing in his start at third, making a pair of diving plays to rob Detroit’s Riley Greene of a pair of hits.

However, Vavra hasn’t yet appeared at first base, a position he worked at during the offseason despite never playing there in the pros. In order to win the final bench spot, he may need to prove he can be a viable option to back up Ryan Mountcastle.

“I want to be able to play everywhere,” Vavra said.

RHP Grayson Rodriguez
Stats: Two hitless innings with one strikeout in his first start

Rodriguez made a strong opening statement for his case to be in the Opening Day rotation in his spring debut vs. the Tigers on Thursday. The 23-year-old faced the minimum six batters and ended his breezy 21-pitch outing by getting Miguel Cabrera to ground into a double play.

Detroit was playing many of its regulars, as Rodriguez retired Akil Baddoo, Spencer Torkelson and Javier Báez in order in the first. The right-hander threw nine four-seam fastballs, which averaged 97.9 mph and touched 98.9, per Statcast. He froze Baddoo with a high 98.4 mph heater for a called third strike to begin the outing.

Even if it seems probable that Rodriguez will earn a place in the O’s rotation and make his MLB debut within the first week of the 2023 season, he’s not putting any pressure on himself amid a competition featuring 12 starters and only five openings.

“Obviously, everybody’s vying for a spot,” said Rodriguez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 overall prospect. “I’m just focused on my game.”

OF Heston Kjerstad
Stats: 6-for-8 with two homers, three RBIs and four runs scored in his first five games

There’s something about Kjerstad and warm-weather debuts. Last October, he belted a 424-foot home run in the opening game of the Arizona Fall League slate. Last Saturday, he homered twice in the Orioles’ first contest of the spring.

In the desert, Kjerstad was named the Fall League MVP, a performance that led to him moving back onto MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list, where he’s ranked No. 80. In Spring Training, the 24-year-old is impressing early and pushing himself closer to being on the big league radar.

“I’ve felt great,” Kjerstad said. “Had a great offseason, training went well. Feel like I’m in a good spot strength-wise. My swing’s feeling good right now, so hopefully I’ll be able to build upon that and carry it into the season.”

Kjerstad missed all of 2021 due to myocarditis and the early part of ’22 with a left hamstring strain. Because of that, he still hasn’t played above High-A. That may delay his MLB debut, but if he keeps hitting at the upper levels of the Minors, he could speed up his timeline.